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FBI To Review 2,100 Cases For Unfounded Science Claims

Posted July 23, 2013 11:14 AM

From Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now:

U.S. agencies have been doing a lot over the past year to try to fix weaknesses in forensic science. So this is what happens when you exaggerate the power of your science. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation announced last week that it's going to review 2,100 cases it solved between 1985 and 2000 to see if forensic analysts overstated their evidence or reported their evidence inaccurately. The cases all have to do with microscopic hair analysis, in which analysts examine hairs under a microscope for characteristics such as color and thickness.

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Re: FBI To Review 2,100 Cases For Unfounded Science Claims

07/24/2013 8:06 AM

From just reading the headlines I was sure they are going to be busy with global warming pro and contra claims. But now its only hairsplitting again.

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Re: FBI To Review 2,100 Cases For Unfounded Science Claims

07/24/2013 12:44 PM

My exact same thoughts on the exact same topic came to mind as well.

Now if they said 21,000 cases unfounded scientific claims it could be global warming related.

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Re: FBI To Review 2,100 Cases For Unfounded Science Claims

07/24/2013 2:33 PM

I was actually relieved to see what they WERE going to look into, because I somehow got the impression they were talking about "Unfounded Science" as in KeeleyNet stuff that had been used to apply for patents.

And I couldn't for the life of me figure out what in the world the FBI had to do with that, unless they were "scam hunting".

But that would be the case with Global Warming, too, I guess.

So, I'm glad they are at least sticking to something that they have a stake in.

And I remember reading last year (can't remember where, but it was a PA newspaper) about a Paternity case where the woman involved said that the man the courts were trying to prove the case against was the wrong man. The courts said "well, but, DNA, ..." and she said, yeah, but he is not the only one. The courts said something like, "lady, do you even understand what DNA is?" and she said, yeah, but it's his brother. The courts said "brothers aren't good enough" and she said (is this beginning to sound like something Johnny Cochran would have run) "what about twins"?

Gulp. But, then, you had to have had relations with ...? yep, all three, at once.

Oh, crud. Case closed due to DNA failure.

It ain't infallible.

But don't ask ME why she didn't want the one to pay up. Maybe she wanted all three to pay up?

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