Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings PowerPoint® Lectures Lectures by Greg Podgorski, Utah State University CSI: Reality Current Issues in Biology, Volume 4 Scientific American
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CSI: Reality Testing Your Comprehension The CSI effect is a) a demand for speedier trials b) a demand for unreasonable levels of physical evidence c) the creation of jurors who are better informed of legal procedure d) the U.S. government’s commitment to fully fund forensic research
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CSI: Reality Testing Your Comprehension The CSI effect is b) a demand for unreasonable levels of physical evidence
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CSI: Reality Testing Your Comprehension The first study of the CSI effect found a) 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
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CSI: Reality Testing Your Comprehension The first study of the CSI effect found a) no evidence for its existence
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CSI: Reality Testing Your Comprehension CSI and similar programs a) 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
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CSI: Reality Testing Your Comprehension CSI and similar programs d) provide a distorted view of how forensic science is carried out
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CSI: Reality Testing Your Comprehension 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
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CSI: Reality Testing Your Comprehension One of the major challenges faced by forensic labs is a) a backlog of cases
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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. Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree A. E. C. B. D.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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 300 c) 1 in one million d) zero, because DNA fingerprints are unique
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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 a) doubles each year b) increases by about 200 per year c) fluctuates, so a trend cannot be predicted d) is trending downward because of the October 2001 data
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 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