FBI To Review 2,100 Cases For Unfounded Science Claims

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 - 08:00 in Physics & Chemistry

Human Hairs Seen Under the Microscope Federal Bureau of Investigation 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. The cases up for re-examination include ones in which defendants already have execution dates, McClatchy reports. Forensic analysis techniques have come under fire over the past decade, as scientists have have questioned whether analyses are truly as ironclad as they may seem on the witness stand. Now, we're finally...

Read the whole article on PopSci

More from PopSci

Latest Science Newsletter

Get the latest and most popular science news articles of the week in your Inbox! It's free!

Check out our next project, Biology.Net