Sniffing out cant

[Martin Cassini]

Sniffer dogs take their cues from their handlers and can be misled; sophisticated neuro-imaging lie detectors are prone to being outfoxed. "I enjoy devices such as brain-scanning lie detectors and hi-tech sniffer dogs," writes Ben Goldacre in his Guardian column, "because their appeal speaks to our desire for simple mechanical explanations in a complex world." The parallel with hi-cost, hi-tech traffic control - which isn’t a patch on our instinctive ability to negotiate movement - is clear (if less amusing).