noviembre 2012 - Página 30 de 158

Feeling the heat? Why a hot nose is the tell-tale sign of a liar

Publicado en 26/11/2012 el 12:38

Scientists from the University of Granada used thermal imaging to prove anxiety makes the nose heat up

The academics claim the technique can also detect sexual desire and arousal in men and woman

Contrary to what you may say to your children, telling a lie doesn’t, of course, make your nose grow like Pinocchio’s. But it does make it hotter.

Scientists claim that a rise in anxiety produced by lying will increase the temperature of the tip of your nose.

And if you’re worried that your fib will be uncovered, they also suggest a way of cooling the nose down – making ‘a great mental effort’.

The scientists, from the University of Granada, discovered the phenomenon by using thermal imaging cameras to monitor volunteers.

They have called it ‘The Pinocchio Effect’, in honour of the 19th century Italian tale of the wooden puppet whose nose grew when he failed to tell the truth.

In their doctoral thesis, released yesterday, Emilio Gómez Milán and Elvira Salazar López suggest that the temperature of the nose increases or decreases according to mood, as does the orbital muscle area in the inner corner of the eyes.

The scientists also claim thermal imaging can detect sexual desire and arousal in men and women, indicated by an increase in temperature in the chest and genital areas.

And the technique also allowed the pair to produce thermal footprints – body patterns with specific temperature changes – for aerobic exercise and distinct types of dance, such as ballet.

The Pinocchio effect: Researchers at the University of Granada found that the temperature of the nose rises as a person becomes anxious

They explained: ‘When someone dances Flamenco, the temperature in their buttocks lowers and it rises in their forearms.

‘This is the thermal footprint for Flamenco, although each type of dance has its own.’

The pair reached their conclusions after discovering that when the volunteers lied about their feelings, the brain’s insular cortex was altered.

They said: ‘The insular cortex is involved in the detection and regulation of body temperature, so there is a large negative correlation between the activity of this structure and the magnitude of the temperature change.

‘The more activity in the insular cortex (the higher the visceral feeling), lower heat exchange occurs, and vice versa.’

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‘Pinocchio effect’: Lying sends nose-tip temperature soaring, but size unchanged: scientists

Publicado en 26/11/2012 el 12:30

Escrito por Administrator

It takes a ‘great mental effort’ to cool the nose down – says the University of Granada’s Emilio Gómez Milán and Elvira Salazar López. They have dubbed the newly-found phenomenon, discovered by using thermal imaging cameras on volunteers, ‘The Pinocchio Effect’.

Telling a lie may not make your nose grow like Pinocchio but it does send its temperature soaring, according to Spanish scientists.

A rise in anxiety will see the tip of the nose heat up – while making a ‘great mental effort’ will help in cooling it down – says the University of Granada’s Emilio Gómez Milán and Elvira Salazar López.

They have dubbed the newly-found phenomenon, discovered by using thermal imaging cameras on volunteers, ‘The Pinocchio Effect’.

It is an homage to Italian writer Carlo Collodi’s 19th century literary wooden character whose nose grew when he came under stress – especially when he failed to tell the truth.

The pair’s doctoral thesis research, released yesterday, indicated the temperature of the nose increases or decreases according to mood, as does the orbital muscle area in the inner corner of the eyes.

They claimed that thermal imaging can detect sexual desire and arousal in both men and women, evident by an increase in temperature in the chest and genital areas.

And their work also demonstrated that, at a physiological level at least, men and women become aroused at the same time, although women subjectively indicate that they are not.

They made their conclusions after finding that, when people lie about their feelings, the brain’s insular cortex is altered.

The scientists’ statement said: ‘The insular cortex is involved in the detection and regulation of body temperature, so there is a large negative correlation between the activity of this structure and the magnitude of the temperature change.

‘The more activity in the insular cortex (the higher the visceral feeling), lower heat exchange occurs, and vice versa.’

Part of the results of their study have been published in scientific journals, while others have not, reported El Mundo newspaper.

The pair also found thermal footprints (that is body patterns with specific temperature changes) for aerobic exercise and distinct types of dance, such as ballet.

Salazar said: ‘When someone dances Flamenco, the temperature in their buttocks lowers and it rises in their forearms. This is the thermal footprint for Flamenco, although each type of dance has its own.’