Moral transgression eating away at your conscience? Try an antiseptic wipe. “Liars, cheats, philanderers and murderers … are human beings, after all, and if a study published last week is any guide, they feel a strong urge to wash their hands — literally — after a despicable act in an unconscious effort to ease their consciences. And it works, at least for minor guilt stains.” What are researchers calling this impulse? The “Macbeth effect,” after her ladyship.