Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Next Killer App

Spanish computer experts have joined forces with Princeton psychology profs to develop software that can recognize facial expressions.

Where this becomes the killer app is this: A good interrogation expert knows what kinds of "tells" or changes in facial expression tip you off that the speaker is lying. Installing this app on your TV during election season, or for that matter any time a pol is getting some face time on the tube could show, say a small white dot on the lower edge of the screen that moved to the left when the "liar" hints began adding up, and to the right as they disappear or fail to show.

Running this software native to your own TV would even show the marker over the top of the lower-screen banners the news networks are so fond of putting up to distract people with the local weather report and news of the stock market.

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