News

The Guardian Newspaper reported: "A walk-in advice centre for stalkers opened in the German capital yesterday, offering help to those who wish to stop harassing their victims."

It was reported in the Times Newspaper on 25th January by John Harlow and Sara Hashash

"THE truth will out. A new lie detector test shows that it takes on average 30% longer to tell a fib than to be honest.

The discovery, following computer-based trials in Britain, will offer hope to law enforcement agencies struggling to keep pace with suspects who are getting better at lying.

The new device may also provide a more reliable alternative to conventional polygraphs, which critics believe implicate too many innocent people.

Aiden Gregg, a psychologist at Southampton University who developed the timed antagonistic response alethiometer (Tara), found that in 85% of cases interviewees were slower at faking answers than when telling the truth. Gregg believes that lying takes longer because it involves more complex cognitive activity."

See link below:

Stanford Law Prof. Hank Greely discusses Law and Neuroscience on LB Network.

In addition, further information on this subject courtesy of Ken Strutin, writing in the LLRX.com, has produced a review article which is introduced as follows: "Rapid advancements in forensic neuroscience are having an impact on criminal justice. The use of neuroimaging has emerged from medical analysis identifying abnormalities and dysfunctions to delving into lie detection and decision making. The courts are facing evidence about what the brain's form and function can reveal about human behavior and knowledge."

Click on link below for the full text:

CNET News highlighted the latest neuroscience research: "How often have you wondered what your spouse is really thinking? Or your boss? Or the guy sitting across from you on the bus? We all take as a given that we'll never really know for sure. The content of our thoughts is our own--private, secret, and unknowable by anyone else. Until now, that is."

"The average person lies 3 times per 10 minutes of conversation" - Samuel Baum, show creator and executive director.

Fox Broadcasting will premiere on January 21st 2009 their new drama series starring Tim Roth as Dr Cal Lightman who can detect the deception or truth by analysing a person's face, voice and body. This character is based upon the pioneering work of Dr Paul Ekman and will no doubt be very entertaining and thought provoking. The writers have drawn heavily on established detection of deception research. Dr Ekman's research can be found at: http://www.paulekman.com.

For more details please click on the link to the official website:

It was reported in the Joe Public Blog in The Guardian Newspaper that: "Inmates who want to prove their innocence must be allowed to use the tests too, says prison correspondent Eric Allison". CFN is committed to providing polygraph examinations to all prisoners, as instructed by their legal teams. For further information on this article, please click on the link below:

It is reported in the Nottingham Evening Post that: "HUNDREDS of convicted sex offenders in Notts are to undergo lie detector tests before their release on licence from prison.

The mandatory tests will begin in April as part of a three-year pilot study backed by the Ministry of Justice in the Midlands.

Any sex offender aged over 18 who has received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months could be eligible for the scheme.

The lie detector tests, also known as polygraphs, will be carried out at six-monthly intervals – though if there are particular concerns about an individual, they may be tested more frequently.

There are 791 registered sex offenders in Notts, according to Notts Mappa (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements). If successful, the scheme could lead to tests becoming mandatory across Britain".

For further information on this topic, please click on the link below:

It was reported in the Independent Newspaper that: "Thousands of convicted sex attackers may now be able to challenge their positions on the sex offenders register, after a landmark High Court case ruled that forcing them to remain on the list for life was a breach of their human rights."

Thus the necessity for regular testing to ensure that such offenders are in fact at risk of further offending, or, indeed no longer pose a danger to others is an obvious necessity; This testing may take the form procedures such as polygraph testing and/or penile plethysmography.

To view the entire article click on the link below:

Dr Graeme Fairchild of the University of Cambridge has found that low levels of the stress hormone cortisol may have some aetiological significance to antisocial behaviour in adolescent boys. Providing further evidence of a biological basisfor conduct disorder.

"Cortisol Diurnal Rhythm and Stress Reactivity in Male Adolescents with Early-Onset or Adolescence-Onset Conduct Disorder."
Graeme Fairchild, Stephanie H.M. van Goozen, Sarah J. Stollery, Jamie Brown, Julian Gardiner, Joe Herbert, Ian M. Goodyer.
Biological Psychiatry, Volume 64, Issue 7, 1 October 2008, Pages 599-606.
doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.05.022

See link below:

The New Scientist News Service reported that bouncing near infrared light through the skull could be used measure the amount of brain activity in certain areas, which can then be correlated with deception. Dr Scott C Bunce, Director of the Clinical Neuroscience, and Dr Britton Chance are developing this technology. For futher information please click on the PDF below.

For more information, please click on the link the patent application below.