CSI: Reality

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

PowerPoint® Lectures

Lectures by Greg Podgorski, Utah State University

CSI: RealityCSI: Reality

Current Issues in Biology, Volume 4

Scientific American


Concept Review

CSI: Reality

• Forensics has never been more popular or popularized.

• Programs like CSI give the impression that forensic laboratories are fully staffed with highly trained personnel, stocked with a full complement of state-of-the-art instrumentation, and rich with the resources to close every case in a timely manner.

• The gap between this impression and reality is vast.


Concept Review

CSI: Reality

• Some judges and lawyers are convinced that they see a “CSI effect”: a demand for unreasonable levels of physical evidence and an accompanying increased difficulty in obtaining convictions.

• The first study of the CSI effect found no evidence for differences in the rate of acquittals or reasoning about them between jurors who did or didn’t watch CSI.

• Regardless of whether CSI has changed courtroom behavior, CSI and related programs have changed police activities, catalyzed the growth of forensics education, and overburdened working forensic laboratories.


Concept Review

CSI: Reality

• CSI provides an inspiring but distorted view of how forensic science is carried out and what it can do.

• On CSI, forensic scientists are an amalgam of police officer, detective, and scientist, a combination that doesn’t exist in the real world.

• On CSI, resources are abundant, something forensic scientists can only dream of.

• The science on CSI is exciting, but nearly half of it is fictitious.


Concept Review

CSI: Reality

• As investigators appreciate what forensic science can do, they are submitting more and more material for analysis by already understaffed laboratories.

• The backlog of cases is serious and growing worse.

• The growing demand for physical evidence has created storage and tracking problems.

• By one informed estimate, 10,000 additional forensic scientists, $1.3 billion for modernization of facilities, and $285 million for new instruments will be needed over the coming decade to address these issues.


Concept Review

CSI: Reality

• One positive effect of CSI and its siblings is a new fascination with and respect for science careers.

• Enrollment in forensic science programs has exploded.


Concept Review

CSI: Reality

• There has been little investment in basic forensic science research.

• Areas requiring increased knowledge include the uniqueness of fingerprints, the scientific basis of impression evidence such a footprints and tire marks, and the validation and standardization of forensic science procedures.

• Without significant new funding, it will be impossible to advance forensic science and technology.


Concept Review

CSI: Reality

• Forensic science is essential to enable governments to ensure public safety in a just manner.

• Even if a CSI effect doesn’t exist in the courtroom, the show has made the public aware of the importance of forensic science and the need for its advancement.


CSI: Reality

Testing Your Comprehension

The CSI effect isa) a demand for speedier trialsb) a demand for unreasonable levels of physical

evidencec) the creation of jurors who are better informed of legal

procedured) the U.S. government’s commitment to fully fund

forensic research


CSI: Reality


The CSI effect is

b) a demand for unreasonable levels of physical evidence


CSI: Reality


The first study of the CSI effect founda) no evidence for its existence b) a strong link between fans of CSI and willingness to

render a guilty verdict c) a strong link between fans of CSI and reluctance to

render a guilty verdict d) a strong link between fans of CSI and willingness to

serve as a juror


CSI: Reality


The first study of the CSI effect founda) no evidence for its existence


CSI: Reality


CSI and similar programsa) show how real-world forensic scientists do their work b) show the full range of techniques used in a modern

forensic laboratory c) have made it much more difficult for defense attorneys

to protect their clients d) provide a distorted view of how forensic science is

carried out


CSI: Reality


CSI and similar programs

d) provide a distorted view of how forensic science is carried out


CSI: Reality


One of the major challenges faced by forensic labs is a) a backlog of cases b) an insufficient amount of physical evidence collected

from crime scenes c) having forensic evidence considered seriously by the

courts d) finding enough people interested in pursuing a career

in forensic science


CSI: Reality


One of the major challenges faced by forensic labs is a) a backlog of cases


CSI: Reality

Biology and Society

In order to protect innocent citizens, the DNA fingerprints of everyone in the U.S. should be determined and placed into a large, secure but easily searchable national database.

StronglyAgree

StronglyDisagreeA. E.C.B. D.


CSI: Reality

Thinking About Science

Imagine that for each gene examined in a DNA test, there is a 1 in 100 chance of a coincidental match between a suspect’s DNA and DNA found at a crime scene. If three genes were examined and the match between a suspect’s DNA and DNA recovered from the crime scene is perfect for all genes, what is the chance that this match is coincidental? a) 1 in 100 b) 1 in 300c) 1 in one milliond) zero, because DNA fingerprints are unique


CSI: Reality

Thinking About Science

Imagine that for each gene examined in a DNA test, there is a 1 in 100 chance of a coincidental match between a suspect’s DNA and DNA found at a crime scene. If three genes were examined and the match between a suspect’s DNA and DNA recovered from the crime scene is perfect for all genes, what is the chance that this match is coincidental?

c) 1 in one million


CSI: Reality

Interpreting Data and Graphs

The figure shows the number of samples submitted each month to a major British forensic lab. Which of the following statements is supported by the figure?

The number of submitted samplesa) doubles each year b) increases by about 200 per yearc) fluctuates, so a trend cannot be predictedd) is trending downward because of the October

2001 data


CSI: Reality

Interpreting Data and Graphs

The figure shows the number of samples submitted each month to a major British forensic lab. Which of the following statements is supported by the figure?

The number of submitted samples

b) increases by about 200 per year

CSI: Reality

Documents

Transcript of CSI: Reality