People are better at detecting lies by ignoring the words and unconsciously judging facial expressions and tone of voice. The words that liars use only seem to distract from the truth. The conclusion comes from a study of people with aphasia — an inability to understand language, often caused by brain damage. The research showed that people with aphasia are better at spotting lies than those whose language skills are intact. Dr Nancy Etcoff, who led the study, said: “As far back as the 1920s...