The best ways to spot a liar

The best ways to spot a liar

Author: Our Media March 9, 2026 Duration: 37:39
How can we tell if someone we’re speaking to is being economical with the truth? Oftentimes, we’re told that the primary telltale signs lie in the use of body language – maybe someone is avoiding eye contact, touching their face a lot, or fidgeting and squirming. But there’s also a whole world of clues to look out for in the type of language that someone uses when they’re telling us lies. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Kirsty King, a lecturer in communication based at University College London, to talk about her latest book, The Language of Lies – How to Uncover the Liar in Your Life. She tells us that when people try to hide the truth, they tend to use language that distances themselves from the act they’re talking about or the people involved in it, how when we’re relating a false account of an event we tend to omit words that describe how we actually felt during it, and how even the way liars structure their sentences can be a signal that they are trying to deceive us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Curiosity doesn't have to be a deep dive; sometimes, you just want a clear, smart answer. That's the idea behind Instant Genius, a production from Our Media that brings the editorial expertise of BBC Science Focus Magazine into audio form. Each episode is a compact conversation with a leading researcher, scientist, or technologist, designed to unpack a complex topic in a single sitting. You might explore the mechanics of memory one day and the engineering behind quantum computers the next, all within the same accessible format. This podcast operates on the belief that profound understanding doesn't require hours of your time. Released every Monday and Friday, these bite-sized masterclasses are perfect for a commute or a coffee break, turning spare moments into genuine learning. The discussions are focused and surprisingly thorough, moving from fundamental principles to cutting-edge implications without getting lost in jargon. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered about the science of sleep, the truth about nutrition trends, or how black holes actually work, and wanted a reliable source to explain it clearly. Tuning into this podcast means getting a direct line to experts who are shaping our understanding of the world, all structured to deliver insight efficiently. The range is deliberately broad, spanning health, cosmology, technology, and everyday science, reflecting the endless questions a curious mind can hold.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 101

Instant Genius
Podcast Episodes
How we look at the Universe with a radio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:31
There’s an entire cosmos hidden from our human eyes. The only way to see it is by looking at the Universe with a radio. We talk to Dr Emma Chapman about how she uses radio telescopes to reveal the cosmic mysteries of the…
Why understanding what makes us hungry is key to weight loss [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:00
Chances are that if any of us are looking to drop a bit of excess weight, the first thing we’ll attempt is to cut down the number of calories we’re consuming. For decades, we’ve been told that balancing the number of cal…
How to slash your dementia risk in 12 weeks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:14
Around the world, more than 50 million people are living with some form of dementia – a number expected to triple by 2050 as populations age. But the thing is, dementia is often talked about as a kind of genetic lottery.…
Why connecting with others is vital for our mental health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:51
Statistics show that half of us will experience a mental health condition of some kind by the time we turn forty. Could this be due to the increasing pressures and looming crises we’re currently facing in the modern worl…
How metabolism really affects your health, weight and wellbeing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:38
Whether we’re working at a desk in an office, running a marathon or even asleep in bed, our bodies are host to thousands of chemical processes that are continually converting the food we eat into energy and repairing our…
What faces reveal about us and the societies we live in [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:48
The human face contains more than 40 muscles, giving us an ability to visually express our thoughts and emotions that is unique in the animal kingdom. This has perhaps led to a long-held obsession to uncover the many mys…
How our planet connects to the Solar System around it [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:42
We often think of our planet as an isolated island, solitary and cut off from the cosmic ocean it resides in. But the truth is, Earth is intimately connected with the Universe surrounding it. What’s more, by learning mor…
How AI could help us create life from scratch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:10
For the last several billion years, all life on Earth has progressed according to the rules of evolution by natural selection – a step-by-step process that has given rise to the fascinating complexity and beauty of all t…
What happens in our brains and bodies when we fall in love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:23
The chances are that if any of us were asked to describe what it feels like to be in love we’d turn to art, poetry or music to help give us the answer. But what does science have to say about this uniquely human experien…
Why gradual change is the true driving force of innovation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:36
Over the past several decades, many technologists and policy makers have sought out huge, disruptive shifts in thinking in almost every area of science, business and commerce in the hope that they’d help to drive innovat…