CSI how accurate are the forensics?

Question

How accurate do you think the forensics are on this show. I personally love this show but, have no idea how accurate it is.

Answer 1

The general aspects of the forensics are typically pretty accurate. However, they do make a few leaps of faith and over exaggerations.

For instance they may say that they were going to use a particular piece of equipment to run a test. That may be the correct piece of equipment, but they show a different one on screen, or the output is not the correct format, or they run the test much faster than it really takes or they cut out some specific steps to make the show move along faster.

For instance they put an object in an electron microscope and start imaging it immediately. In reality it should take a few minutes for the chamber to be pumped down to a low pressure before imaging can begin. Or perhaps they say they are running an FTIR scan and show a GC/MS output instead.

There are errors and or exaggerations in the margins that usually only trained scientists or technicians would notice if they are playing close attention.

Answer 2

The science they discuss and use is accurate, The time frame is way too fast for reality. Also those tests are very expensive and most police units do not have the money to spend for them.
I love the show and its spinoffs, I read books on the same topic. I had my students in school do simple experiments related to the ones they see on TV.

Answer 3

i do not comprehend for certain as i dont surely artwork in a forensics lab. yet what i changed into instructed changed into that lots of the time, the those that get data on the scene, attempt it and then "sparkling up the case" could all be diverse human beings. even as contained in the teach they do each thing. i imagine the forensic scientists spend better of thier time contained in the lab than surely doing police artwork and interviewing criminals. also i imagine they are very informal about how they take thier samples. there's a miles better strict thanks to pattern issues and so on in actual existence. as even if it really is not sampled wisely lower than strict guidlines the data won't be able to be utilized in courtroom.

Answer 4

The machines they use don't spit out the chemicals that fast. It can take 24 hours or longer to run those sometimes. They do take hours to run, not just seconds. I worked a chromatographer in college and it didn't tell you the substance, just the compounds that made it up.