Best of: Computation cracks cold cases
Using math to catch criminals through their DNA.
The Future of Everything · Russ Altman, Lawrence Wein
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Show Notes
Halloween may be behind us in the US but here at The Future of Everything we’re not quite done with spooky season. If you’re pairing your trick-or-treat haul with some scary movies, we invite you to revisit with us a conversation Russ had with Lawrence Wein a couple years ago about the work he’s doing in forensic genetic genealogy to crack cold cases. Professor Wein shares how he’s using math to catch criminals through traces of their DNA. It’s both haunting and hopeful, and we hope you’ll take another listen.
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Episode Reference Links:
- Stanford Profile: Lawrence M. Wein
- Lawrence’s Paper: Analysis Of The Genealogy Process In Forensic Genetic Genealogy
Connect With Us:
- Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
- Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
- Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Lawrence Wein, professor of management science at Stanford University.
(00:02:18) Forensic Genealogy Explained
Forensic genetic genealogy and its impact on solving unsolved crimes.
(00:04:31) Third-Party Databases in Genealogy
Insight into databases that allow law enforcement to search for criminal suspects.
(00:08:23) Math Models in Genealogy
Using mathematical models to streamline genealogy work.
(00:11:31) Components of the Genealogy Algorithm
The algorithm's methods, including ascending and descending family trees.
(00:14:12) Algorithm Efficiency and Comparison
Comparing the new algorithm's effectiveness to traditional genealogy strategies.
(00:16:53) Algorithm in Practice
Role of human input alongside the mathematical algorithm in genealogy cases.
(00:20:42) Role of Genealogists
Genealogists’ insights on balancing human skill and mathematical algorithms.
(00:22:45) DNA Databases and Ethics
The ethical and privacy concerns related to using genetic data.
(00:27:01) Background and Interest in Forensic Genealogy
Lawrence’s journey from operations management to forensic genealogy.
(00:30:16) Conclusion
Connect With Us:
Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
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