Johny still wonders how easy Mommy caught him when he lied about his score in his language class. Is she getting a call from my class tutor or a spy from my class? Or does she have a 6th sense when she surprises me when I lie? Hmm... It's strange.

Guys, hope you have come across these queries always when you are caught on the red hand by your mother right?. Let me explain to you the science behind it.

Your body reacts when you tell lies. People say in the old time that if you lie your nose will grow longer. In fact, it’s not the length–the temperature will increase when you lie. Researchers at the University of Grenada are calling it the “Pinocchio Effect,” after–you guessed it! – The marionette, just couldn’t seem to tell the truth and become a real boy. Thermograms show that the old fairytale isn’t all that far off. Though the nose doesn’t grow when you lie, its temperature (along with that of the muscles in the inner eye) rises. Your nose gets warmer when you lie.

So, here’s how it works: 

  When we lie about our feelings, a brain element called the Insula (or insular cortex) is activated. As part of the brain’s reward system, the     Insulaactivates when, say the researchers, we experience “real feelings.” The Insula is believed to control both emotion and body temperature   (among other things, like consciousness and pH), and the researchers found a strong negative correlation between Insula activity and temperature increase. They also found that feelings of high anxiety tend to increase facial temperature. The researchers captured this phenomenon using thermal cameras. The higher the temperature of an object, the more radiation it emits. Thermal imaging cameras detect   radiation and make an image of it, a Thermogram, like the one below:

However, Johny’s dilemma is not yet solved... Because still, even my mum catches me when I lie over the phone. This is a miraculous bond - moms share with their children. We can't just slip away because she doesn't need a Thermogram to find the truth about her kids. Tell the truth and become a real boy. 

Children who have not yet received the name of this effect can read/view Disney's Pinocchio story.