- Table View
- List View
Science Needs for Microbial Forensics: Initial International Research Priorities
by Committee on Science Needs for Microbial Forensics: Developing an Initial International RoadmapMicrobial forensics is a scientific discipline dedicated to analyzing evidence from a bioterrorism act, biocrime, or inadvertent microorganism or toxin release for attribution purposes. This emerging discipline seeks to offer investigators the tools and techniques to support efforts to identify the source of a biological threat agent and attribute a biothreat act to a particular person or group. Microbial forensics is still in the early stages of development and faces substantial scientific challenges to continue to build capacity. The unlawful use of biological agents poses substantial dangers to individuals, public health, the environment, the economies of nations, and global peace. It also is likely that scientific, political, and media-based controversy will surround any investigation of the alleged use of a biological agent, and can be expected to affect significantly the role that scientific information or evidence can play. For these reasons, building awareness of and capacity in microbial forensics can assist in our understanding of what may have occurred during a biothreat event, and international collaborations that engage the broader scientific and policy-making communities are likely to strengthen our microbial forensics capabilities. One goal would be to create a shared technical understanding of the possibilities - and limitations - of the scientific bases for microbial forensics analysis. Science Needs for Microbial Forensics: Developing Initial International Research Priorities, based partly on a workshop held in Zabgreb, Croatia in 2013, identifies scientific needs that must be addressed to improve the capabilities of microbial forensics to investigate infectious disease outbreaks and provide evidence of sufficient quality to support legal proceedings and the development of government policies. This report discusses issues of sampling, validation, data sharing, reference collection, research priorities, global disease monitoring, and training and education to promote international collaboration and further advance the field.
The Science of Air: Concepts and Applications, Second Edition
by Frank R. SpellmanHailed on first publication as a masterful review of the topic, The Science of Air: Concepts and Applications quickly became a standard resource in the field. Clearly written and user-friendly, the second edition continues to provide the scientific underpinnings of the essence of air. Major expansions include:Air math and physicsAir flow parameters
The Science of Gun Policy: A Critical Synthesis of Research Evidence on the Effects of Gun Policies in the United States
by RAND CorporationThis report synthesizes the available scientific evidence on the effects of various firearm policies on firearm deaths, violent crime, the gun industry, participation in hunting and sport shooting, and other outcomes. Based on this synthesis, the authors highlight policies whose effects are better supported by evidence and areas where more and better information could contribute to establishing fair and effective gun policies.
The Science of Human Perfection: How Genes Became the Heart of American Medicine
by Nathaniel ComfortAlmost daily we hear news stories, advertisements, and scientific reports promising that genetic medicine will make us live longer, enable doctors to identify and treat diseases before they harm us, and individualize our medical care. But surprisingly, a century ago eugenicists were making the same promises. This book traces the history of the promises of medical genetics and of the medical dimension of eugenics. While mindful of the benefits of genetic medicine, the book also considers social and ethical issues that cast troublesome shadows over these fields. Keeping his focus on America, Nathaniel Comfort introduces the community of scientists, physicians, and public health workers who have contributed to the development of medical genetics from the nineteenth century to today. He argues that medical genetics is closely related to eugenics, and indeed that the two cannot be fully understood separately. He also carefully examines how the desire to relieve suffering and to improve ourselves genetically, though noble, may be subverted. History makes clear that as patients and consumers we must take ownership of genetic medicine, using it intelligently, knowledgeably, and skeptically.
The Science of Proof: Forensic Medicine in Modern France (Studies in Legal History)
by E. Claire CageThe Science of Proof traces the rise of forensic medicine in late eighteenth- and nineteenth-century France and examines its implications for our understanding of expert authority. Tying real life cases to broader debates, the book analyzes how new forms of medical and scientific knowledge, many of which were pioneered in France, were contested, but ultimately accepted, and applied to legal problems and the administration of justice. The growing authority of medical experts in the French legal arena was nonetheless subject to sharp criticism and scepticism. The professional development of medicolegal expertise and its influence in criminal courts sparked debates about the extent to which it could reveal truth, furnish legal proof, and serve justice. Drawing on a wide base of archival and printed sources, Claire Cage reveals tensions between uncertainty about the reliability of forensic evidence and a new confidence in the power of scientific inquiry to establish guilt, innocence, and legal responsibility.
The Science of Risk Analysis: Foundation and Practice
by Terje AvenThis book provides a comprehensive demonstration of risk analysis as a distinct science covering risk understanding, assessment, perception, communication, management, governance and policy. It presents and discusses the key pillars of this science, and provides guidance on how to conduct high-quality risk analysis. The Science of Risk Analysis seeks to strengthen risk analysis as a field and science by summarizing and extending current work on the topic. It presents the foundation for a distinct risk field and science based on recent research, and explains the difference between applied risk analysis (to provide risk knowledge and tackle risk problems in relation to for example medicine, engineering, business or climate change) and generic risk analysis (on concepts, theories, frameworks, approaches, principles, methods and models to understand, assess, characterise, communicate, manage and govern risk). The book clarifies and describes key risk science concepts, and builds on recent foundational work conducted by the Society for Risk Analysis in order to provide new perspectives on science and risk analysis. The topics covered are accompanied by cases and examples relating to current issues throughout. This book is essential reading for risk analysis professionals, scientists, students and practitioners, and will also be of interest to scientists and practitioners from other fields who apply risk analysis in their work.
The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger about Loving Our Neighbors
by Dr. Emily SmithWhat does it mean to love your neighbor in today's fraught, divided world?Join Dr. Emily Smith, global health expert and creator of the popular Facebook page Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist, as she dives into what loving your neighbor--as illustrated in the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan--truly means. Combining Dr. Smith's expertise as a scientist with her deep Christian faith while drawing from her journey from small-town Texas to a prestigious university, The Science of the Good Samaritan shares fascinating stories from Dr. Smith's life and the lives of other inspiring people around the world to show us how to:Find shared values with people from different backgrounds, faiths, and cultures than our ownReach outside our immediate circles to bring in those on the marginsRedefine our concept of "neighbor" and love our neighbors in more practical and global waysBridge the gaps of society's disparities and inequitiesYou can help reimagine and create a better world--and it all starts with authentically loving your neighbor.
Science, Policy, And The Value-free Ideal
by Heather DouglasThe role of science in policymaking has gained unprecedented stature in the United States, raising questions about the place of science and scientific expertise in the democratic process. Some scientists have been given considerable epistemic authority in shaping policy on issues of great moral and cultural significance, and the politicizing of these issues has become highly contentious. Since World War II, most philosophers of science have purported the concept that science should be “value-free.” In Science, Policy and the Value-Free Ideal, Heather E. Douglas argues that such an ideal is neither adequate nor desirable for science. She contends that the moral responsibilities of scientists require the consideration of values even at the heart of science. She lobbies for a new ideal in which values serve an essential function throughout scientific inquiry, but where the role values play is constrained at key points, thus protecting the integrity and objectivity of science. In this vein, Douglas outlines a system for the application of values to guide scientists through points of uncertainty fraught with moral valence. Following a philosophical analysis of the historical background of science advising and the value-free ideal, Douglas defines how values should-and should not-function in science. She discusses the distinctive direct and indirect roles for values in reasoning, and outlines seven senses of objectivity, showing how each can be employed to determine the reliability of scientific claims. Douglas then uses these philosophical insights to clarify the distinction between junk science and sound science to be used in policymaking. In conclusion, she calls for greater openness on the values utilized in policymaking, and more public participation in the policymaking process, by suggesting various models for effective use of both the public and experts in key risk assessments.
Science, Pseudo-science, Non-sense, and Critical Thinking: Why the Differences Matter
by Gershon Ben-Shakhar Marianna BarrScience, Pseudo-science, Non-sense, and Critical Thinking shines an unforgiving light on popular and lucrative ‘miraculous’ practices that promise to offer answers during times of trouble. Throughout the book, the authors unfold the fallacies underlying these practices, as well as consumers’ need and desire to believe in them. Adopting a scientific approach, the book critically evaluates research into cold-reading practices, such as those that claim to be able to communicate with the afterlife or posess supernatural powers, before considering a range of pseudo-sciences including graphology and polygraph interrogation, exposing the pretensions of these practices in a clear and logical fashion. The book seeks to encourage critical thinking throughout, asking whether there is any scientific evidence to support these practitioners’ abilities to supply us with reliable answers, and discussing the various factors that comprise the psychological mechanism of belief. Written in a fluent and accessible style, Science, Pseudo-science, Non-sense, and Critical Thinking is aimed at interested professionals and the public at large.
Science, Technology and Innovation Ecosystem: An Indian and Global Perspective
by Nirmala Chongtham Kashmir Singh Radhika Trikha Mamta Bhardwaj Sukhdeep KaurScience, Technology, and Innovation (STI) are the key drivers of the economy and development of a country. The economic and social impacts of STI require a deep understanding of the STI ecosystem, which includes the interactions between actors, their technologies, and their business models. This book, "Science, Technology, and Innovation Ecosystems: A National and Global Perspective," focuses on the STI ecosystem of India in comparison to other innovation-backed global countries. It will include a study of the entire STI ecosystem, focusing on the system interconnectedness required for strengthening it. The building of interconnection within actors of the STI ecosystem is one of the paramount requirements to reinvigorate the STI ecosystem as a whole. The book will also present the crucial role of STI in bringing socio-economic development from a national and international perspective. It addresses the development of viable solutions for a sustainable future and a positive societal transformation with the help of innovative science-based approaches. This book showcases the future of science in terms of emerging frontier and strategic technologies, giving us a snapshot of future STI efforts worldwide. Emphasis is given to the policy directives and program interventions backed by evidence to revamp the STI system by addressing the societal and economic needs of the country. The book will strategically bring the concept of the relevance of the Intellectual Property (IP) ecosystem in building the country’s innovation capacity along with specific pieces of evidence on how the IP system should be roped in to bring higher innovation efficiency. An insight is provided to chart out the pathway for creating a knowledge-based economy focusing on knowledge production to knowledge consumption through knowledge diffusion.
Science, Technology, Policy and International Law (ISSN)
by Justo Corti Varela Paolo Davide FarahThis book presents innovative insights into the intersections between science, technology, and society, and particularly their regulation by the law. Departing from the idea that law and science have similar methods and objectives, the book deals with problems, and solutions, that source from these interactions: concerns on how to integrate scientific evidence into trials, how to best regulate new technologies, or whether technological innovations could improve democratic legitimacy, create new regulatory tools or even new spaces of regulation, and what is the impact on the society. The edited collection, by building on a functionalist and comparatist approach, offers answers to how to best integrate law, science, and technology in policy-making and reviews the current attempts made at the transnational and international levels. Case studies, ranging from emerging technologies via environmental protection to statistics, are complemented by a solid theoretical framework, all of which seek to provide readers with tools for critical thinking in the reassessment of the relationship among theory, practice, political goals, and international regulation.
Scientia Iuris: Knowledge and Experience in Legal Education and Practice from the Late Roman Republic to Artificial Intelligence (Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice #112)
by Luca Siliquini-CinelliLaw’s regulatory reach has grown significantly over the past few decades. Yet, at the same time, law schools and legal professions in Western and Western-oriented jurisdictions have undergone an acute crisis. How is this possible? In this insightful and wide-ranging book, Luca Siliquini-Cinelli argues that these trends are in fact complementary manifestations of a single phenomenon—namely, that law is and will always be more capable of regulating social interaction without the experiential contribution of legal experts. Siliquini-Cinelli contends that the separation of law’s regulatory function from legal experts is structurally linked to the former’s nature and operational dynamics as an intellectual artifact to be used for ordering purposes. As a product of the intellect, law is a matter of knowledge, not experience. In fact, Siliquini-Cinelli holds, law’s artifactuality voids experience, including that of legal experts, making it redundant. This explains how law can thrive as a regulatory phenomenon while the very places where future legal professionals are formed and those places where it is practised are in crisis. To show this, Siliquini-Cinelli embarks upon a historical, philosophical, and comparative analysis of law’s artifactuality, focusing on the teaching, study and practise of law as intellectual endeavours, from the advent of juristic activities in the Late Roman Republic to current legal pedagogies, practices, and reforms in Civil and Common law jurisdictions. In so doing, Siliquini-Cinelli employs the Latin phrase ‘scientia iuris’ to explain why and how legal education and practice pursue knowledge at the expense of experience, and the serious implications this has for lawyering activities. Moving beyond established narratives, Siliquini-Cinelli argues that ‘scientia iuris’ ought not be reduced to dogmatic analysis (scientia iuris as doctrina iuris). Rather, ‘scientia iuris’ denotes the knowledge of the law sought by all those who teach, study, and practise it, and which is actualised through a form of legal thinking and argumentation that moves along reason’s metaphysical, constructivist lines (scientia iuris as cognitio iuris). Thus, scientia iuris is not the prerogative of a few legal scholars; rather, it lies at the very core of Western legal education and practice, broadly understood. The relevance of Siliquini-Cinelli’s original and interdisciplinary analysis is profound and far-reaching: the crisis that legal education and practice are undergoing is not an isolated, or accidental, event; it is a consequence of the very ways in which law has been taught, studied, and practised since Rome. Endorsements ‘This richly researched book on the history of scientia iuris is a work on epistemology which argues that the legal model is highly problematic and will eventually be able to function without the intervention of jurists and lawyers. Such a thesis is based upon a very detailed knowledge both of philosophy and of the legal primary and secondary sources from Roman to modern times. The author is at home with Ancient Greek, Latin, French, German and Italian texts and this means that the research basis for the thesis not only is unusually profound – encompassing both the civil and the common law – but will make a major contribution to historical jurisprudence, to comparative legal history, to comparative law in general and to legal theory. This is legal scholarship of the highest order.’ Geoffrey Samuel, Emeritus Professor of Law, Kent Law School ‘In this exceptionally robust and expertly-researched new book, Luca Siliquini-Cinelli presents a provocative thesis. He proposes that the experience of legal experts is redundant when it comes to the success of law as a regulatory framework. Oscillating between historical, material, philosophical and literary frames, Siliquini-Cinelli introduces what he terms ‘law’s artifactuality’. Law’s artifac
Scientific and Legal Applications of Bloodstain Pattern Interpretation
by Stuart H. JamesSince 1955 when Dr. Paul Kirk first presented a bloodstain evidence affidavit in State of Ohio v. Samuel Sheppard, expert testimony on bloodstain interpretation has gained wide acceptance in U.S. courts. Scientific and Legal Applications of Bloodstain Pattern Interpretation brings together some of the most respected and noted experts in forensic science, the law, and bloodstain interpretation to provide a comprehensive overview of the discipline. It discusses research, applications, and the current view of bloodstain pattern interpretation within the legal system at the trial and appellate court levels, as well as scientific approaches and developments in the field.Scientific and Legal Applications of Bloodstain Pattern Interpretation will help attorneys who are questioning and cross-examining expert witnesses have a good working knowledge of bloodstain interpretation. Included is a full-color atlas of bloodstains, in conjunction with a glossary of terms and an outline of basic laboratory experiments that are commonly used in the discipline. Among the outstanding contributions in this volume you will find:An excellent chapter by Carol Henderson discusses the legal and ethical aspects of bloodstain pattern evidence in detail. A post-conviction analysis by Marie Elena Saccoccio evaluates how bloodstain evidence can play a role in the appeal process. Misinterpretation and overinterpretation of bloodstain evidence can occur in our courts of law-be prepared to effectively analyze the evidence and the testimony with Scientific and Legal Applications of Bloodstain Pattern Interpretation.
A Scientific Approach to Ethics: Developing Greater Respect for Ethics in Business and Society
by Maxim StorchevoyThis book suggests that normative ethics should be developed as a social science, and that this will improve its reputation in business and society. Storchevoy defines four criteria of a good scientific method (clear definitions, correct logic, empirical verification, accurate measurement) and demonstrates how normative ethics can make use of them. He provides a historical review of the methodological evolution of normative ethics and outlines how it was moving in a nonlinear way towards this scientific development by the 16th century. A Scientific Approach to Ethics challenges the reputation of ethics among many within business and business schools as unscientific and argues that it can come to be seen as a scientific discipline able to reveal universal moral truth.
Scientific Authorship: Credit and Intellectual Property in Science
by Mario Biagioli Peter GalisonFirst Published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Scientific Autobiography: And Other Papers
by Max PlanckIn this fascinating autobiography from one of the foremost geniuses of twentieth-century physics, Max Planck tells the story of his life, his aims, and his thinking. Published posthumously, the papers in this volume were written for the general reader and make accessible Planck&’s scientific theories as well as his philosophical ideals, including his thoughts on ethics and morals.
Scientific Autobiography: And Other Papers
by Max PlanckIn this fascinating autobiography from one of the foremost geniuses of twentieth-century physics, Max Planck tells the story of his life, his aims, and his thinking. Published posthumously, the papers in this volume were written for the general reader and make accessible Planck&’s scientific theories as well as his philosophical ideals, including his thoughts on ethics and morals.
Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases
by Andre A. Moenssens Betty Layne DesportesScientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases is the sixth edition of an authoritative work that has defined and shaped scientific evidence for four decades. The single source, definitive reference for scholars, practicing attorneys, and judges; it covers both the critical topics in the law and the scientific disciplines most frequently encountered in the courtroom. Established capabilities and existing limitations of forensic science methodologies are explained, and controversial and emerging issues in both the forensic science community and the legal system are discussed. For each discipline, the standards and qualifications of experts are presented along with the current status of admissibility and applicable evidentiary law. This practical working resource begins with a section on the evolving status of forensic science and evidentiary law. Effective demonstrative evidence for presenting scientific evidence is also discussed. Drawing upon extensive case references and current research articles, the book includes such topics and disciplines as forensic accounting, digital forensics, document examination, firearms and toolmarks, fires and explosives, fingerprints, trace evidence, pathology, anthropology, odontology, serology and toxicology, DNA, voice recognition, accident and crime scene reconstruction, drugs and alcohol, and speeding, and concludes with a comprehensive set of chapters on behavioral science and mental status evidence.
Scientific Examination of Documents: Methods and Techniques, Fourth Edition (International Forensic Science And Investigation Ser.)
by David Ellen Stephen Day Christopher DaviesRevised and expanded to reflect the most recent innovations in the field, The Scientific Examination of Documents, Fourth Edition is a handy, accessible volume detailing current best-practices for forensic document examination. Since the first edition published in 1989, there have been drastic changes in the field of forensic document examination—both from the use of the analytic techniques available to the professional examiner—and the changes to technology in office and printing equipment and inks. The purpose of analyzing any material used in the production of a questioned document, such as an ink or a piece of paper, is to compare it with another material elsewhere in the questioned document itself—or on another document—to determine whether or not they share a common origin. There may also be a need to provide information for the investigator about the possible origins of the document. This latest edition reflects the myriad changes and advances that have occurred in the last 10 to 15 years. Topics covered include: current thinking on handwriting interpretation; accidental and deliberate modification of handwriting; the proper collection of samples; a discussion of shredded documents; professional accreditation standards, qualifications, and training; and modern digital imaging and analysis of documents and handwriting utilizing software and imaging, including reconstruction of an image from erasures, obliteration and other document altering methods. A new section addresses cognitive bias and Chapter 8 is completely updated to cover the advances in print and photocopied documents, based on current technology, and analytical developments in the comparison of such documents. Key features: Discusses issues regarding handwritten, photocopied, and printed documents—including inkjet versus digital printing Presents the advances and capabilities modern office fax, photocopy, and printing technologies—and implications for document examination Details and reinforces the importance of ensuring proper scientific methods during an examination Addresses current Raman spectroscopy, UV-VIS, mass spectroscopy, and SEM analysis techniques Highlights the importance, and implications, of biological and fingerprint evidence from documents that can be collected, examined, and utilized in a case The Scientific Examination of Documents, Fourth Edition serves as an invaluable resource to established professionals, those just entering the field, and legal and investigative professionals outside the discipline who have a professional interest dealing with questioned documents in the course of their work.
Scientific Examination of Questioned Documents (Forensic and Police Science Series)
by Michael S. BisesiConsidered the forensic document examiner's bible, Scientific Examination of Questioned Documents is an authoritative and comprehensive reference that focuses on the pertinent advancements made within the field. This newest edition presents the qualifications necessary for a well-trained examiner and details the most up-to-date methodologies used i
Scientific Foundations of Crime Scene Reconstruction: Introducing Method to Mayhem
by Ph.D., Jon NordbyPhilosophers of science have long used reconstructive reasoning to develop historical explanations covering the origins of natural phenomenon. The application of the scientific method is a powerful tool for solving crimes through reconstruction of the events. Scientific Foundations of Crime Scene Reconstruction: Introducing Method to Mayhem demonst
Scientific Foundations of Digital Governance and Transformation: Concepts, Approaches and Challenges (Public Administration and Information Technology #38)
by Yannis Charalabidis Gabriela Viale Pereira Leif Skiftenes FlakThis book provides the latest research advancements and findings for the scientific systematization of knowledge regarding digital governance and transformation, such as core concepts, foundational principles, theories, methodologies, architectures, assessment frameworks and future directions. It brings forward the ingredients of this new domain, proposing its needed formal and systematic tools, exploring its relation with neighbouring scientific domains and finally prescribing the next steps for laying the foundations of a new science. The book is structured into three main areas. The first section focuses on contributions towards the purpose, ingredients and structure of the scientific foundations of digital transformation in the public sector. The second looks at the identification and description of domain's scientific problems with a view to stabilizing research products, assessment methods and tools in a reusable, extendable and sustainable manner. The third envisions a pathway for future research to tackle broader governance problems via the applications of information and communication technologies in combination with innovative approaches from neighbouring scientific domains. Contributing to the analysis of the scientific perspectives of digital governance and digital transformation, this book will be an indispensable tool for students, researchers and practitioners interested in digital governance, digital transformation, information systems, as well as ICT industry experts and policymakers charged with the design, deployment and implementation of public sector information systems.
Scientific Method: Applications in Failure Investigation and Forensic Science (International Forensic Science and Investigation)
by Randall K. NoonMost failure or accident investigations begin at the end of the story: after the explosion, after the fire has been extinguished, or after the collapse. In many instances, information about the last event and the starting event is known reasonably well. Information about what occurred between these endpoints, however, is often unclear, confusing, and perhaps contradictory. Scientific Method: Applications in Failure Investigation and Forensic Science explains how scientific investigative methods can best be used to determine why and how a particular event occurred.While employing examples from forensic engineering, the book uses principles and ideas applicable to most of the forensic sciences. The author examines the role of the failure investigator, describes the fundamental method for investigation, discusses the optimal way to organize evidence, and explores the four most common reasons why some investigations fail. The book provides three case studies that exemplify proper report writing, contains a special chapter profiling a criminal case by noted forensic specialist Jon J. Nordby, and offers a reading list of resources for further study.Concise and illustrative, this volume demonstrates how the scientific method can be applied to failure investigation in ways that avoid flawed reasoning while delivering convincing reconstruction scenarios. Investigators can pinpoint where things went wrong, providing valuable information that can prevent another catastrophe.
Scientific Philosophy
by Gustavo E. RomeroThis textbook presents the basics of philosophy that are necessary for the student and researcher in science in order to better understand scientific work. The approach is not historical but formative: tools for semantical analysis, ontology of science, epistemology, and scientific ethics are presented in a formal and direct way. The book has two parts: one with the general theory and a second part with application to some problems such as the interpretation of quantum mechanics, the nature of mathematics, and the ontology of spacetime. The book addresses questions such as "What is meaning?", "What is truth?", "What are truth criteria in science?", "What is a theory?", "What is a model?" "What is a datum?", "What is information?", "What does it mean to understand something?", "What is space?", "What is time?", "How are these concepts articulated in science?" "What are values?" "What are the limits of science?", and many more. The philosophical views presented are "scientific" in the sense that they are informed by current science, they are relevant for scientific research, and the method adopted uses the hypothetical-deductive approach that is characteristic of science. The results and conclusions, as any scientific conclusion, are open to revision in the light of future advances. Hence, this philosophical approach opposes to dogmatic philosophy. Supported by end-of-chapter summaries and a list of special symbols used, the material will be of interest for students and researchers in both science and philosophy. The second part will appeal to physicists and mathematicians.
Scientific Protocols for Fire Investigation, Third Edition (Protocols in Forensic Science #5)
by John J. LentiniScientific Protocols for Fire Investigation, Third Edition focuses on the practical application of fundamental scientific principles to determine the causes of fires. Originally published in 2006, the First Edition was very well received by fire investigators and those who work with them. Since fire investigation is a rapidly evolving field—driven by new discoveries about fire behavior—the Second Edition was published in late 2012. This latest, fully updated Third Edition reflects the most recent developments in the field. Currently, serious research is underway to try to understand the role of ventilation in structure fires. Likewise, there is improved understanding of the kinds of errors investigators can make that lead to incorrect determinations of the causes of fires. In addition to the scientific aspects, the litigation of fire related events is rapidly changing, particularly with respect to an investigator's qualifications to serve as an expert witness. This book covers these latest developments and ties together the changing standards for fire investigations with the fundamental scientific knowledge presented in the early chapters of the book. The book is intended for those individuals who have recently entered the field of fire investigation, and those who are studying fire investigation with a plan to become certified professionals. In addition, professionals in the insurance industry who hire fire investigators will find this an invaluable resource. Insurance companies have sustained significant losses by hiring individuals who are not qualified, resulting in cases being settled or lost at a cost of millions. Insurance adjusters and investigators will learn to recognize quality fire investigations and those that are not up to today's standards. Lastly, this book is also for the many attorneys who litigate fire cases. Written with language and terms that make the science accessible even to the non-scientist, this new edition will be a welcome resource to any professional involved in fire and arson cases.