Most of us have told a lie at some point. However, scientists have found that lying can make it difficult for your brain to complete more important tasks.

你撒过谎吗？科学家发现：说谎会让大脑难以完成其他更重要的任务！

Lying takes much more hard work for your brain to do than telling the truth. When lying, a person has to ensure their story sounds real and keep track of the information they have already told. Also, when asked more questions about their story, they must respond instantaneously (即刻).  

对大脑来说，说谎可比说实话累多了——要让谎言听起来真实可信，还要牢记这些谎言，随时准备好怎么圆谎……

The prefrontal cortex (前额皮质) is the part of the brain people use when they are lying. It’s in charge of short memory, scientist Jennifer Vendemia told Science News for Students. That area also takes care of planning, problem-solving and self-control.

人们说谎时，大脑中前额皮质高度活跃——该区域负责短时记忆，做计划、解决问题和自我控制等方面。

Using too much brainpower (脑力) to lie means there’s less available for other things – like solving math problems. Lying is even harder for young people, said Vendemia. The prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until age 25. So, when young people are busy with lying, they’ll have a harder time doing other things, like making study plans or eating a healthy diet. 

正因如此，费力撒谎的人就不太容易兼顾其他事情——如做数学题。此外，由于前额叶皮层直到25岁才能发育完全，青少年说谎就更难了：如果忙着撒谎，别的事儿就很难做好，如制定学习计划或健康饮食。