WHEN does context become bias?
It’s a question that engenders anxiety in many scientific disciplines, and with good reason. Information about a patient’s family history may nudge a doctor towards the right diagnosis, or tip them towards a wrong one. Awareness of a suspect’s criminal past may help an investigator read a crime scene correctly, or unwittingly inculpate an innocent person. When the ground truth is inaccessible, it’s difficult to know where the line lies. The age-old dilemma has erupted anew, in forensic science, and it’s dividing the field…
This article first appeared in Undark on 8 May 2025. To continue reading, click here: