The Fires Down Below: ‘Look-Down’ Technology
Far above the rough terrain where wildfires thrive, satellite and aerial technology is being used to give firefighters on the ground the big picture.
Experts Live and Die With Mental Shortcuts
Understanding human thought processes puts a different spin on everything from global financial meltdowns to fighter pilot errors. It can also help make technology more brain-friendly.
High Court Recognizes Imperfections at Crime Labs
A 5-4 majority at the nation's highest court finds that the work of crime labs is not infallible, and defendants have a right to make that clear.
Bias and the Big Fingerprint Dust-Up
Cognitive neuroscientist Itiel Dror finds that analysis of fingerprint data by human examiners can be ruined by unintentional bias. But he offers some relatively simple fixes that can improve the odds of reliable results.
Re-Mapping Forensic Science’s Future
A critical report from the National Academy of Sciences calls for national standards in forensics science, validation of new technology and crime lab ethics.
Debunking Arson Indicators
Sidebar: 'Flashover defense' gets two arson convictions reversed in the 1980s.
Arson Convictions, Fire Investigations Feel the Heat
As decades of flawed and unscientific fire investigation techniques call arson convictions into question, new recipes emerge for a system-wide overhaul.