Digging Up the Bodies: Debunking CSI and Other Forensics Myths
If TV is to be believed, most crimes these days can be neatly solved in under an hour with modern forensic technology.
We wanted to address the so-called “CSI Effect,” caused by the simplification of forensic science in popular culture. CSIand like-minded TV shows–with their heroic investigators solving crimes in mere minutes–mislead viewers and affect real court cases. The reality of investigation is much slower and more complex, but no less fascinating.
Hosts Michal Meyer and Robert Kenworthy speak with experts Anna Dhody, a physical and forensic anthropologist, and Lisa Rosner, a historian. They discuss the early days of solving crime and the on-going chemistry of the human body throughout life and death.
Credits
Hosts: Michal Meyer and Robert Kenworthy
Guests: Anna Dhody and Lisa Rosner
Producer: Mariel Carr
“Stabbings” by Moby, courtesy of Mobygratis.com
Image courtesy of Didier Descouens, Wikimedia Commons
Links
“Burked” Episode 1, Season 2: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
“Burke and Hare” An audio drama performed by the Wireless Theater Company.
“The Real CSI” PBS Frontline
“High Tech, High Risk Forensics” The New York Times
“Can Science Stop Crime?” NOVA
