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Viewers of the CSI TV shows might believe that DNA identification can be done in minutes, fingerprint analysis can be whipped up with a few clicks on a keyboard and toxicology reports can be completed on the spot.
According to Charlie Walker, however, a new museum exhibit is combining the pop culture appeal of Hollywood with the real science involved in crime scene investigations to give people a taste of what it's like to work in the real world of forensic science.
"CSI: The Experience" will debut next month at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The $2 million exhibit will allow visitors to walk through one of three simulated crime scenes, collect data, and attempt to solve a mystery. The 6,000 square foot space was created by five separate teams of designers.
Walker, Chief Operating Officer at the Forth Worth Museum of Science and Industry and Principal Investigator for the project, said that the popularity of the TV shows will bring people in, and the experienced advisors on the design team will provide the science.
"There's definitely that tension between the science community and the Hollywood folks and what they do," he said. "But they're in different businesses. And actually, one of the definitions of a science museum is that we're a place where pop culture meets science, real science, and that's what we're doing in a sense. We're sitting down at the middle of the table and saying 'we can all get along here and do something very positive for science education.'"
And therein lies the attraction, Walker said.
(Click on the play button, below, to hear Charlie Walker talk in-depth about the science behind creating 'CSI: The Experience.')
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"(There's) this great property called "CSI" which we know will engage lots more visitors than just more of a generic show on forensics without that link to the popular culture," he said. "So with that link it'll bring a lot more people into the exhibition and then the bulls-eye is they get engaged in science education."
And that's the hook. While Hollywood may have to squeeze pop-science into a one-hour time slot, experts in the field know that certain investigations can take weeks or even months to complete. That’s where Walker relied on the experts to bring a dose of realism to the proceedings.
The exhibit's "investigators" will enter one of three different crime scenes where they will identify evidence and record findings on a special investigation card. At the end of the scenario, guests will present their findings in a recreation of the office of Gil Grissom – the "CSI" head investigator – and compare results to those of actual expert crime scene investigators.
Like who?
"The first call we made when we decided to develop this new exhibition was to the American Academy of Forensic Science," Walker said. "We called the American Academy and they were just enthused. We met with their board at their annual meeting and they said, 'yeah, we'll support this exhibit.'"
As a result, Walker was able to tap the expertise of past AAFS President and current International Association of Forensic Sciences Ronald L. Singer and Dr. Arthur Eisenberg. Eisenberg is professor of pathology at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and director of its DNA Identity Lab.
"We've got two incredible experts right here in our back yard that are directly related to the broader field of forensic science," Walker said. "And they've been hugely instrumental in supporting our effort."
Walker said that having people like Singer and Eisenberg on board allows the team to focus on the real science involved in forensic investigations.
"We make sure when you see a star from CSI talking about what they do, you see a forensic expert talking about what they do."
Museum officials hope the exhibit will allow people with an interest in the programs to get a look at what it might be like to actually work in the field.
"It's also our hope that in experiencing this exhibit, children will discover the many different and vital careers that exist within the field of science and become excited about them," David Mosena, president and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry said.
The exhibit was developed by the Forth Worth Museum of Science and Industry with support from CBS Consumer Products, the cast and crew of the TV show and the National Science Foundation.
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