Amit Katwala

It's very, very subjective. So, yes, you can give two different examiners the same chart to examine and they could come up with completely different answers as to whether the person was lying.

It's very, very subjective. So, yes, you can give two different examiners the same chart to examine and they could come up with completely different answers as to whether the person was lying.

Yes, essentially. That would be my contention. I mean, I think that the machine has obviously helped to put criminals away. There's no getting around that. But the problem is that it's also perpetrated serious miscarriages of justice. Essentially, the reason the polygraph has been so successful is because of the theatre around it, right?

Yes, essentially. That would be my contention. I mean, I think that the machine has obviously helped to put criminals away. There's no getting around that. But the problem is that it's also perpetrated serious miscarriages of justice. Essentially, the reason the polygraph has been so successful is because of the theatre around it, right?

Yes, essentially. That would be my contention. I mean, I think that the machine has obviously helped to put criminals away. There's no getting around that. But the problem is that it's also perpetrated serious miscarriages of justice. Essentially, the reason the polygraph has been so successful is because of the theatre around it, right?

It works because people believe it works so that the mere threat of being attached to a polygraph can compel someone to confess to the crime before the exam even takes place because they're so worried about being found out because they believe the machine works even if it doesn't actually work.

It works because people believe it works so that the mere threat of being attached to a polygraph can compel someone to confess to the crime before the exam even takes place because they're so worried about being found out because they believe the machine works even if it doesn't actually work.

It works because people believe it works so that the mere threat of being attached to a polygraph can compel someone to confess to the crime before the exam even takes place because they're so worried about being found out because they believe the machine works even if it doesn't actually work.

I mean, you don't even need a polygraph machine some of the time. So there's a great story from David Simon's book about policing in Baltimore where he describes the situation. And I think it's recreated in an episode of The Wire, actually, where the police officers didn't have a polygraph available. So they used a Xerox machine.

I mean, you don't even need a polygraph machine some of the time. So there's a great story from David Simon's book about policing in Baltimore where he describes the situation. And I think it's recreated in an episode of The Wire, actually, where the police officers didn't have a polygraph available. So they used a Xerox machine.

I mean, you don't even need a polygraph machine some of the time. So there's a great story from David Simon's book about policing in Baltimore where he describes the situation. And I think it's recreated in an episode of The Wire, actually, where the police officers didn't have a polygraph available. So they used a Xerox machine.

And they put the subject's hand on a Xerox machine and told the subject that it was a lie detector and then just got the machine to print out a piece of paper with he's lying written on it. And that was enough to kind of trick the suspect into actually, you know, believing that the machine could read their mind.

And they put the subject's hand on a Xerox machine and told the subject that it was a lie detector and then just got the machine to print out a piece of paper with he's lying written on it. And that was enough to kind of trick the suspect into actually, you know, believing that the machine could read their mind.

And they put the subject's hand on a Xerox machine and told the subject that it was a lie detector and then just got the machine to print out a piece of paper with he's lying written on it. And that was enough to kind of trick the suspect into actually, you know, believing that the machine could read their mind.

Exactly. Yes, it does the job. It's all about the theater of it. And actually, they realized this very early on, the inventors of the polygraph, that it was largely about the theater. So they did take steps to amp that up.

Exactly. Yes, it does the job. It's all about the theater of it. And actually, they realized this very early on, the inventors of the polygraph, that it was largely about the theater. So they did take steps to amp that up.

Exactly. Yes, it does the job. It's all about the theater of it. And actually, they realized this very early on, the inventors of the polygraph, that it was largely about the theater. So they did take steps to amp that up.

Yes. So to train to become a polygraph examiner, well, there's no real regulation stopping you from just buying a polygraph machine on eBay and then advertising your services. But most polygraph examiners that are operating today have certification from something called the American Polygraph Association.

Yes. So to train to become a polygraph examiner, well, there's no real regulation stopping you from just buying a polygraph machine on eBay and then advertising your services. But most polygraph examiners that are operating today have certification from something called the American Polygraph Association.

Yes. So to train to become a polygraph examiner, well, there's no real regulation stopping you from just buying a polygraph machine on eBay and then advertising your services. But most polygraph examiners that are operating today have certification from something called the American Polygraph Association.