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Study Suggests Magnets Can Force You to Tell the Truth

Posted by samzenpus on from the refrigerator-of-truth dept.

Estonian researchers claim that magnets can either force you to lie or make it impossible. Subjects in the study had magnets placed at either the left or the right side of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the results suggest that the individual was either unable to tell the truth or unable to lie depending on which side was stimulated. From the article: "Last year, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology also used powerful magnets to disrupt the area said to be the brain's 'moral compass,' situated behind the right ear, making people temporarily less moral."

4 of 320 comments (clear)

  1. Cell Phones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "magnets to disrupt the area said to be the brain's 'moral compass,' situated behind the right ear, making people temporarily less moral"

    Is that why people on cell phones act like assholes?

  2. Alas, poor Dualism, I knew they well by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Modern neuroscience is killing any wiggle-room that might have remained regarding souls and free will. As I've mentioned before, neuroscientists, ethicists, and legal scholars are concerned that "my brain made me do it" will become a reasonable courtroom defense. (No, I'm not talking about the traditional "insanity defense".)

    We will eventually be forced to re-think a lot of cherished beliefs about brains, minds, and behavior.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  3. Re:Immediate Uses For This by maxwell+demon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Note that not being able to lie does not imply not being able to tell anything but the truth. Many people telling wrong things actually believe them.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  4. Re:Don't tell the TSA by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Politicians don't lie. They just don't believe in the truth.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.