Radical skepticism and unquestioning credulity are strange
bedfellows in today’s society. We
can’t rely on our own recollections because sometimes we make mistakes. We don’t trust the testimony of
others. It’s not that we
necessarily think others are liars, it’s just that everyone has their own
perspective on the world – their personal narrative.
But at the same time we are experiencing the triumph of
scientific knowledge, often to the detriment of other types of knowledge. Science is concerned with accuracy,
verifiability, and certainty. And
science is indeed magnificent. The
problem is that other types of knowledge have been downgraded. If scientific evidence is triple A
rated, other forms of evidence have junk status.
The CSI Effect
Criminal lawyers have commented on the existence of what
they have termed the CSI effect.
They have theorized that juries have been influenced by the rash of
criminal forensic T.V. shows such as CSI, and now expect heightened scientific
evidence to be presented at trial.
Jurors prone to the CSI effect are also theorized to be more likely to
dismiss other forms of evidence such as eyewitness or circumstantial evidence.
