If you have students seeking a 2nd 8 weeks course we have
added the following:
ANTH-A 211 THE GENETIC SCIENCE OF CSI
(course #37196)
M/W 5:45-8:00 pm
Instructor: Dr. Frederika Kaestle
Carries GenEd N&M and COLL CASE N&M Credit
No prior knowledge of genetics is assumed.
No prerequisites.
Need N&M Credit? Obsessed with CSI? Want
to know the science behind the forensic genetics
on these popular shows? Where are you leaving
your DNA? What can I tell about you from
your DNA (skin color, hair color, eye color,
height, disease, ancestry….)? How likely is it
that your DNA will falsely implicate you in a
crime? Will your next speeding citation include
being swabbed for a genetic sample? Is OJ
guilty? Who is buried in the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier? Is there
really tiger bone in
that love potion? Was that sushi you just ate
really
tuna? These and many other questions
will be addressed in this course.
General Information:
Increasingly, forensic science is
featured in the headlines of newspapers and lead stories on
television news. Even more impressive is its presence in
today’s television series line-up. This course explores the genetic science of crime
scene investigation (CSI) through the examination of popular depictions of the science
on television (e.g., CSI, Bones, NCIS) and actual forensic cases (e.g., OJ Simpson,
Casey Anthony, the Romanov family, King Tut). Topics covered will include standard human
forensic genetic identification, use of non-standard markers for unusual situations, analysis of
DNA to predict appearance and race, behavioral genetics, unusual sources of human DNA,
forensic uses of animal, plant and microbial DNA, accuracy and misuse of forensic genetics, the
use of DNA to exonerate the falsely convicted, the ethical and social implications of forensic
genetics, and the future of forensic genetics. Course readings will be available as downloadable
PDFs, grades will be based on course exercises, quizzes, participation, and short writing
assignments.
No prior knowledge of genetics is assumed, and there are no prerequisites for this
