No doubt a few of you have seen this new poll commissioned by the Science Museum and reported on the BBC site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8689010.stm

The headline conclusion is that men lie more than women (3 vs. 2 times a day, respectively). This, you might think, has  implications for market research. But does the potential – if slightly controversial – irony of this not strike anyone else as staggeringly obvious? The poll was based on reported behaviour, exactly the same phenomenon that creates an opportunity for lying in everyday life. So when it comes to the conclusions of this poll, it may simply be that men are more honest about the fact they are lying.