Naked Science: Forensics Under Fire
Over the last decade, forensic science has emerged as a full-fledged pop culture phenomenon, the subject of nearly half of the top twenty programs on prime time TV. Yet even as shows like CSI have portrayed the field as nearly infallible, the real-life science of forensics has been challenged as never before. Stricter legal standards, combined with the advent of DNA analysis, have exposed the shaky scientific foundations of a number of forensic techniques. This episode of NAKED SCIENCE takes a hard look at two of the most venerable?and vulnerable?forensic disciplines, fire investigation and firearms analysis, and asks whether the same methods that make such good TV also make good science, and in turn, good justice.
Aired on the National Geographic Channel.
