Portable Lie Detector Catches Liars in the Act

Did you know that handheld lie detectors were sent to the US Army this month to be used in Iraq?

Called the Preliminary Credibility Assessment Screening System or PCASS, the handheld flashes red whenever the subject says something they know deviates from the truth. In short, the device flashes red lights whenever a subject lies. Asked about PCASS, however, Stephen E. Fienberg, a statistic professor and lead researcher of lie detectors says:

“I don’t understand how anybody could think that this is ready for deployment. Sending these instruments into the field in Iraq and Afghanistan without serious scientific assessment, and for use by untrained personnel, is a mockery of what we advocated in our report.”

Yes, the government admits the PCASS is nowheere near perfect. Nevertheless, they believe that it can save a lot of lives in the field, as it can scan groups of people which spies always seem to blend into. Let’s just hope it doesn’t cause any innocent man to be suspected of anything.

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