George,
I think the Randi quote from the "Re: James Randi on Polygraphy" thread needs to quickly rise from obscurity to your quotable quotes on the home page left column. Does anybody see a SNL skit here?? Where is the great Belushi when we really need him? Can you imagine a better lead polygrapher than Bluto?? I think this one has promise...
Actually, Randi was quoting his friend Bob Park of the American Physical Society. The quote is from Parks's weekly
What's New commentary dated 11 October 2002 (http://www.aps.org/WN/WN02/wn101102.html), in which the NAS polygraph report was his lead story:
Quote1. LIAR, LIAR: ACADEMY PANEL DISCOVERS THE POLYGRAPH TELLS LIES.
The polygraph looks for abrupt increases in heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration. The polygraph is, therefore, a highly reliable detector of orgasms. But does it detect lies? Only if you're lying about having an orgasm. After a hundred years of exonerating the likes of Aldrich Ames and ruining the careers of nameless thousands, the Wen Ho Lee case led the Administration to call for a huge expansion of polygraph testing. To its credit, the DOE called instead for testing the polygraph. The National Academy of Sciences convened a study panel, and its report was released this week. The report confirms, as WN has maintained, that no spy has ever been caught using the polygraph (WN 05 Apr 02 (http://www.aps.org/WN/WN02/wn040502.html)). "Too many loyal employees may be falsely judged deceptive, or too many major security threats could go undetected," the report said, warning against reliance on the tests. The next day, New Mexico senators, Jeff Bingamen (D)and Pete Domenici (R), called on DOE to abolish the tests. And that's no lie.
As for a quote on the homepage; perhaps. But I fear it's perhaps too off-color... :)
George,
Thank you for the source correction. But perhaps the American Physical Society tag removes it a bit from the off-color and unseemly. Ahh but not to worry...
But following up on the SNL skit idea, you could cast Meg Ryan, the undisputed queen of the publicly faked orgasms as polygraph examinee and model for DI responses to the poly Big O detector. Are you with me on this?? :)
Yes, such a skit would be an instant classic. Perhaps Ed Gelb (http://www.polygraphexpert.com/), who did a TV show called "Lie Detector" some years ago could be cast as the polygraph operator.
:D