A Physics Today story (March 2009) issue talks to physicists who've become involved in forensics. One is Professor of Physics Mark Semon, who has consulted on collision cases involving cars, trains, and farm animals. "The main thing I've discovered," he says, "is that I can't use words like 'uncertainty' because the attorney on the other side says, 'Oh, you are uncertain.' So I settled on 'margin of error.'" The cases he's worked on enrich his teaching, he says, offering practical examples of physics principles in action. (View story.)
Posted in: Academics, Bates People in the News, Natural sciences, Physics, Science and technology
Tags: consulting, crime, expert
