“Countless studies have shown that most of us are pretty abysmal at lie detection”Chloeimages/Alamy Distinguishing fact from fiction is one of the great tests of human communication. Little wonder that some people agonise over their capacity to sniff out a fishy story. “My friends say I’m a real mug,” one reader tells me. “What can I do to be less gullible?” I can’t help but wonder if our reader’s friends are being a little too harsh. Countless studies have shown that most of us are pretty abysmal at lie detection. When asked to discern whether people are telling truths or falsehoods, the …