The Polygraph Has Been Lying for 80 Years

Eighty years ago, Leonarde Keeler’s lie detector made its debut in court. Decades later, we’re still paying the price for his con job.

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Published Feb. 4 2015 5:55AM EST

articles/2015/02/04/the-polygraph-has-been-lying-for-90-years/150131-zadronzny-my-lie-detector-test-tease_biyh7t — TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Eighty years ago this week, inventor Leonarde Keeler proudly proclaimed his expert testimony before a Wisconsin jury to be “a signal victory for those who believe in scientific crime detection.”

One of the creators of the modern-day polygraph, the man named after Leonardo da Vinci by his father in the hopes...

The Polygraph Has Been Lying for 80 Years

Eighty years ago, Leonarde Keeler’s lie detector made its debut in court. Decades later, we’re still paying the price for his con job.

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Brandy Zadrozny