Supergirl: Lie Detector

February 21st, 2008

Filed under: Comics, Medicine

And my super senses can also determine that he is a Libra, likes walks in the park, action movies, and chunky salsaApparently, Supergirl can determine whether this thug is lying by feeling his radial pulse.

I have my doubts about this. First, she has no frame of reference. She’s never seen this lowlife before, let alone checked his pulse to establish a baseline. He may have a naturally slow pulse or be on medications that slow the heart rate. Or he may be an accomplished liar. So what she thinks is the truth may actually be blood pressure medication. Consider the polygraph test — the interviewer always asks “control questions”to learn how the interviewee responds when lying or telling the truth. Supergirl hasn’t done anything like this, so she really can’t know for certain if the thug is telling the truth (plus the polygraph looks at more than just the pulse — and frankly, it’s not that reliable a test).

Actually, the thug’s slow heart rate concerns me. This is a small time criminal who’s just had his car ripped from under him, and then been accosted by the second strongest person on the planet — a well-known do-gooder who wears the fabled “S” on her chest. His heart should be racing and skipping, not steady enough for her to think he isn’t lying. He probably has sick sinus syndrome or is taking too high a dose of his beta blockers.

Scene from Supergirl #1 (1972), script by Cary Bates, pencils by Art Saaf.

In a related bit of trivia, William Moulton Marston — creator of Wonder Woman — was one of the originators of the polygraph, particularly the part about checking the blood pressure to determine when someone is lying.

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6 Responses to “ Supergirl: Lie Detector ”

  1. Keith
    February 22nd, 2008 at 7:39 am

    Doubtless her super-nipples can also determine the air temperature to 1/100th of a degree K.

  2. Mr. B
    February 22nd, 2008 at 8:11 am

    I noticed something odd, about the way Supergirl took the pulse. She used her thumb. That is a big freaking mistake. The thumb has its own pulse.

    Supergirls mistake is almost as big as the Jean Greys levitating the wrong tool to the Beast; and getting the response. “You’re a credit to your gender, Jeanie!”

    http://www.aardsy.com/blog/turnin-on-the-screw
    Actually not a sexist remark, pretty much a glorified typo.

    ———————

    Your are right Scott, that the polygraph is pretty worthless. It’s a belief system. Even if the polygraph wasn’t a bunch of hocus pocus, it still couldn’t work. It is less reliable than flipping a coin or using the donkeys tail.

    Donkeys Tail

    –NOT WORK FRIENDLY– please do not click on, if at work or children near your computer.
    http://crimemagazine.com/07/polygraph,0722-7.htm

    Certain priests in India circa 1500 B.C. A donkey’s tail was covered with carbon residue from an oil lamp and placed in a dark room. The suspects were sent into the room and told that pulling the “magic” donkey’s tail would reveal the liar. When the suspects came out, the priests
    examined their hands. Those with clean hands had not touched the donkey’s tail. It was assumed that this was due to their fear of their guilt being discovered, proving they were liars.

    Or maybe they were afraid of being kicked, by an animal with hooves.

  3. GW CRawford
    February 22nd, 2008 at 9:54 am

    Geez Louise!

    Supergirl has quite the pair of torpedoes in that shot!

    Maybe she is using her aforementioned ’super-nipples’ to check his body for temperature fluctuations!

  4. Josh
    February 22nd, 2008 at 12:24 pm

    I don’t think she is using her thumb. Her fingertips could be right on the volar radial carpal, which is my favorite artery for measuring my pulse rate.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gray528.png

  5. Jon
    February 22nd, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    Why didn’t she just use her Super-Hypnosis to compel him to tell the truth?

  6. Mr. B
    February 22nd, 2008 at 2:41 pm

    I’ll yield to you, since you have the pic, from Gray’s Anatomy (and first hand knowledge).

    Note to self. Need to watch more House MD and M*A*S*H*. lol

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