Is The 'CSI Phenomenon' Good For Science?

Tycoon Guy writes "With CSI: Crime Scene Investigation airing its 100th episode this week, I wonder, how do Slashdot readers feel about the show, and its two spinoffs? On the one hand, they've caused a boom in the popularity of forensic science college courses, and they glamorize geeks bent over microscopes, rather than smarmy lawyers. On the other hand, they may also promote an inaccurate view of science: prosecutors throughout the country now worry about juries that refuse to accept eyewitness accounts or even outright confessions, and instead exclusively demand the kind of forensic evidence they see on CSI. But of course, in the real world, you don't get a test like that in mere seconds - or without spending a substantial amount of money. So where does CSI rate on the geek scale for you?"

Comments

This could destroy society as we know it

[Michalson]

Jurys expecting the physical evidence to match up with false testimony and coerced confessions...just imagine the horror.

Eyewitnesses ignored? Good!

[Euphonious Coward]

Anything that makes juries more inclined to ignore eyewitness testimony would be wonderful.

There are actual cases where somebody at the police station on ordinary business got "volunteered" to be in a line-up, the victim chose him, and he ended up convicted despite all physical evidence to the contrary. Eyewitness testimony is extremely unreliable, but juries are inclined to believe it over anything else. Many lawyers like it just for that reason, prosecutors and defenders alike.

Whiny liberals

[HBI]

I suppose you lameasses need to do _something_ since you lost. Mod away!

great ingredients for winning political support

[HBI]

Hmm -

-A dash of conspiracy theory
-Anti-American leftism
-Contempt for a majority of the voting public
-Outdated, disproven socialist ideas

I sense a winning ticket there - for Republicans.

An entire generation has been raised to understand that socialist thinking sucks, whether we refer to unions, entitlement handouts or other forms of government interference in the function of the economy. That same generation also thinks affirmative action sucks, and gay marriage isn't well thought of either.

Beside that, who wants to think of their country in a negative light? That's right, no one except the rabid opposition (this means you). Propagandizing people via the network news worked in Vietnam because people were still trusting of mass media. That trust ran out years ago.

I don't care if everyone that votes Republican has 80 IQs and marries their sister. As long as I can escape my lifespan without being part of some Stalinist 'utopia' that the Democratic party appears aimed for, i'm happy.

Ignoring politics was normal for our parents, but it's certainly not going to afflict me, since ignorance results in turd burglars like Kerry and Gore getting into office. Onward!