CSI Articles: News stories or editorials that mention or analyze CSI in some way, and of are general interest.
April 5 2015
Penn State News
Probing Question: Do Women Dominate the Field of Forensic Science?
Exhuming corpses, analyzing bloodstained clothing, collecting "crime scene insects" (yes, maggots)...these are some of the grittier realities of life as a forensic scientist. Yet defying the stereotype that females tend to be squeamish about such things, an entire generation of young women have become entranced by the profession, inspired in part by characters such as Abby Sciuto on the television drama NCIS. In fact, they've pursued this career in such numbers that—unlike almost every other scientific discipline—one could argue that the booming field of forensic science is a female domain. Has forensic science, in fact, become a woman's field? Yes and no, says Jenifer Smith,a professor of forensic science at Penn State and retired DNA analyst and special agent for the FBI. "Currently 74 percent of the students in our forensic science program are young women, and they continue to fill the ranks of various laboratories. It's one of the areas of science in which women outnumber men. In many ways, we are a STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] success story." This hasn't always been the case, recalls Smith. "My interest in forensic science was solidified during an internship at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City in 1980," she says. "I noticed at the time that the lab had women working in it, but they were technicians.
All of the supervisory positions were held by men." Prior to DNA testing, explains Smith, the technical analysis of evidence from crime scenes and death investigations was regarded derisively as "somewhere between voodoo and witchcraft as far as most serious scientists were concerned." Perhaps this image of forensic science as a softer or more human science is what originally opened the door to more females in the field, she speculates. DNA profiling—a technique first reported in 1984 by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester in England—is the basis of several national DNA databases that have revolutionized the field by giving it a statistically valid and reliable tool. However, some other tools of crime scene investigation—such as hair microscopy, bite mark comparisons, firearm tool mark analysis and shoe print comparisons—are still regarded as less scientifically rigorous and accurate. (As an aside, Smith notes that any technique, even DNA analysis and blood typing, can produce wrong results if tests are conducted improperly or results are conveyed inaccurately in trial testimony.)
Regardless of why forensic science first swung open its doors to women, says Smith, the fact is that the glass ceiling hasn't yet been completely shattered where gender is concerned. "On the one hand, if you look at the board of the American Society of Crime Lab Directors, nearly half of the positions are held by women who are directors of their respective laboratories," she notes. "However, currently, the larger federal labs are still largely filled with women at the technical or bench level, and while there are some moving into management positions, to date none of these labs are led by a woman." She adds, "I was only the second female unit chief in the history of the FBI laboratory from 1995-2001, but one of my friends, Melissa Smrz, nearly made it to the top job, as she was deputy assistant director until her retirement in 2011." To any young woman out there watching CSI shows and dreaming about going into forensic science, Smith has some myth-busting words of advice. "Despite what you may see on television, we leave the Prada stilettos at home when processing a crime scene," she says with a laugh. "And the 'haute couture' clothing of crime scene fashion are white Tyvek 'bunny suits' and blue hair and feet covers."
Of greater concern to prospective forensic scientists, she explains, is that the work "is 24/7 and will take precedence over many other events in your life. Additionally, it can be very emotionally strenuous work for both men and women because you will be responsible for dealing with the aftermath of acts of violence that most human beings only see in fictitious TV and movie scenes." Unlike the television shows, "we don't solve all crimes in one or two episodes," she notes. "The ones that still remain with me are the ones we never brought to resolution." As to the field having some of the issues—including a gender wage gap—that tend to plague female-dominated professions, Smith says, "For me, there was extreme satisfaction in having a job in which I could apply my technical expertise. I loved being an applied scientist and I always enjoyed discovering new approaches that helped us fill capability gaps. The salary issue for me was secondary to the satisfaction gained by a job well done and that was a good thing because the majority of forensic science jobs are in the public service or government sector."
http://news.psu.edu/story/276199/2013/05/07/research/probing-question-do-women-dominate-field-forensic-science
April 1 2015
April 1
CSI: Jerusalem
By KAY JOHNSON johnson@hutchinsonleader.com
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you applied the tenets of police procedure to the biblical story of Jesus’ resurrection? Find out this weekend when the play “The Interrogation: Undeniable Evidence?” is presented at Word of Life Church in Hutchinson. The production will be staged at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 4, and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 5. Admission is free and the public is welcome. The Rev. Tim Vanden Langenberg, associate pastor, wrote the script and directed the drama. The cast features members of the congregation. Penning a drama isn’t knew to Vanden Langenberg. He has written at least 20 skits and plays during the past 20 years in the various churches he served as a pastor in Wisconsin. Last year, the pastor-playwright wrote a play for the youth and children to perform on Palm Sunday, called “Palm Sunday Parade.”
He wrote it as a take off of the Thanksgiving Day Parade TV broadcasts. When Vanden Langenberg started working on “The Interrogation: Undeniable Evidence?” he planned to take a year to write the script. Things changed when he showed the work in progress to the Rev. Jim Hall. Hall was so enthusiastic Vanden Langenberg found himself moving up his timeline to this Easter rather than 2016. “Writing the script was a challenge,” he said. “In order to finish in time to get the cast chosen and the rehearsals started, I had only about three weeks to finish.” To meet his deadline, Vanden Langenberg wrote several hours every day.
His goal was to “get the details of the resurrection accounts from the gospels as accurate as possible.” “I originally planned 13 scenes, but ended with 11,” he said. “In order to bring some humor into the setting, I gave some of the characters personalities that clearly would not have existed at the time. This literary license is not meant to demean the accuracy of the scriptures. It simply brings humor, making light of some of our own cultural biases and thought processes.” If you’re thinking “typical Easter pageant,” think again. “I like to write dramas for church that challenge people’s thinking or to draw people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ,” he said. “From time to time I get ideas, often from the popular culture, that can shed light on a particular Bible story, event or teaching.” In this case, he drew from popular TV police dramas such as “NCIS,” “NCIS: New Orleans” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as CSI: Las Vegas). “I thought it was a good way to help people think through the biblical witness accounts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” he said. Vanden Langenberg described the dramatic presentation as “an unusual look at the evidence for the resurrection.” “The format will be familiar for those who watch police dramas on TV and for those who follow local theater productions, as they will recognize some of our actors,” he said. “But, more importantly, it will stimulate people’s faith in Jesus Christ and challenge their thoughts about what His resurrection means for them in a 21st-century Midwestern town.”
http://www.crowrivermedia.com/big_fish_lifestyle/events/csi-jerusalem/article_26a96b43-3e46-5559-90f8-7e14c5648ec8.html
Dec 29 2014
Hindustan Times
Crime time TV: Genuine Interest or Herd Mentality?
At any given time of the day, there is a crime show playing on one or the other General Entertainment Channels (GEC). From shows that re-create real incidents, to fictional series, entertainment channels seem to have as much crime on them as news channels do now. Why the sudden spike in such content, especially in a country where TV entertainment is viewed as a way to escape reality? The curiosity factor
Subramanian S Iyer, creator, writer and director of Crime Patrol (CP), feels that such shows are popular because of people's curiosity. "They engage the audience, as people start thinking about how the crime took place. You may not want to be part of it in real life, but you're always curious about what happened.
According to research, a large section of the audience comprises men, especially in metro cities, with Hindi GECs getting most eyeballs from 7 pm to 9.30 pm, and English GECs from 9.30 pm to 1 am (these are the preferred slots for such shows as well).
The success of CP urged others to follow; and they brought in innovative formats: so, Gumrah focuses on juvenile crime, and Halla Bol (HB) aims to educate women on how to fight back; while Savdhaan India (SI) focuses on cases from a certain part of the country (Delhi, Mumbai, UP etc) at one time. Hostspeak
With each show having its own theme, it gives the audience variety, and creates awareness, feels Pooja Gor, host of SI. "What we read in the papers is just 10 per cent of the actual crime," she says. Karan Tacker, host of HB, says, "Crimes in metro cities need to be highlighted. Our show talks about women's issues as, even today, women deal with crimes on a daily basis." Karan also reasons why we're seeing more such shows now: "In the past one year or so, there have been many more issues highlighted in the media, and women have come out stronger in response." Anoop Soni, host of CP, had told HT Café earlier, "We hold a mirror up to society. Each story has a lesson, as we analyse the crime and the criminal."
One too many?
When having different formats, or themes, works, there is herd mentality at play as well, feels Iyer. "Until CP came along, no one thought of dramatising crime shows on GECs. Back then, people wondered who would watch such shows. But once it became a hit, others followed. There will soon be saturation in this genre if there isn't any reinvention," says Iyer.
Popular International Crime Shows
1) The popular CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has crime scene analysts working for the Las Vegas Police Department. The show inspired two spin offs, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.
2) American police procedural show, Criminal Minds, shows FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia, USA, profile criminals.
3) Sherlock Holmes has two modern adaptations - on British TV as Sherlock, and on American TV, as Elementary.
4) On NCIS, a team conducts criminal investigations involving the US Navy and Marine Corps, and has been running strong for 12 seasons.
5) A former psychic helps the California Bureau of Investigation in The Mentalist.
6) In Bones, FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth and forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance 'Bones' Brennan solve crimes.
7) Blue Bloods focuses on a family of NYPD officers.
8) Hannibal is a psychological thriller-horror with new cases in every episode.
9) Castle is about a popular novelist Richard Castle working with an NYPD homicide detective to solve unusual crimes in New York City, USA.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/television/crime-time-tv-genuine-interest-or-herd-mentality/article1-1301407.aspx
Steep Hill Labs, Global Leader in Cannabis Testing and Analytics Announces the Release of QuantaCann2
October 10, 2014
Today, Steep Hill Labs, Inc. announced the release of its highly anticipated, next generation cannabis testing technology, the QuantaCann2. "We are excited that the QuantaCann2 is now available for lease in all states where legal cannabis markets exist," said CEO and Co-Founder David Lampach. "Our advanced optical platform and cloud-based analytics can deliver laboratory-grade THC, CBD and moisture test results anywhere in the world in under 60 seconds." QuantaCann2 is the world's first remote, on-site instant potency and process analysis technology that enables business users such as cannabis producers, processors, dispensaries, other testing labs and even regulators to have real-time access to chemical information for their raw materials and products at their own locations. The platform aggregates information from Steep Hill's world-leading database of test results and other proprietary resources, using a sophisticated, proprietary SaaS interface and analytical models. The QuantaCann2 scans the source material using near-infrared spectrometry and sends the spectral scans through the cloud for analytical processing. Results are delivered through the QC2's unique user interface, providing instant, conclusive potency and moisture data to users, dynamically and virtually.
"The time has come to make sure that the potency and active ingredient profile of cannabis available in the consumer marketplace is known, and transparent. By democratizing access to sophisticated potency testing, the QuantaCann2 is an important tool for the cannabis industry in the effort to maximize product safety and consumer knowledge," emphasized Lampach in making the announcement. QuantaCann2's testing functions, processes, and a modified version of its user interface were featured in Sunday night's episode of CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, entitled "Buzz Kill." "We are pleased that CSI chose our QuantaCann2 technology to help solve the crime in 'Buzz Kill.' As the nation's leading provider of cannabis testing, analytics and quality management solutions for the burgeoning industry, the acknowledgement and validation that comes from such prominent media recognition is an honor," said Lampach. "Identifying unique strains of cannabis and matching them to a large database is not only possible in helping to solve a crime on television, it is actually already possible in real life today through Steep Hill's technological innovations such as the QuantaCann2."
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/22430
"What Culture"
Sept. 27' 2014
Shaun Davis
10 Pilots That Changed TV Forever
10. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
The Pilot CSI hit screens in 2000 via a pilot that saw beardy wonder detective, Gil Grissom (William Petersen), and his team of crime scene detectives go about their business solving a variety of cases for theLas Vegas Police Department. The success of this pilot was all about the setup, where viewers got to see Petersen’s protagonist solve a crime by way of toe nail clippings while also witnessing how the rest of the department take on some intricate casesin the city of sin. Like all great pilots, this episodeended with a tantalizing sting in the tail. Simple, maybe, but this one really started something.
What Did It Change? CSI changed the way we choose to watch crimes be solved on the small screen. Gone was ourdustyreference point of the beleaguered detective, solving acrime with a grimace and only instincts to rely on, and in its place was the smooth sleuthreliant on whizzy technology and nigh-on impossible DNA testing. Quite simply, this pilot signified the birth of the procedural crime genre for a new generation.
Legacy Cold Case, Bones, Body Of Proof, NCIS, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds and pretty much any detective show bar The Wire that aired thismillennium were influenced by CSI.
http://whatculture.com/tv/10-pilots-that-changed-tv-forever.php/2
The best way to catch a thief? Forget trying to copy the stars of CSI with amateur sleuthing...
September 7 2014
Some companies offer advice for the budding investigator, supplying tamper-evident bags, magnifying glasses and cocaine ID swabs. But the best way to catch a thief is on camera, says Rhodri Marsden
Anyone who's ever had their car stereo nicked and lives in an area where car stereos are nicked with remarkable regularity will be familiar with the procedure. You call the police. A while later a couple of officers arrive, they ask whether you've spoken to your neighbours or have access to any CCTV footage, and after you've said "no" and discussed the unlikelihood of the culprit being apprehended, they give you a reference number that allows you to claim on your insurance. Job effectively done.
Yesterday's report from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary into 43 police forces in England and Wales recognised that victims of certain crimes now appear to have a role to play in their investigation, and described the way those crimes are effectively being decriminalised as a result as "a matter of material concern".The report contains a quote from the founder of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Robert Peel, acknowledging the "historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen…" Advances in technology have certainly allowed the public, in certain cases, to provide the police with extraordinarily detailed evidence, including GPS coordinates of stolen laptops and even mugshots of the people alleged to have stolen them."These days, people fit up CCTV in their houses," says Mike Sandling, a former Met policeman who worked largely in forensics. "If a burglar walks in, he's being recorded on a device in the loft. And that's very good evidence, obviously, to the insurance company, and hopefully the Old Bill."But if we wished to extend our investigations beyond gadgets and gizmos, there's help available online. Websites such as forensicmag.com and exploreforensics.co.uk offer a wealth of advice for the budding investigator, while Sandling now heads up a company called Crime Scene Investigation Equipment Ltd, supplying tamper-evident bags, magnifying glasses, cocaine ID swabs and much else besides. "We sell mainly to police and law enforcement," he says. "At one time we used to say that it's only the police we sell to, but everybody has a go now. We even do kits for children with different powders and an instruction booklet so that they can try looking for fingerprints themselves." Capturing a theft on camera is still the best evidence (Rex Features)
The company also supplies colleges and universities that run crime-scene courses, of which there are a number, including a BSc at Teesside University. There's evidently huge interest in the subject, driven no doubt by TV dramatisation. "Of course, it's nothing like that in reality," laughs Sandling.But before you excitedly blow cash on tubs of magnetic powder, dusting brushes and lifting tape, it's worth knowing that your painstakingly collated evidence won't be worth anything to anyone. "We had a case a few years ago where an office was broken into," says Sandling, "and there was a guy there who'd done all the dusting himself, standing there as proud as a peacock. But the evidence couldn't be used because the police didn't find it themselves. A lack of continuity of evidence is your problem, because it's got to be produced in court. The CPS would throw it out before it got anywhere near there."I'm sad about what they said in the report," continues Sandling, "although we know it's true. We can see it in sales – we're simply selling less stuff to the police than we used to. In my day, of course, if you worked a beat and there was a burglary on your beat, that was personal, and you'd want to go and find out who did it. But I'm afraid that's all gone."So, with investigations of certain crimes falling, and personal investigations liable tofall well short of the achievements of a Miss Marple or a Sherlock Holmes, the savviest move right now is probably to become a CCTV salesman.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/csi-not-the-way-crimes-are-solved-in-real-life-pathologist-professor-johan-duflou-says-20140903-10btpe.html#ixzz3Ce6nuyDD
CSI not the way crimes are solved in real life, pathologist Professor Johan Duflou says
September 3, 2014
The television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was not the way real-life crimes were solved, a jury in a murder trial has been told. Sydney forensic pathologist Professor Johan Duflou told the Victorian Supreme Court he was no fan of the show. "I think it's fair to say that with a program like CSI specifically is the bane of the forensic expert witness's life," Dr Duflou told the jury in the trial of Paul Ta Vuong, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his girlfriend Kate Leithhead's 12-month-old son Silas. "Unfortunately I seem to spend most of my time in the witness box saying, 'I'm not sure', 'I don't really know', 'possibly it is', 'possibly it's not', while in CSI you hear absolute statements of fact and unfortunately that's not really the way it works in the real life of forensic pathology - well, certainly not as perceived by me. "A lot of forensic pathology examining bodies involves a lot of interpretation and, frankly, a lot of uncertainty." Dr Duflou was called to give evidence by Mr Ta Vuong's defence team after Melbourne forensic pathologist David Ranson, who conducted the autopsy on Silas, told the jury he did not believe the boy's head injuries were caused by a simple fall. Mr Ta Vuong claimed he tripped and likely fell on top of Silas when he was taking the boy out of the bathroom at Ms Leithhead's Richmond apartment on May 15 last year. Ms Leithhead had left Silas with Mr Ta Vuong to buy heroin from her local dealer. Mr Ta Vuong later told police Silas cried for a short time after the fall but he was alive and breathing when he put him in his cot. He did not tell Ms Leithhead about the fall when she returned with the drugs. Silas died from blunt force trauma to the head. Crown prosecutor Andrew Grant has told the jury Mr Ta Vuong allegedly boasted to two prisoners how he had dropped Silas on his head five times because he was angy at having to wait too long for Ms Leithhead to get heroin from the drug dealer. A prisoner, known as Witness A, gave evidence that Mr Ta Vuong confessed to the murder when on remand after his arrest. Witness A claimed Mr Ta Vuong told him he had been frustrated that Ms Leithhead was taking too long to get the drugs and suspected she was "f...king the dealer or she was f...king around with the dealer" so he decided to "play rough" with Silas. Defence barrister Saul Holt, SC, told the jury the prisoners were lying. Dr Ranson, when asked if Silas' head injuries could have been caused by falling to the floor from chest height, replied: "I don't think I would see this extensive nature of the fracturing. I believe the fracture pattern is too great for an explanation to be a simple uncomplicated low- level fall." But Dr Duflou said that in the past medical experts had believed head injuries to babies were almost invariably an indication of abuse but recent studies had shown "complex skull fractures ... can occur in relatively simple falls and ... you really end up with major difficulty in terms of trying to understand what happened." In his report for the defence after viewing all the relevant documents, Dr Duflou said: "In this case a history is provided that the accused fell on top of the infant with both the infant and the accused possibly falling on to a tiled floor. Such an impact, especially if the accused was not able to arrest the fall with his hands or other parts of his body, could have resulted in the infant's head striking the tiled surface with some force followed by the body weight of the accused further impacting with the head and other parts of the body of the child". The trial, before Justice Karin Emerton, continues.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/csi-not-the-way-crimes-are-solved-in-real-life-pathologist-professor-johan-duflou-says-20140903-10btpe.html#ixzz3Ce6nuyDD
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/csi-not-the-way-crimes-are-solved-in-real-life-pathologist-professor-johan-duflou-says-20140903-10btpe.html
The CSI Cast Reflects On the Show's Finest Hours
William Keck, October 22, 2013
Over 14 seasons and 300 episodes, CSI has concocted some wild plots and brought in memorable guest stars to keep the body-bagging business fresh and fun. We asked the cast — including Marg Helgenberger, who reprises her role as Catherine Willows for Wednesday's landmark 300th episode, which flashes back to a case the team failed to crack in 2000 — to reflect on the show's best installments, selected by longtime executive producer Carol Mendelsohn.
1. Blood Drops (Season 1, Episode 7) A 6-year-old Dakota Fanning plays the surviving daughter of a family that's been butchered in their home. "I've had nightmares from time to time about this one," admits Jorja Fox (Sara). "Grissom [William Petersen] and Sara arrived so quickly after the murders that you could still feel the horrible events. I had one line — 'Her soul's still in the room' — which has stayed with me as [emblematic] of the entire series."
2. Table Stakes (Season 1, Episode 15) During a charity fund-raiser, a body is found floating in the swimming pool of an ex-showgirl who is supposedly vacationing in Europe. "Greg uncovered some DNA on the showgirl's old headdress," recalls Eric Szmanda, the actor who plays him. "He put on the headdress to celebrate and got caught by Catherine." (Watch for that prop to make a return appearance in the 300th episode.)
3. The Finger (Season 2, Episode 14) Tom Irwin (Devious Maids) plays a wealthy man who takes Catherine and $1 million in ransom money along on a ride to rescue his abducted girlfriend. "It was an unusual episode that we shot in the middle of nowhere," Helgenberger says. "It was a scavenger hunt that took us on a strange path where we met up with this person seen only in silhouette wearing a rabbit head."
4. Fur and Loathing (Season 4, Episode5) After finding a dead man dressed as a raccoon on the side of the road, the CSIs head to a convention of furries — adults who wear animal costumes for sexual pleasure (one of whom is Sex and the City's Willie Garson as a sexy kitty). "I didn't know much about this world, so before we shot the episode, the director and I went to an event where people came wearing tails," remembers Helgenberger. "A lot of the extras we used were actually into that. God bless them."
5. Grave Danger, Volumes 1 and 2 (Season5, Episodes 24 and 25) Quentin Tarantino directed this two-parter in which the team hunts for Nick Stokes (George Eads, who is on extended leave from the series after a skirmish with one of the writers). Nick has been kidnapped and buried alive in a glass casket. The late Tony Curtis and Frank Gorshin guest starred as themselves in the episode. "When I heard Quentin was a CSI fan, I told the producers we should reach out to him," says Helgenberger. "That was a tough [contract] renegotiation year for us with a lot of ill feelings, so he helped motivate us all to give 100 percent."
6. A Bullet Runs Through It, Parts 1 and2 (Season 6, Episodes 7 & 8) After a massive shootout between Las Vegas police and a Latin American gang, the members of the CSI team find themselves processing hundreds of bullets."It was an all-hands-on-deck situation, so Greg got to go out in the field," says Szmanda, "which was a great honor for me after being stuck in the lab for so long."
7. Law of Gravity (Season 7, Episode 15) A cop threatens to expose the dark past of fill-in boss Keppler (Liev Schreiber) if he doesn't make the evidence in a case go away. "What a joy it was to have Liev with us for four episodes when Billy [Petersen] went to Chicago to do a play," says Fox. "But we all knew it wasn't going to end well for Keppler."
8. Turn Turn Turn (Season 9, Episode 16) Nick volunteers to take the case of a 16-year-old girl (guest star Taylor Swift) found dead in the parking lot of a seedy hotel run by her parents. "Taylor and her mom were fans of the show and seemed very happy to be there," Szmanda says. "She was kind of nervous because she hadn't done much acting before. And many of us were starstruck."
9. Sqweegel (Season 11, Episode 4) Ann-Margret plays a Las Vegas philanthropist who is brutally slashed in her bed by a man in a rubber suit. "Ann was asked to do a lot of physical stunts, which she was down for," says Szmanda."And this was one of the rare times the killer got away. We never caught him."
10. CSI on Fire (Season 13, Episode 8) A mass grave in the desert is linked to an accused serial killer whom Finlay (Elisabeth Shue) pursued when she worked in Seattle. "Once in a while, the case is so close to your character that you get emotionally connected, which makes for deeper, richer scenes," says Shue, who adds that she enjoyed making out with Finlay's ex-husband (Cougar Town's Brian Van Holt) at the end of the episode. According to Fox, "This storyline will come back later this season, when Fin will have to confront her past in Seattle so she can bravely help out Greg.
http://www.tvguide.com/News/CSI-300-Episodes-Best-1072388.aspx
St. George News
April 27, 2013
BLUFFDALE – A Utah-based company’s forensic DNA collection system will be soon featured on internationally watched television.
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” the No. 1 TV show worldwide, is about a team of forensic investigators in Las Vegas who use both cutting-edge scientific methods and old-fashioned police work to solve crimes. In the upcoming season 13 episode 21, set to air May 8 at 9 p.m. local time on CBS, the investigators will be using the revolutionary technology of wet-vacuum DNA collection to help crack a particularly tough case.
During the episode, entitled “Ghosts of the Past,” investigators work diligently to solve a copycat crime at a long-abandoned slaughterhouse where a serial killer was shot and killed over 20 years ago after taking seven young lives
During the episode, entitled “Ghosts of the Past,” investigators work diligently to solve a copycat crime at a long-abandoned slaughterhouse where a serial killer was shot and killed over 20 years ago after taking seven young lives. DNA Lab Tech Henry Andrews (played by Jon Wellner) uses the most sensitive and scalable DNA collection method available to help solve the mystery: A new wet-vacuum sampling device called the M-Vac System. Situated in the show’s DNA lab, the M-Vac will be used to collect the suspect’s DNA from several toys found at a shrine inside the slaughterhouse where three new murders are committed in the same style as the original serial killer. M-Vac will prove to be a crucial element in solving the case of who is committing these new murders.
The show is fictional, but the technology is real — and straight out of Utah
The show is fictional, but the technology is real — and straight out of Utah. Headquartered in Bluffdale, M-Vac Systems, Inc. creates, develops and manufactures the consumables needed for the wet-vacuum DNA collection method. The system featured on “CSI” is being used by a number of police departments, CSIs and crime labs across the country and is being actively investigated by many more. Research universities including the University of California, David and Boston University are also conducting validations of the M-Vac collection method versus traditional methods, with impressive results. In several studies, the M-Vac has collected between five and 100 times more DNA material than the swab method. “The M-Vac System is cutting-edge and the new standard for DNA collection from porous substrates, large surfaces and where DNA material is scarce,” said Wayne Carlsen, vice president of engineering and operations for M-Vac Systems. “It is an excellent tool for collecting forensic DNA material in casework where the traditional methods have either failed or have a minimal chance of collecting enough material to generate a viable profile. It has already been used on a number of active and cold cases and has produced positive results. It isn’t the end-all cure-all, but it is a powerful police work tool that will change the way forensic DNA collection is done.”
Standard collection techniques just do not have the physical agitation and force needed to collect DNA material from the fibers, cracks and crevices of a porous material
“There are hundreds of thousands of cold cases in the FBI database, many of them heinous crimes like homicides, rapes and armed assaults” said Jared Bradley, president of M-Vac Systems. “Standard collection techniques just do not have the physical agitation and force needed to collect DNA material from the fibers, cracks and crevices of a porous material, especially if there is a minimal amount of the DNA material. If there is DNA on the evidence, the best chance to collect it is with an M-Vac.” In M-Vac collection, a sterile, DNA and RNase-free solution is sprayed onto the surface and simultaneously vacuumed, creating a synergy between the two mechanical forces that results in a significantly higher recovery of the DNA material. The solution and the targeted DNA are captured in the collection bottle on the M-Vac, then re concentrated down using one of several available methods that are common in every crime lab. Key members of the “CSI” production team immediately saw its value when they were first introduced to it.
It will allow CSIs to collect and process DNA evidence that may be too diffuse for normal collection techniques
“We at CSI are very excited to be able to use the M-Vac for collecting DNA evidence,” Lead Technical Writer and former CSI Rich Catalani said. “I believe this new technology will greatly benefit us on the show as well as in the real world. It will allow CSIs to collect and process DNA evidence that may be too diffuse for normal collection techniques. We are always looking for new technology to feature on our show. Thanks to the folks at M-Vac and Sheila Thomas, our CSI Product Integration.” “The M-Vac System turned out to be a crucial crime solving piece of machinery in our story,” Director Brad Tanenbaum said. “We were lucky to have it and look forward to solving many more crimes with it in the future.”
http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2013/04/27/utah-companys-forensic-technology-featured-on-csi/
Who Has The Remote.com applauds the return of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation along with one of its stars, Ted Danson. Following confirmation of the show’s renewal in The Christian Science Monitor, Who Has The Remote? releases 3 reasons why viewers must watch the fourteenth season of the popular series.
PRWEB) March 29, 2013
Who Has The Remote? is excited to learn that CSI: Crime Scene Investigation will return for a fourteenth season. After a recent news release in The Christian Science Monitor confirmed that CBS has renewed its popular show for at least one more season, Who Has The Remote? announces three reasons why the fourteenth season of the popular series should be on your watch-list. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation focuses on a group of Las Vegas criminologists who use forensics to solve murders. It focuses not only on gruesome crimes, but also delves into the characters’ lives, which is something WhoHasTheRemote.com loves about the show. The current season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation airs on satellite tv on Wednesday nights, and wraps up on May 15, 2013. Who Has The Remote? believes that the fourteenth season will be as engrossing as the current one, and lists 3 reasons why fans will want to stay tuned.
1.Actor Ted Danson, who plays lead character D.B. Russell, has signed a contract that guarantees his dedication to the series for another two years. Danson, whom many recognize from the 1980s hit series Cheers, came to the show in recent years replacing Laurence Fishburne’s character, night shift supervisor Ray Langston. Nominated for 3 Emmys for his role in the legal drama Damages, Danson adds a touch of humor and has, according to some reviews, “breathed new life into the show.”
2.After its first four years on television, the show spawned two equally popular spin-offs, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. The fact that it has inspired a franchise speaks volumes for the quality of CSI. President of CBS Entertainment, Nina Tassler expressed her pride in the CSI legacy, describing the show as “synonymous with CBS” while praising the writers and producers for “an amazing job evolving CSI.”
3.Fans that have followed CSI: Crime Scene Investigation since its inception will know that the story lines of the crime series make many of the featured investigations quite personal. Undoubtedly a police procedural, the show explores the lives of the team of forensic investigators as they collect irrefutable evidence that helps fill in the missing pieces. With 9 awards already in the bag, the fourteenth season of the hit series promises to be more enthralling and personal than ever before.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/csi-season-14-must-watch/television/prweb10584142.htm
By Cameron Smith for FEMALE FIRST
Feb. 26, 2013
CSI arrives back on Channel 5 tonight and looks to take back its crown at the top of the crime tree, but thirteen seasons in, it’s easy to forget how much the Las Vegas based forensics drama has changed TV in America.
While CSI quickly became the by-word in forensic drama, it can’t take credit for the change in focus from the detectives to the people in the lab. That honour must go to the BBC and its drama Silent Witness. Despite the similar setup and focus, Silent Witness and CSI couldn’t be further apart. While Silent Witness was concerned about the realities of pathology, CSI decided to go for a more entertainment based angle, complete with glossy visuals and gun toting agents. Throughout the next few years, every other network in America quickly started trying to replicate the rating magic that CSI had stumbled on to, with shows like Cold Case, Without A Trace, Criminal Minds, Numb3rs, NCIS and Bones all starting to show more than just a little influence from CSI manifesto.
CSI’s massive success not only guaranteed it a prime time slot that other channels tried to avoid. It turned the show not only into the byword for modern TV crime drama, but became a brand in of itself. Spawning two spin-off shows, it was almost impossible to escape the CSI umbrella on American TV. All of this made show runners and creatives think outside of the box when it came to crafting their new crime serial. Each show needed a new hook, it couldn't just be a CSI clone. It made for some nicely original shows like Lie To Me and Numb3rs, shows that might not have gotten their network breaks had it not been for the release and success of CSI.
Not all that CSI brought to TV was great though. The show's often played fast and loose with scientific fact, a deliberate choice of entertainment over strict reality, and this is something its peers were keen to pick up on. it no longer mattered if what was happening on screen was truly accurate, it just needed to be accurate enough for the audience to buy it.
Also, ask any forensic pathologist how many times they go out into the field wielding a sidearm and chasing down bad guys and the answer's likely to be quite a low amount of times.
Despite the criticisms though, CSI and it's acolytes have been incredibly popular, attracting massive ratings figures in America and quickly becoming the linchpin in any major network's programming. The forensics procedural became