Aspirins and polygraphs

[Dolce]

I heard that if you take around 6 or 8 aspirins before your polygraph test, you will pass with flying colors regardless if you are telling the truth or not.  Has anyone else heard that before?  

[Skeptic]

I heard that if you take around 6 or 8 aspirins before your polygraph test, you will pass with flying colors regardless if you are telling the truth or not.  Has anyone else heard that before?  

One thing to consider: whether you "pass" a polygraph seems to have little to do with whether you're telling the truth in the first place.  In fact, in many cases things appear to be a crapshoot.  This is especially true for the Relevant/Irrelevant-type "exam".

With that in mind, I seem to recall a former CIA boss claiming he could pass any polygraph using a combination of physical countermeasures and valium.  

I'm not sure I'd recommend using drugs to pass a polygraph (I'm not a doctor nor a pharmacist, etc.), but there seems to be a bit of an urban legend industry regarding it.

By contrast, physical countermeasures do seem to have a noticable effect, and despite numerous boasts, no voodoo witch doctor polygrapher has ever dared step up to the plate to prove they can reliably detect such countermeasures.  

James Randi ought to put up some cash on the matter.  I have a feeling his money would be as safe as it is when he challenges psychics to prove their claims...

Skeptic

[Saidme]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Skeptic]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Yet another on-topic, instructive and relevant response from the polygraph crowd.

There's something deeply satisfying about debating with a bunch of people whose arguments amount to self-parody...

Skeptic

[Raymond J. Latimer]

 
Skeptic,

This is not a trick question.  Just how many make a crowd or form a bunch?

Ray L.

[Skeptic]

Skeptic,

This is not a trick question.  Just how many make a crowd or form a bunch?

Ray L.

Though it isn't always the case, right now the number of people in a "bunch" seems to exactly equal the number of polygraphers who frequent the Antipolygraph.org message board.

I'm always open to new data, though.

Skeptic