sodium thiopental, commonly known as sodium pentothal: an intravenous, short-acting barbiturate, sometimes used in interrogations to weaken a subject's resolve and make him or her more compliant to hard questioning. truth serum.
the sodium thiopental we see in movies, not to mention the frequency with which we have seen it, is a myth. that much seems to be true (thanks, wikipedia). but it matters little. truth serum haunts my fantasy life, and no hard facts can undo its damage now. i imagine being injected with the stuff and then shoved into a room of mixed and distinguished company. truth serum at the workplace! truth serum in the home! it's a terrible thought.
it's not about lying so much as self-censorship: sodium thiopental encourages a sort of unedited chatter, a looseness that can produce lies as often as truth. a seasoned liar may talk more under its influence, but not necessarily truthfully. its effectiveness in interrogations is dubious at best. "truth serum" is a bit of a misnomer, then. but the concept is dramatic. how routinely do i censor my thoughts, and what do i think i might say if i couldn't?
PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF SODIUM THIOPENTAL, DAILY LIFE:
-needless meandering arguments, no resolution
-development of blood enemies
-undermined credibility
-OMG WTF
-spiral into madness
ALL YE NEED TO KNOW
