- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
How do you trap someone in a lie? For centuries, all manner of truth-seekers have used the lie detector. In this eye-opening book, Geoffrey C. Bunn unpacks the history of this device and explores the interesting and often surprising connection between technology and popular culture.
Lie detectors and other truth-telling machines are deeply embedded in everyday American life. Well-known brands such as Isuzu, Pepsi Cola, and Snapple have advertised their products with the help of the "truth machine," and the device has also appeared in countless movies and television shows. The Charles Lindbergh "crime of the century" in 1935 first brought lie detectors to the public's attention. Since then, they have factored into the Anita Hill–Clarence Thomas sexual harassment controversy, the Oklahoma City and Atlanta Olympics bombings, and one of the most infamous criminal cases in modern memory: the O. J. Simpson murder trial. The use of the lie detector in these instances brings up many intriguing questions that Bunn addresses: How did the lie detector become so important? Who uses it? How reliable are its results? Bunn reveals just how difficult it is to answer this last question. A lie detector expert concluded that O. J. Simpson was "one hundred percent lying" in a video recording in which he proclaimed his innocence; a tabloid newspaper subjected the same recording to a second round of evaluation, which determined Simpson to be "absolutely truthful."
Bunn finds fascinating the lie detector's ability to straddle the realms of serious science and sheer fantasy. He examines how the machine emerged as a technology of truth, transporting readers back to the obscure origins of criminology itself, ultimately concluding that the lie detector owes as much to popular culture as it does to factual science.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Introduction Plotting the Hyperbola of Deception
- Chapter 1 "A thieves' quarter, a devil's den": The Birth of Criminal Man
- Chapter 2 "A vast plain under a flaming sky": The Emergence of Criminology
- Chapter 3 "Supposing that Truth is a woman-what then?": The Enigma of Female Criminality
- Chapter 4 "Fearful errors lurk in our nuptial couches": The Critique of Criminal Anthropology
- Chapter 5 "To Classify and Analyze Emotional Persons": The Mistake of the Machines
- Chapter 6 "Some of the darndest lies you ever heard": Who Invented the Lie Detector?
- Chapter 7 "A trick of burlesque employed ... against dishonesty": The Quest for Euphoric Security
- Chapter 8 "A bally hoo side show at the fair": The Spectacular Power of Expertise
- Conclusion The Hazards of the Will to Truth
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Essay on Sources
- Index