2010 Science News of the Year: Technology

Credit: Michael Morgenstern

Lie detectors blend fact and fiction
Devices that can discern honest statements from lies are much sought after, especially since a 2003 National Research Council report concluded that traditional polygraphs flag stress, not deception. But newer gadgets increasingly used by police departments and other agencies don’t tell fact from fiction either, researchers now say (SN: 7/3/10, p.