First Blog/School Project

A requirement for a project is a blog, which I already planned to do. Here is a school project to start.

May 27 2025, Is forenics science portrayed well in pop culture?

In pop culture, forensic science is very prevalent. Many different TV channels have began to air shows that focus and center around the forensics used in crimes, real and fictional. One such case is the abundant amount of such shows like Law and Order, The X-Files, and CSI. These shows show the lives of in-universe forensics scientists, and how they solve the crimes they are presented with. These shows garnered popularity for the "spine-chilling" crimes and the interesting techniques showcased. A similar case to this is the show Dexter. This show was a hit, focusing on a forensic scientist using the techniques he learned to murder those he believed deserved it. While this shows are procedural, or episodic, some shows focused purely on different crimes for each episode, with no overall story arc. Such shows are Forensics Files, Unsolved Mysteries, and Evil Lives Here, only focusing on the exact cases for each episode.

With the prevalence of forensic science in pop culture outlined, the question can be answered. To research, I went to the source of the forensics work itself, the scientists. I looked into how they have reacted and their thoughts and feelings of the shows aforementioned, and this is what I found.

In an article posted in the Vulture by Sarah Weinman, an ex-forensic scientist, the writer speaks to many scientist she knows in the field and asked for their opinions on the rise of true crime media. In it, Pamela Colloff and Radley Balko, well known writers in the forensic writing sphere, detail the issues of "junk science" in these shows, and oversimplifying techniques. Junk science being questionable conclusions coming from untrustworthy techniques, such as bite mark identification. One such case is the episode Uncle from Law and Order. In the episode, a little girl is killed with bite marks covering her body, which were used to link a homeless man to the murders. Even in the episode, the judge rules out the junk science, but the group fights to get it back into the evidence pile.

This research proves to me that some shows, like the aforementioned Law and Order, don't perform enough research on the episode's topics, and therefore misconstrue different techniques, making them seem like foolproof ways to easily solve a crime. When, in actuality, these techniques are very untrustworthy and are known for making false positives.

In conclusion, the answer to the question is shown. Some media can easily misconstrue the field of science, overall tainting the concept to the public. But some shows, Forensics Files, do amazing research, and get the facts down pat in order to provide a good viewing experience with factual information.

Sources: Weinman, S. (2018, August 2). What do forensic scientists think of the true-crime boom?. Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/forensic-scientists-true-crime-boom.html , IMDb.com. (n.d.-b). TV forensic and investigation shows. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls059028881/, Team, E. (2024, May 13). Edinbox team. https://edinbox.com/council/forensic-sciences-gfsec/963-exploring-the-intersection-of-forensic-science-pop-culture