Here at the WCB, we’ve posted many, many articles dealing with the highly questionable scientific validity of most all forensic disciplines. I’m very happy to report that there is now a blog dedicated to that issue.
Dr. Michael Bowers is a practicing dentist and forensic odontologist in Ventura, CA, and a long time forensic consultant in the US and international court systems. His newest book, “Forensic Testimony, Science, Law and Expert Evidence” with Elsevier/Academic Press is available on Amazon.
Dr. Bowers has some refreshing and insightful views on the validity of forensics, and maintains a blog addressing the “junk science” that so many in the justice system refer to as “forensic science.” Please visit that blog here: Forensics in Focus.
[Editor’s note: I, personally, refuse to call them forensic sciences. They are not sciences. Technologies? Disciplines? Perhaps, but they’re not sciences.]
PS: I have reviewed Dr. Bowers’ new book Forensic Testimony – Science, Law, and Expert Evidence, and you can read that review here. I highly recommend it.
Applied Science is still Science.
Not when it fails to use the scientific method, and relies on flawed inductive reasoning.
And …. not when declaring a “match” rests solely on the OPINION of an examiner.
And …. not when there is a complete lack data from which a probability of occurrence can be calculated.