Of course, by writing “the unproven accusations are forgotten” I was indicating the lack of scientific control and the overall inadequacy of the “evidence” that either countermeasure detection or the polygraph itself is accurate.  I was certainly not implying that those people falsely accused of deception on a polygraph “test” quickly forget about the incident.

The apparent hostility many in the polygraph community have for George seems to weigh against them, in my opinion.  George is questioning the accuracy of a “test” which they claim is firmly grounded in science, and they often respond by launching a personal attack on him.  If their profession is based on solid science why would they be so reluctant to discuss its accuracy?

If someone at the scene of a motor vehicle accident questions how I determined they were at fault, I can and often do spend as much time as required explaining the science behind my conclusions.  If they doubt the scientific validity of my methods, I can easily explain to them the derivation of the mathematical equations I use and how they originated with basic Newtonian physics.  I can show them the measurements I took at the scene and they can feel free to go back to the scene and measure it all themselves to make sure I didn’t make a mistake.

What I can’t imagine is attacking them personally for daring to question me.  I can’t see myself accusing them of “being against law and order” or “not being patriotic” for questioning how I do my job.  However, if I was just making everything up as I went along, and I hadn’t done any real measurements or used any real equations, then I might get upset if someone starting questioning my methods.

That’s what I see when certain members of the polygraph community are so openly hostile.  They are reacting to the shouts that the Emperor has no clothes by going into the crowd and attacking the shouters.