Telling lies may not make your nose grow like Pinocchio’s, but it does leave the tip of your nose hotter, scientists claim.
Researchers said a rise in anxiety produced by lying will increase the temperature of the tip of your nose.
If you’re worried that your fib will be uncovered, researchers suggest a way of cooling the nose down by making «a great mental effort».
Scientists, from the University of Granada, discovered the phenomenon by using thermal imaging cameras to monitor volunteers, the ‘Online Media’ reported.
They have dubbed 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.
Emilio Gomez Milan and Elvira Salazar Lopez 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.
They also said thermal imaging can detect sexual desire and arousal in men and women, indicated by an increase in temperature in the chest and genital areas.
The technique also allowed researchers to produce thermal footprints and body patterns with specific temperature changes for aerobic exercise and distinct types of dance, such as ballet.
«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,» researchers said.
Researchers discovered that when the volunteers lied about their feelings, the brain’s insular cortex was altered.
«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,» they said.
