Forensic Science and its Growing Popularity
People all around the world are becoming interested in forensic science. Students across the nation are taking courses in this very popular science. Many colleges are adopting classes and majors just for it. Why has this science become so popular? Is it because of the lack of people in the field now, and the overwhelming job opportunities that come with a degree in forensic science? Is it because the field is so interesting, and catchy that everyone is flooding to be in the programs? Or is the recent growth of this field due to the numerous television and media coverage of the subject? One thing is for sure, people really are starting to get interested in this field, and it is getting
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Just about everyone has seen this show. It deals with crimes, and the process of collecting clues and analyzing them to figure out the crime, who did it, and how. “About 80 percent of this phenomenon can be summed up in tree letters: ‘CSI’, says Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University’s Center for the Study of Popular Television. ‘The show has been so successful that all manner of people are borrowing from it. One of the things that makes it unique is that it has this kind of biological specificity. It’s not like slasher gore, it’s more like what you’d see if you were president of the science club. It’s Quentin Tarantino merged with science class” (Frey, 2004 p. N.01). With shows like this on the air, many people are being exposed to this science. From things like DNA samples of blood, or even a piece of hair, to fingerprints, and carbon samples. Everyone loves this kind of stuff, and so do the production companies producing these shows. Cataloni told The Washington Post that one crew has given the show a laser ablation ICP-MS. This is a laser that can vaporize part of a tiny sample so its particles can be analyzed (Frey, 2004 p.N.01). CSI is using a lot of the newest technology available on their show. This just makes people enjoy the show even more. “People are fascinated by modern science”, says the show’s consultant Francis “but it’s showing the application of modern science that is difficult” (Frey, 2004 p.N.01). With all this new
In 2006, over 100 million people in the United States tuned in to watch either CSI or any if the other forensic and criminal investigation related television show each week (CJSG). Since then, the number of viewers has increased rapidly, as well as the amount of television shows with the same type of theme. As a result of the increase of these television programs, researchers are discovering a new phenomenon called the ‘CSI Effect’ that seems to be fueling an interest in forensic science and criminal investigations nationwide. This effect is actually the ability of criminal justice themed television shows to influence and increase victims’, jurors’ and criminals’ ideas about forensics, DNA testing and methods, and criminal investigations
To record a crime scene, forensic scientist can use photography, drawings, and videography. Photographs are an important record of the unaltered crime scene, Drawings or sketches provides valuable information when a photograph cannot accurately depict the scale of a room or the relationship of items to each
Forensics has changed the way our criminal system works now. A lot of cases are being solved because of the development of forensics. Even cold cases are being brought up to the light to be investigated again and a good percentage of the cases are being solved and criminals are being brought to justice. The green river killer is one case that really got me intrigued into forensics and I got mesmerized by the techniques that are being used to catch murderers and other crimes being committed. The green river killer had an interesting childhood that led him to be a serial killer. He committed multiple murders on prostitutes and left there families with agony and pain. But advances in DNA ultimately led to his demise, police officers were able
7) Pollen & Spore identification can provide important trace evidence in solving crimes dues to their
Forensic science can be defined as the relationship between law and science; it answers the questions of how, why and who committed the crime, with the input of multiple actors. However, there are currently problems with
Nearly anyone you ask would be familiar with the television show CSI. The crime lab is colorful and high-tech with all of the fun toys and machines that analysts use to test the ever abundant amount of forensic evidence from every crime scene. It makes for an exciting drama that you cannot help but get immersed in—it also gives us a false illusion, however, creating what has been dubbed as the “CSI effect” (Baskin, 2011). This effect describes the idea that crime shows such as CSI generate unreal expectations, making viewers believe that forensic evidence should be existent in all criminal trials, therefore affecting their overall perspective on a case (Baskin, 2011). But in reality, forensic labs are not that glamorous. In fact, the
Forensic Science has contributed to our world a great deal. People often misunderstand Forensic Science and believe it is much more capable than it really is. As a matter of fact what you see on T.V. is around 80% false or over exaggerated in some way. To Start of, Criminal Investigation is the largest and most known form of Forensic Science. Some of the more known areas include; Fingerprinting, Ballistics, DNA Identification, Fiber Samples, Computer Animation, Documentation analysis, etc. To get this out of the way in the beginning, what you saw on last night’s law and order is far from the truth. Things they do in a matter of hours take months at a time, and most of the time aren’t even plausible concepts.
The idea of using the science has been started before the debuting of Sherlock Holmes in 1887, who had introduced about the forensic science to help criminal investigation. In history, the work of forensic scientists was performed by medical personnel. Until the end of eighteenth century, the attempts of French medical jurist Antoine Louis, crime solving Chinese book “ Hsi Duan Yu”(the washing way of wrongs), etc gave ideas about determining time of death, analyzing blood stain, identifying chemical used in crime, etc. After eighteenth century, the modern chemistry paved new way of identifying crime like the idea of measuring height, length of right ear and outstretched
The CSI Effect is a phenomenon reported by prosecutors who claim that television shows based on scientific crime solving have made actual jurors reluctant to vote to convict when forensic evidence is neither necessary nor available (Nolo, 2011). The criminalistics and criminology aspects are especially exaggerated; most evidence that is shown is not as clear in real life. Fingerprints of victims are not as easily marked or proven. DNA evidence which requires certain equipment/technology in the lab, is usually too expensive, and isn’t even something you would see in most crime labs. Crimes are also not as traceable as they seem on TV. Many crime scenes take up to week’s sometimes even months to get all of the evidence and process it. The CSI Effect is influencing the public because the more popular those crime shows get the number of student majors in forensics science has increased rapidly. They are interested in the fast pace quick higher level learning skills that they portray in the TV only to learn that it is nothing like how it is on TV. The CSI Effect is also affecting the real world of criminal justice because it creates unreasonable expectations in the minds of jurors (Hoffmeister, 2011). They want and expect scientific evidence linking the defendant to the crime
There has been a lot of research intending to fully discover the extent of the CSI effect television that has found its impact to be negative. Of the multitudes of negative impacts of the CSI effects, among the most prevalent are the unrealistic expectations that viewers have of DNA and other types of forensic evidence in the courtroom. In Ley, Jankowski, and Brewer’s study, they analyzed a large sample of CSI episodes for their content relating to forensic science. The study found that that in 94% of all episodes in the sample the detectives used DNA evidence to solve cases. Also, in 88% of all cases shown, the
between a cut (an injury that is longer than deep) and a stab wound (an injury
The show “NCIS” has increased in popularity over the years and has become the most-watched and popular crime show that currently is on television. NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service. These teams focus and work on crimes that are related to the Navy or Marine Corps regardless of the crime’s nature. The show follows a fictional Naval Criminal Investigative Service Major Case Response Team based in Washington, D.C. This specific team is underneath the leadership of Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Solving a case is no easy feat and every case requires the whole entire team. Gibb’s team includes three field agents, a medical examiner, and a forensic scientist. The purpose of this paper is to delve into any episode and critique the different aspects of the case. I will be comparing the field and the forensic scientist’s work to real-life. In most cases, these particular shows dramatized real-life so I will also explain how things would normally be done.
Forensic science has been a subject I have developed a keen interest of developing my knowledge in. The interest first surfaced in my childhood as I was drawn to reading novels based on crime investigations and conspiracy, later developing into watching dramas and documentaries based around the same genres such as NCIS and Dexter. These influences became the driving factor for my fascination and curiosity surrounding the solving of crimes, using biological and psychological sciences, leading me to my passion to study this at degree level and become a crime scene investigator.
Forensic science is a broad term that refers to the use of science or technology in a court room environment. Forensic science plays an important role in modern popular culture; the police procedural is highly dependent upon cutting-edge forensic science. Moreover, many people are aware of the impact of DNA testing on the modern criminal justice landscape. However, forensic science actually predates many modern scientific advances; almost as long as there have been controversies, there has been some type of forensic science.
Forensic science involves the use of science to solve criminal and civil crimes but mostly lies on the side of criminal investigations. It makes it possible to identify the criminals based on the DNA traces they leave behind. It involves analyses of blood, DNA and other evidences and later on uses the findings as evidence in the court of law. It helps in solving the various crimes in the world and this has been the greatest contributor to the growth of the sector. Cases that were previously considered impossible due to lack of evidenced tracing to the victim can now be solved using forensic science evidences. The essay aims at analyzing the different aspects of forensic science that are used in the process of solving criminal activities. It will also look at the different cases that forensic science was used to solve crimes in a court of law.