Instant Genius

Marcel Danesi: Why do we want to believe lies?

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We all love a good story, and sometimes a lie is more interesting to hear than the truth, but there is more to it than spinning a good yarn.

According to Marcel Danesi, linguist and author of the book The Art of the Lie (£11.95, Prometheus Books), throughout history certain ‘Liar Princes’ have perfected the art of lying to gain fame, fortune and notoriety.

In this week’s podcast, he explains what makes them so effective at this so-called ‘Machiavellian intelligence’, what happens in the brain when we twist the truth, and why we’re all liars in one way or another.

Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast

Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:

  • Dean Burnett: What’s going on in the teenage brain?
  • Gretchen McCulloch: How has the internet affected how we communicate?
  • Lewis Dartnell: How geology can influence elections
  • Jamie Susskind: How technology is changing politics
  • Jack Lewis: Sin and why we do the things we shouldn't
  • Trevor Cox: To become Prime Minister, change your voice



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