Sunday 4 July 2010

The CSI Effect - Fact Vs. Fiction


Have you ever noticed that in the television series CSI it takes approximately 33 seconds to process a DNA sample, while in real life it takes a few weeks to several months? The popular series portray scienctist working in labs and solving crimes at rapid speeds, with technology that isn't yet available.

Here's an infographic that takes a look at the difference between how real forensic scientists work an how they are shown on TV.

5 comment(s):

Pam Walter said...

That was great! I hope more people read that and adjust their expectations. www.satisfiedsole.com

Anonymous said...

Why does this Pam Walters spam this site with her execrable blog?

danelle said...

One thing that always bugged me is that the CSI labs and offices on tv are so damn DARK. I've seen real CSI labs and they are lit up brighter than the sun.

Anonymous said...

The infographic presents the data from the CSI program in a very skewed and inaccurate manner. For example, through the course of many episodes, film montages are shown while evidence is processed, thus condensing a LONG time into a visually SHORT time (oldest film trick in the book.) This is not to say that they accurately represent the actual time needed for such processes, but to conflate screen time with 'real' time is a convenient interpretation of events. Likewise, if the CSI team finds a 'hit' through CODIS or some other database, they consider themselves lucky.

The 100% figures are outright falsehoods as well. Often, the TV CSIs in fact have no usable DNA evidence, and must rely on considerably more low-tech detective work. Of course, the percentage of usable DNA evidence in TV cases is skewed, but then, the show IS fiction.

Anonymous said...

It is time to bring this string into the present - today with automation and improved technology you can run a DNA test in less than two hours. The weeks and months it took to run tests in the past were due to manpower, budget, and paperwork factors. And do we really need to have the hands of a clock move during a TV show to indicate that time has elapsed. Stop echoing false information from years ago and get into the 21st century.