Science research » Scientific Knowledge

What is Forensic Science?

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:46:53 +0000

Forensic science has a very high profile on TV and across the media in general. This profile includes both real world references to forensic science in such programs as The First 48, and fictional references to forensic science most notably in shows such as CSI, CSI Miami etc.

However, despite this very high profile, the question “What is Forensic Science” is an extremely common search engine phrase (Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask etc).

What this shows, I think it’s fair to say, is that many people have a general idea of what forensic science is but they would struggle to come up with a definitive definition. The following information is presented with this very much in mind.

Forensic

From the Latin ‘Forensis’, meaning forum, specifically the Imperial Court of Rome.

Science

The systematic formulation of knowledge based on observation, experiment & induction. Science is organized knowledge (Immanuel Kant).

Forensic Science

Forensic science is really just science used in court
(Allan Jamieson, Director of the Forensic Institute, Edinburgh, UK)

Any science, used for the purposes of the law, is a forensic science. (American Academy of Forensic Sciences)

In essence then, forensic science is the application of scientific knowledge in a legal context.

Sources of Scientific Knowledge

There are many sources of scientific knowledge applied in a legal context. These Include:

Chemistry Pathology Toxicology Dentistry Anthropology EngineeringThe Forensic Scientist

By definition, a person who applies scientific knowledge in a legal context is a forensic scientist.

If you would like to find out more about the fascinating world of forensic science, you can do so by visiting the website http://www.all-about-forensic-science.com

By: David A Webb

Quality Vs Validity in Action Research – A Reflection on Applied Science

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:22:32 +0000

How is concern for quality different from concern for validity in conventional social science?

Conventional science, and by extension, conventional social science ,are concerned with reproducability, validity and objectivity. As such, principles of rigor and falsifiability are important components of any research, which come from a 3d person point of view, where the researcher remains outside of the system under study. This can be considered an objectivist approach to the ontological question. By this I mean a belief in an objective reality, which is knowable, and in which knowledge is discovered through a rigorous process of proposing hypotheses, testing them under controlled conditions with carefully constructed instruments, which generate reproducable results and from which conclusions may be deduced or inferred with degrees of confidence that come from the quality and form of the data. Sir Karl Popper’s work on falsifiability and the growth of scientific knowledge through trial and error is fundamental here.

A problem with this approach has been the requirement to scope problems so that variables and environments may be controlled, and cause and effect relationships established. Complex problems and especially those involving human social networks present problems of computability, uncertainty, non-falsifiability and irreproduceability that may not be solvable using conventional means. In addition, the value that social science places on neutrality will offend our sensibility concerning what it means to be human.

My sense is that AR intentionally relinquishes the premises of objectivity and value neutrality and a 3d person perspective in the formal sense, and seeks quality instead, based on values of simultaneous 1st, 2d and 3d person engagement, social justice and democracy, and using methods that embrace subjectivity with full acknowledgment of the power as well as the limitations of that approach.

Quality, as a value, implies a set of priorities and value judgments about social conditions, and furthermore posits action as a legitimate end, even when outcomes are not foreseen at the start of a project. The iterative native of AR and the possibility of reframing goals, purposes, methods and outcomes seems like a natural consequence of this different orientation.

Kuhn’s work on paradigms and the methods of objective science in The Structure of Scientific Revolution critically examines the sociological phenomenon of the artifact of science. Kuhn’s treatment of the argument is criticized for his fuzzy use of language,and he forthrightly acknowledges legitimate concerns with the shortcomings of language in the postscript to his second edition. nevertheless his main arguments about the limits of scientific inquiry, and the social construction of scientific knowledge remain important and informative of this debate.

It’s not my sense that AR practitioners are arguing for a replacement of Validity with Quality in all areas of science, but rather that with a desire to get on with improving lives and environments they propose a rigorous methodology that seeks to add to the body of practical knowledge in human affairs, informed by and informing more conventional scientific knowledge.

Kuhn, T. (1970). The structure of scientific revolutions (2d edition). Chicago. The University of Chicago Press.

Popper. K.(1989), Conjectures and refutation: The growth of scientific knowledge (5th ed.) New York. Routledge Press.

By: Ken Long

Science Fair Projects Or A Magic Tricks?

admin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:10:29 +0000

Science and magic are two separate entities, right? For example, with science fair projects you are wanting to be precise and aim at explaining phenomenon and finding answers, whereas “magic” and magic tricks leave you with more questions than answers and your mind boggles as to how what you have just seen can be possible. Right?

Well, lets think about it…

With science, which obviously includes science fair projects, the people involved are only too pleased to share their findings as it will improve life on earth in some way. For example, Mr. Edison did not keep quiet about his light bulb discovery, and now we all have instant light. Watson and Crick told the world about the double helix structure of DNA, which resulted in amazing advances in understanding biology as a whole and the positive spinoffs are more to mention in this article.

Magicians are not so keen to share information as to how their tricks work. Not knowing how a trick works is what makes it amazing and essentially magic.

There is no getting away from the fact that top magicians are talented in their slight of hand and their ability to entertain, but many of the “tricks”can be explained through science. Use of mirrors and visual illusions (what scientists call physics) are part and parcel of magic shows.

Unfortunately I do not have the talent to be a magician, but I do have a scientific knowledge to explain some “magic”. The real talent of a magician, or should we call him a “entertainment scientist”, is to hide the scientific phenomenon used to do the trick. So, although I cannot explain some of the tricks because of this cleverness, I can use science to do some very simple magic.

So what is the reason for me writing this article? Is it to expose magicians? Certainly not. As I have said, they are highly talented and indeed intellectual people who know science. The reason is so that young people will see science as exciting.

I guess now you are expecting me to tell you a magic trick so that you can entertain at the same time as you are doing science fair projects? Well, I have run out of space in this article and what I really want is for you, by using your scientific knowledge, to be excited about science and to work out some magic tricks yourself.

Just do science – or should I say magic!

By: Neil Madgwick

Easy Science Projects for Kids

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:52:48 +0000

It’s important for kids to get involved in science from an early age, as exposure to scientific ideas and the world of exploration as soon as possible is the best way to foster a love for learning in your children that will last a lifetime. At the same time, scientific knowledge is cumulative, so kids have to start with a solid foundation if they are to develop the necessary scientific skills to succeed in school, and perhaps in a future career. Of course, when doing science projects with kids the most important thing to remember is to have fun! Youth science fair projects aren’t meant to transform your child into a scientist – they are meant to get the creative juices flowing within your child and help him or her continue to explore the natural world and make use of the imagination.

So where do you find ideas for science projects, if you want to get your child started on something at home? Luckily, these days you don’t have to look far to find science projects for your children – simply do an online search and you should be able to find tons of websites containing information and ideas pertaining to science fair projects and science for children in general. These websites list science projects and tell you exactly how to do them and what to do, so the process of helping your child discover science or prepare science fair projects for school is made easy.

In the past, it was easy for parents to become frustrated when helping kids with homework and coming up with ideas for science fair projects – now it’s easy to help them out and you don’t have to be a science whiz yourself! And if your child demonstrates a natural interest in science, it’s even more important that you encourage it from an early age. Whether or not you have to do a project for school, or complete a homework assignment, kids getting involved in science at home is a great idea!

In fact, doing their own science experiments at home is a great way to supplement the regular educational exposure your kids get during the day in the classroom. And if you home school your children coming up with fun and educational science experiments that are easy to recreate at home is the perfect way to help your kids exercise their minds and learn about science while having a lot of fun at the same time.

When you set up science projects for your kids to do at home, it makes learning fun – this will carry over to the child’s classroom experience and may even improve their grades overall. Of course, that is not the main goal of doing science experiments at home. Again, do these projects with your children as a fun activity and the learning will spring from that organically. Specifically, when searching for science projects for your kids to do at home it’s a good idea to find something your children, and maybe even their friends, will enjoy. Figure out what interests your child and go from there. Involving them in the process will help them naturally discover where their interests are and what type of experiments they’ll gain the most from.

You can find the instructions for these experiments for free, although you will have to purchase some basic supplies in most cases. At the same time, materials used in most of these projects are relatively inexpensive and not difficult to find.

By: Garry L. Neale