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by paperwasp42 1331 days ago
I think it's important to note that cops, prosecutors, judges, etc. are trained and encouraged to "listen to the science" and "don't rely on your gut." Of course, many disregard this, due to corruption or other moral failings. But many do follow this advice, and sometimes it results in presenting faulty evidence simply because they have been taught faulty science.

In addition to rooting out corruption and dismantling immoral incentives, we need to seriously re-examine the forensic science that is the backbone of many cases. People--including judges, juries, cops, and lawyers--are far too willing to blindly trust "science," and it can have extremely scary outcomes. We need more replication of studies and better science education for our criminal justice professionals.

2 comments

the bigger problem is we have lost the true meaning of "science" or rather the "scientific method" as a huge part of forensic "science" has no connection with the "scientific method" upto and including the foundational "science" of fingerprints which is more of interpretive art than science

Too much of science today is Hypothesis -> Gather Data to support, reject any that does not -> Report Conclusions -> Burn Heretics

Also, in the US precedent sets if something is scientific in the eyes of the court, not science.