Best of: Computation cracks cold cases

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.Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your quest. You can send questions to [email protected] Reference Links:Stanford Profile: Lawrence M. WeinLawrence’s Paper: Analysis Of The Genealogy Process In Forensic Genetic GenealogyConnect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / FacebookChapters:(00:00:00) IntroductionRuss Altman introduces guest Lawrence Wein, professor of management science at Stanford University.(00:02:18) Forensic Genealogy ExplainedForensic genetic genealogy and its impact on solving unsolved crimes.(00:04:31) Third-Party Databases in GenealogyInsight into databases that allow law enforcement to search for criminal suspects.(00:08:23) Math Models in GenealogyUsing mathematical models to streamline genealogy work.(00:11:31) Components of the Genealogy AlgorithmThe algorithm's methods, including ascending and descending family trees.(00:14:12) Algorithm Efficiency and ComparisonComparing the new algorithm's effectiveness to traditional genealogy strategies.(00:16:53) Algorithm in PracticeRole of human input alongside the mathematical algorithm in genealogy cases.(00:20:42) Role of GenealogistsGenealogists’ insights on balancing human skill and mathematical algorithms.(00:22:45) DNA Databases and EthicsThe ethical and privacy concerns related to using genetic data.(00:27:01) Background and Interest in Forensic GenealogyLawrence’s journey from operations management to forensic genealogy.(00:30:16) Conclusion Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.