Forensics has a way to go before it’s a mature, academic science. Attorney General Jeff Sessions just terminated an independent commission charged with helping it get there.
There wouldn’t be statues acclaiming Darwin and his theory if it couldn’t stand up to decades of testing.
CGP Grey
In science, the word ‘theory’ has a very specific meaning that’s easy for nonscientists to misunderstand or misconstrue. Here’s what a theory must withstand to be accepted by the scientific community.
Intellectual inquiry and expertise are under sustained attack, says Barney Glover.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Is forensic science an oxymoron? A new White House report suggests there are major issues with many of the forensic disciplines used to convict defendants of crimes in the U.S.
So many voices but who should you listen to in any debate on science matters?
Shutterstock/coffeehuman
Modern science can be difficult or complex for one person to understand and verify, especially a non-scientist. So who should we believe when scientific evidence is met with denial?
Weighing up the evidence for surgery is just one thing to consider before going under the knife.
from www.shutterstock.com
Body-worn cameras may seem to be a boost for policing and criminal justice, but they raise a host of issues around admissibility, privacy and fairrness.
Genetic techniques can help make pollen useful for cracking criminal cases.
Karen L. Bell
Pollen is all around us, is extremely durable and can provide clues about where someone’s been. A new genetic technique will make it easier to use pollen evidence in criminal investigations.
Forensic scientists should be encouraged to help detect patterns of behaviour in the incidents they investigate. This could lead to changes in the way some things are done and potentially save lives.
In-depth surveys allow governments to drill their understanding down to street level.
Image courtesy GCRO/Clive Hassall
Without data, people don’t know what to believe or whom to trust. Empirical, thorough data collected by academics can help to fill important governance gaps.
Researchers and policymakers need to talk to each other. If they don’t, important research will merely gather dust and policies might do more harm than good.
How can you navigate a world full of outlandish claims?
Shutterstock
Forensic scientists are trained to disprove claims. This sort of thinking is useful when you’re trying to make sense of “miracle cures”, “wonder drugs” and other fantastic claims.
Are leading questions swaying the scales of justice?
mikecogh/flickr.com via http://www.blogtrepreneur.com/media-justice/
So much of modern life involves our digital devices – including crime. As the field of digital forensics gains prominence, practitioners need practical and ethical guidelines.
There’s a worrying lack of evidence for what works when it comes to drug treatment. And our addiction services are suffering as a result.
No longer restricted to elite athletes, personal fitness data can be collected from people jogging, going to the gym – even sleeping.
Josh Janssen/Flickr
Beyond simply counting steps, fitness tracking technology creates personal black boxes that archive everything we do – even sleeping. So it’s not surprising to see that a Calgary law firm, representing…