The grisly truth about CSI degrees

“Britain now has a huge number of forensic science courses thanks to the popularity of TV shows such as CSI. Let’s call it the CSI Effect: thanks to the uncontrolled proliferation of cop shows focusing on forensic investigation, including Bones, Silent Witness, CSI and its Miami and New York spin-offs, the number of degree courses in forensic science being offered in the UK has rocketed, from just two in 1990 to 285 this year. Prospective students should prepare for disappointment: real life CSI is not like CSI: Miami, not even in real-life Miami, and certainly not in Durham. You won’t be a cop, so you won’t be able to arrest anyone. A lot of the cool machines they use on TV haven’t actually been invented yet …” (more)

[Tim Dowling, Guardian, 15 October]

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