TELEVISION

Trails of Evidence: How Forensic Science Works

Crime Scene to Courtroom

Series: Great Courses
4.3
(26)
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Episodes
36
Rating
NR
Year
2012
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

The desire to identify lawbreakers and bring them to justice is so great that it has inspired countless stories, novels, plays, movies, and television series. But how accurate are the fictional portrayals of crime investigations? What happens behind the scenes when forensic scientists crack a case? Go from the crime scene to the lab to the courtroom to discover how this process really works.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1 to 3 of 36

1. Using Science

30m

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Professor Murray opens the course by discussing her participation in a multifaceted homicide case that illustrates the many factors that go into a forensic investigation. Learn how the scientific method is rigorously applied in the field, and survey the topics you will cover in the course.

2. Crime Scenes and Forensic Evidence

30m

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Locard's exchange principle holds that every contact leaves a trace. Starting with this rule, discover how a forensic scientist approaches a crime scene. Professor Murray suggests an experiment you can perform to understand the difficulty of finding evidence in an unfamiliar setting.

3. Fingerprint Science

30m

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Explore the science of fingerprint analysis, which has been a tool of forensic investigators since the late 1800s. Learn the different coding systems for classifying fingerprints, the techniques for recovering prints where they appear absent, and the innovation of computerized matching.

4. Telltale Marks

30m

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Many people know that a gun leaves telltale marks on the bullets it fires. But firearms evidence is only part of a much broader field called toolmark analysis. Examine the ways forensic scientists match a tool to the impressions it leaves on a surface it contacts.

5. Good Impressions

30m

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Continue your study of the crime scene by looking at the importance of forensic photography and the marks made by shoes, tires, and textiles. Professor Murray describes a case in which crucial clothing impressions on a body showed a death was accidental.

6. Forensics of Fibers, Paint, and Glass

30m

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Turn to examples of trace evidence that can clinch a case in court - as long as samples are properly handled and analyzed. Fibers, paint, and glass fragments sometimes have a vivid story to tell about their origin and the events that left them on a victim or at a crime scene.

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Elizabeth A. Murraywriter
Elizabeth A. Murrayactor