--- abstract: "Lewis Thomas, in a previous issue of Discover magazine, had speculated on the sociobiological significance of the \"fact\" that telling a lie produces a \"reproducible cascade\" of physiological changes. In this response, I explain that this \"fact' is a myth, the deeply entrenched myth of the lie detector. It is plausible to suppose that our ancestors evolved the ability to lie not long after acquiring the ability to talk, both of these talents having obvious adaptive qualities. They did not, however, evolve a Pinocchio's nose, an involuntary response or pattern of responses that is always shown when, and only when, a lie is being told or a deceptive answer given." altloc: [] chapter: ~ commentary: ~ commref: ~ confdates: ~ conference: ~ confloc: ~ contact_email: ~ creators_id: [] creators_name: - family: Lykken given: David T. honourific: '' lineage: '' date: 1980-02 date_type: published datestamp: 1998-12-20 department: ~ dir: disk0/00/00/07/75 edit_lock_since: ~ edit_lock_until: ~ edit_lock_user: ~ editors_id: [] editors_name: [] eprint_status: archive eprintid: 775 fileinfo: /style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png;/775/3/75.pdf full_text_status: public importid: ~ institution: ~ isbn: ~ ispublished: ~ issn: ~ item_issues_comment: [] item_issues_count: 0 item_issues_description: [] item_issues_id: [] item_issues_reported_by: [] item_issues_resolved_by: [] item_issues_status: [] item_issues_timestamp: [] item_issues_type: [] keywords: 'lying, lie detection, polygraph tests' lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:54:17 latitude: ~ longitude: ~ metadata_visibility: show note: ~ number: ~ pagerange: ~ pubdom: FALSE publication: ~ publisher: ~ refereed: FALSE referencetext: ~ relation_type: [] relation_uri: [] reportno: ~ rev_number: 12 series: ~ source: ~ status_changed: 2007-09-12 16:34:19 subjects: - clin-psy - evol-psy succeeds: ~ suggestions: ~ sword_depositor: ~ sword_slug: ~ thesistype: ~ title: To tell the truth type: preprint userid: 101 volume: ~