In this episode, we talk with Professor Ruth Morgan about the world of forensic science, a field which has seen incredible advancement in recent years, and what this means for crime scenes . She also talks to us in detail about a project she’s spearheading to bring together experts from a broad range of disciplines and fields, to work on some of the world’s most important issues.
Episode introduction:
If you’re thinking of committing some sort of heinous, grisly crime, I have some advice for you. It’s probably best that you don’t.
According to this episode’s expert, forensic science has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, with technology including machine learning being a game changer. Today, scientists can determine so much more from a crime scene. And so logically, it’s far less likely today that you’ll get away with doing any bad stuff – no matter how clever you think you are. In fact, you’ll be found faster, with more conclusive evidence to put you behind bars.
Professor Ruth Morgan is Professor of Crime and Forensic Science at UCL – University College London and also Director of the UCL Centre for Forensic Sciences. As you might expect, she’s been tracking advances in forensic science very closely.
I met with Ruth in Oxford on possibly the hottest day of summer 2024, and certainly on the busiest day. It was Oxford University’s open day, so it felt like every prospective student and their parents were in Oxford to visit colleges and faculties, alongside the usual busloads of day-tripper tourists visiting the famous university town.
Ruth and I retreated to the quietest spot in Oxford, which as it turned out was under an oak tree in the middle of a very large park. That’s why you’ll hear birds chirping away and the occasional jogger passing by. But given what we talked about in the second half of this interview, it was actually very fitting that we had our conversation standing in a large field.
Ruth is on an extraordinary journey. On the one hand, she’s a specialist in forensic science who through hard work and academic rigour has risen to the top of her field. As with most seasoned academics, her focus gets narrower with every year that passes, to the point where she is the world expert in a very narrow area. On the other hand, she is working on a project which is all about doing the exact opposite: she is widening the focus by pulling together experts to bring broad, diverse, creative thinking to very important topics. Ruth is assembling an amazing collaboration of professional and academic minds to work together to solve some of the world’s crunchiest problems.
So without further ado, let’s delve into the world of forensic science and Professor Ruth Morgan’s extraordinary project.
Useful links:
- Professor Ruth Morgan’s full UCL profile.
- TED talk video – The dangers of misrepresented forensic evidence
- Video: The bee and the meadow. Lessons for disruptive thinking.
- Ruth’s professional website which includes numerous media links.
