What is your speciality?

[Jenna]

... Martial arts obviously. I would love to know besides your skill in your martial art what other things do you have expertise in perhaps having extending from your MA or been derived from your work or formal study, perhaps through extensive experience or as a hobby or active interest? I am aware of quite a few experts and those with notable experience in a number of areas on the forum and but I would be very interested to know just how broad a range of expertise there is here. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Jenna]

For me, old out of date qualifications are in Automotive Design (to bachelor degree) and which is an apparent expertise I have never used in anger though I have expertise as master technician in diagnostics and repair and but more recently have gained experience in a completely different vocational area of CBT and trauma counselling. Three languages fluently and five which are just for conversation only. Ha this sounds like a resume. Travel experience of 25 countries and lived in six for 6mth or more. I know about being an immigrant. Experience borne expertise derived through raising a son singly, growing vegetables organically, keeping guinea pigs, 29ers, heart surgery and ARVC. My experience and passion combine best in music and art, playing piano and painting with oils.

I would love to read of the breadth and depth of your expertise, thank you so much for sharing.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I am not an expert in Martial Arts, having only started to learn some 3 1/2 years ago.

I started college while I was still in High School, because High School bored me and the state of Colorado had a program to pay for tuition for freaks like me with an off-the-chart IQ (yeah, I'm humble too). I studied Criminal Justice and joined the USMC when I graduated from High School. I was a Military Policeman in the Marines.

I am skilled in various information technology areas, most of which I could not explain to a non-IT person. Suffice to say that I work with new technology, evaluating, supporting, and extending its function for the benefit of my customers, and it's the best job I've ever had. I love what I do, and my employer is quite pleased with me as well. Happiness and job satisfaction aboundeth.

I was an early adopter of various technologies as a hobby as well. I ran a Bulletin Board Service (BBS) in Denver in the late 1980's, before there was an internet. I got my first internet account in 1987 and made my first Usenet post in 1991. I was one of the first to install Linux on a PC and I picked up HTML and other web-based technologies like a duck takes to water. I also became fairly skilled at finding things and people on the internet, and I was for a brief period a noted anti-spammer.

I had a Federal Firearms Dealer license for a couple years, and sold firearms out of my house (when it was still legal to do so). I became a proficient, if not expert marksman, and developed a strong interest in firearms history; I'm still pretty good at the historical aspects of guns, especially American-made weaponry and the people who invented them.

My father taught me photography at a young age, as he was a part-time private investigator and developed and printed his photos in the basement. I still love to visit local events and take photographs. I am less than a professional photographer but more than a skilled amateur. I had a part-time business doing wedding and event photographer for a couple years. It was successful but was killing me and sucked the joy right out of it, so I stopped doing it. I'm also a self-taught historian with regard to photography; I love both the history and philosophy of photography.

In all of the things I love to do and am proficient in, I enjoy semiotics, the study of signs and symbols. In photography, in politics, in history, in society, in martial arts, in information technology, in everything I enjoy, there are things which mean or point to other things. And it is those which fascinate me most. I am often very good at spotting trends before they become trends, because I see what they mean before the zeitgeist runs off with them.

 

[oftheherd1]

No expert in MA, being a 2nd degree in Hapkido, and having trained to 3rd degree, but never tested. I spent 3 years in the US Army as an airborne infantryman, and the next 26 years in the police field, 22 as an investigator. I became better versed than most in forensics and photography, to the point I taught those and Criminal Investigation as an adjunct for a couple of years. I still like film photography but don't get to do it as much as I like. I currently work as a Physical Security Specialist. I used to be a qualified linguist in Vietnamese and Spanish, but over 30 years of little to no use means most is forgotten, especially the Vietnamese. I have studied Korean, but never really used it so most of what I learned is gone. I am now dabbling in Korean again, and Koine Greek. I stopped about 3 classes short of an undergrad degree in Computer Information Systems when life got in the way. I hope to finish some day, but it seems less important now. At my age, even with my experience, I'm not going any further work wise just by having a degree.

 

[Carol]

I am an expert in telecom engineering. My AIM username even says so. It sure sounded clever when I picked the name back in 1998 or something like that. :lol2:

Martial arts, I'm an expert at drifting from school to school and not sticking with what I study. Painful but true. Hoping to stop that trend this year.

 

[oftheherd1]

...

In all of the things I love to do and am proficient in, I enjoy semiotics, the study of signs and symbols. In photography, in politics, in history, in society, in martial arts, in information technology, in everything I enjoy, there are things which mean or point to other things. And it is those which fascinate me most. I am often very good at spotting trends before they become trends, because I see what they mean before the zeitgeist runs off with them.

Well, I only just got a chance to explore briefly what semiotics is. I need to look more. Fascinating. Kind of like learning what an autodidact is. As I said, why do I need an undergrad degree? There is so much to learn without that. It's kind of how I have been. I have some 30 odd credit hours I can't use for a degree. It was just fun learning.

 

[Cyriacus]

I do some Digital Art, and I do quite alot of IT stuff; Whilst cursing damning and overall hating anything with the words "Access", "HTML", or "Redundancy" in it with My own sprinkling of ferocity against the afore mentioned things.

I guess Im also an expert at scooting around Youtube.

 

[SahBumNimRush]

I would not proclaim to be an expert in anything, although I am striving to achieve that status in a couple of areas; martial arts and physical medicine.

My undergraduate degrees are in Biology and Chemistry (with a minor in guitar performance). I have a doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine, and my practice is focused on sports medicine and functional medicine/rehab. I am board certified in chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, and physiotherapy (physical therapy). I have a sound background in biomechanics and kinesiology, which help me greatly with both my martial arts career and my chiropractic career.

I love and appreciate art; I draw, paint, play music, and cook. I love food, and ethyl (sometimes a bit too much, looking at my waist line)

Really, I just love to learn, and I try very hard to always keep my proverbial cup nearly empty. My wife gets irritated because she says that I'm good at everything (I am DEFINITELY not good at everything).. . Personally I feel that my lifetime of martial arts training just gives me an advantage at everything I do in life (but she hasn't bought into that.. .)

 

[Flying Crane]

I held an Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor rating from PADI for a while, so I guess I reached some level of expertise in that. I'm no longer an instructor, but I still love to dive. We took a trip to Bonaire in the Dutch Carribbean back in November, wonderful diving.

I've got some skill in casting silver and bronze, and I probably know a bit more about what makes for a good sword than most people who train in Chinese martial arts in this day and age. I wouldn't classify myself as an expert, but I've tinkered with it and rebuilt numerous hilts and scabbards.

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

I also am no expert in martial arts, having just started in 1974. Actually, I can't think of anything with which I can claim any real degree of expertise.
Carl Sandburg said an expert is anyone who can spit over a boxcar.
I'm pretty good at B.S. though, having been a lifelong practitioner.

 

[elder999]

I'm no expert at martial arts. Started them when I was 8, started formally when I was 11, and I've been at it ever since-even with 14 months in Japan, though, I'll always be a student. Maybe I'll always be someone's teacher, but-as a congenital klutz-there'll always be something for me to learn.

Ditto everything else: I know a little about a lot of things, and even enough about some things that someone else might call me an "expert," but there's always more to learn.

Those other things: I'm a federally certified explosives and munitions disposal technician. I'm a HAZMAT technician, and an EMT. I'm-well, it's no secret that I know a lot about nuclear weapons,and tritium, but I'm happily mostly out of that work, now, and always considered the guys who are 15 years or more older than I am the real experts-you know, the guys who set off all those tests in the south Pacific and Nevada desert during my childhood.

That's about all I can say about what expertise I have from that part of my career. I know a lot about neutron detection and detecting and neutralizing other WMDs, and I know a little bit about other countries' programs. I know a lot about power production and nuclear power-I like to think of myself as a "power plant guy," but for the better part of 15 years, that just wasn't true-it is, though, something that I'm considered professional if not "expert" in.

Let's see, though-I've got a degree in religious studies-things might have turned out different for me-but that doesn't make me "expert" at anything, maybe just knowledgeable. It's a family trust requirement that I learn a "trade", so, along the way, I graduated from the CIA-I really am a rather expert chef, but, other than parties and my unspeakable gluttony, all I've ever used that expertise for is to get laid: they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but it's really true for women.:lol: I make beer, mead, and wine-I know a lot about growing grapes and making wine, but there's always more to learn. I'm a good gardener-some call me a "subsistence farmer," and I raise a bunch of livestock.....

I'm a certified Master diver and a pretty fair mountaineer-didn't summit Everest, but gave it a good try, and summited Denali and Nanga Parbat on the way-I tend to think most of that's behind me, though.

I am an expert sailor-world class, I'm told. There really isn't much I don't know about sailing, but there's always more to learn; I just haven't seen it yet. Good insight about "experts?" Expert sailors die at sea every year. :lol:

I speak about six languages, all equally dreadfully, except for my Spanish, which keeps improving, and my English, which, while best of all, keeps getting worse...:lfao: I play a few musical instruments: guitar, mandolin, banjo, flute, harmonica, piano, violin-all equally badly-:lfao:

I sing like an angel, but that's a gift from God, so, in spite of voice lessons, really doesn't count as "expertise.."

I make knives, but I haven't completed a successful masterpiece yet.I'm a gunsmith, but I really have a lot to learn on that front. I've restored and exported cars-I'm an expert at exporting, I guess-I really have made a fortune at it, but I'm not so much of an "expert" when it comes to cars-someday, when it's relevant, I'll tell the story about the vampire Lotus-sucked major money from my cash-flow jugular, that car did.....:lfao:

 

[ballen0351]

Ive been certified in several state lvl courts as an expert in narcotics sales and identification and undercover operations. I know for a fact im no expert there are people that have far better exp. And knowledge then myself. Ive been involved in undercover investigations for many years and sadly im getting promoted out of the unit and will be putting a uniform back on at the end of the month. I have not shaved in over 3 years im a little worried about that. My son has never seen me qithout a beard. Most of my class at the dojo have no idea what i really do i cant wait to see their faces when i walk in clean shaven.
Ive also bought and restored over a dozen old jeeps over last 5 years i dont know if it makes me an expert but im prety good at it.

 

[Makalakumu]

I'm not an expert at anything yet. That has never been my focus. I've always tried to learn whatever I could when I could, jack of all trades style.

I started martial arts as a kid, switched dojos a lot and earned a couple of brown belts. I trained in Tang Soo Do under a wonderful teacher and good friend for 12 year starting in college. Under the same teacher I learned quite a bit of arnis and aikijujutsu. After earning my black belt and getting cerified to teach, I focused time on Tai chi, jujutsu, and JKD. Since moving to Hawaii, I've focused on Danzan Ryu Jujutsu, particularly the healing aspects. I've also focused my time on learning traditional Okinawan karate and hula.

I'll be up for a shodan promotion in Jujutsu this summer. I'm a strong black belt in TSD, but I have no idea what level. When my teacher dropped out of the federation, he was a 4th dan and I tested for shodan. I tested again to be able to teach on my own in 2002. I started a dojo and gave it in Minnesota to my senior student when he earned his blackbelt. I started a dojo here in Hawaii as well and am in the process of getting martial arts included as a part of our schools curriculum.

A lot of my martial arts training has been concurrent starting at 11. In total I' ve put 16 years into TSD, 9 years into jujutsu, 6 years in Arnis/Kali, 6 in Taichi, 4 into Shotokan, 4 into Judo, 2 into boxing and wrestling, and a lot more time shooting archery and firearms. I'm looking for more formal training in the latter soon. I also worked as a security guard in college for four years, so I have a little practical experience.

On a personal and professional level, I discovered that I could get top grades with out much effort when I was 14, simply by paying attention in school. Before then, I was a poor student, preferring to spend my freetime dreaming about hunting and fishing and trekking vast open spaces. I was a Boy Scout and then an Explorer and have travelled the vastness of North America from Nome to Nunavut and ziggzagging my way through most provinces and all 50 states, Mexico and eventually Belize.

Along the way I worked as a professional fishing guide on Lake of the Woods. I lived with an Indian Tribe for a short time. Later, I moved to Northeast MN, became a wilderness first responder, and opened my own trekking company. I took groups of rich people into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Quetico Provincial Park and the Crown Lands. Before I got married I lived out of a backpack, in a pick-up, with some ramen, fishing gear and my guns.

I have attended three colleges and used these and home bases for my adventures as well as places to train in Martial Arts. I have a BS in Biology, Geology, and general science teaching. I went back to school on the governments dime and completed a degree in Physics (so I could teach). I also went back to school and earned a Master of Education. I am currently poking through a Phd. I've taught elementary through college level science as well as topics like martial arts, writing, and wilderness survival. I don't ever plan to retire, I'll die with my boots on.

I started to see more of the world in 2006 and was hooked with an itch that couldn't be scratched in North America. In 2008, I moved to Hawaii and am soon to embark on a path that will either take me through the South Pacific or South America. I've been married for 11 years and have two children 10 and 7. That's been the best thing I've ever done with my time. They are in for a wild ride as soon as we get off the rock. I picture myself in Patagonia for some reason...

Sent from my SCH-I405 using Tapatalk

 

[Big Don]

I don't think I can honestly call myself an expert in anything, but, I am really enjoying reading all of your responses.

 

[Jenna]

I don't think I can honestly call myself an expert in anything, but, I am really enjoying reading all of your responses.

Me too. I think it is ok to claim expertise by a subjective definition here. Outside MA, I do not think posters here are about peer adjudication? However maybe then proficiency is a better term to use?

@Bill Mattocks, having little knowledge of most of those endeavours there are a lot of questions I would like to ask like how did you get set up with the internet before there was widespread adopting, did you make your own hardware and write your own software or could these things be hunted out? I mean you could not go on the internet and buy modems and things since there was no internet. I think we take the internet very much for granted. I cannot imagine how it was before that. And what kind of BBS did you run? And what is your IQ. I used to be in Mensa though I did not like the fervency with which they hunted out their prodigies. And did you really sell weapons from your home? Did you have an inventory at your home or did you deal from a shed? How did that work and was it dangerous or risky? Anyway thank you, I think I am being impertinent by asking too much. I appreciate your time.

@oftheherd1, is your working environment at all likened to CSI from the TV? And even if you have not used your languages I think maybe core words and phrases and grammar are still resident in you, no? Is there any pinyin system that you could write a Vietnamese phrase here? And I wonder would finishing your degree, rather than being for career benefits, be a reminder to you of your perseverance, determination and your ability to see a task through to the end? I think these things are often for the bragging on resumes and but this is for you alone. I hope you decide to go those last few steps that you deserve. Thank you for your reply.

@Carol, that is just not good form Carol, I was hoping for engineer jargon and those abbreviations and acronyms and systems and things so I could find out more about the vast expertise that people have. See you have said telecom engineering and I might think I know what that is. I want you to tell me a technical thing that I can ask you a question and learn something I did not even know! And do you know why you are lacking commitment to your art I wonder? I hope that is something resolvable. Thank you for your answer.

@Cyriacus, and digital art is created from scratch? Do you use graphics tablets or how do you translate your work into digital? And is there a place to view your digital art maybe? I would like to see that And I think redundancy suggests you are proficient in the field of networks and things, is that close? And I would love you to share your expertise in scooting Youtube as my attempts at scooting there land me in places I would rather have not landed. Thank you for sharing.

@SahBumNimRush, do you think there will come a time in your MA and physical medicine when you are not perturbed by the "expert" label? If so, how do you think you will know that time? If not, how have others achieved expertise do you think? And Biology and Chemistry minoring in Guitar? That is a way cool combination, I can imagine organic and inorganic guitar tunings And your background to me gives you expert status as I have no knowledge of these things. Do you think expertise is sometimes relative or is it an immutable standard? And please tell me which things you like to draw and paint? My forte is portrait work and seeing the look on the face of the subject when they are confronted by their likeness as I see them And I think your wife can see beyond your modesty to your true level of knowledge. I appreciate your perspective your introspection and your reply thank you.

@Flying Crane, Oh I love acronyms. I looked that up and now I know you are with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors! That is fantastic. I think diving is such a serene activity. And yes you are a swordsmith too? Do you think there is market in traditional skills such as these especially since we practice traditional arts? Are there many with such skills Michael? Again I wonder when you would feel expert? Thank you for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.

@Randy Strausbaugh, with 38 yr of MA training, is it the case that modesty sometimes vetoes our true depiction of our skills? Or is that how the BS proficiency works ? I had a friend say she was expert in nothing but sarcasm. I was not certain if she was being sarcastic. I would love to know how far your expertise extends, however I appreciate you taking time to reply here, thank you.

@elder999, do you think in MA we are conditioned to see ourselves as non-experts when most everyone else in our circles who do not practice MA to see us on the mats would differ in that opinion? Why is this? Your technical and work expertise sounds like the stuff of a John le Carre novel. I should like to know more as some things I am never certain if you are injecting levity as diffusing or diversion though I imagine to explain your trades and former career lives to a layperson like me would take more space than the forum could afford. I appreciate the brief synopsis though. I think these activities are fascinating and I imagine your memoir would be significant. Gardening for food I appreciate. Do you have your own farm? I have window boxes, potato sacks and elevated beds lol as nobody has space in London, even the swinging cats. Everest? Do you look at it as being kept from the top or as practically summiting? And I have other questions especially about your Lotus and but I will not take time just in case I am being impertinent. Thank you for sharing so kindly, I am grateful.

@ballen0351, I think your proficiencies define you as an expert, no? I think some areas have their own scale and others do not. To me you are expert, to your seniors perhaps you are not as expert as them, you may still be regarded as expert nonetheless. And but I will not ask about your undercover work as I am sure it is sensitive. Can I ask because you mention uniform, do you work for a particular branch of law enforcement or do you work independently? Is it ok to ask, do you receive debriefing counselling when you exit undercover work or is the work you do not at that depth? I appreciate you taking the time to put this down, thank you. And you are an expert at growing a beard? And do you plan to remove it that you are wondering of your class reaction? Do you think your chin will still be there underneath? I used to love old Jeep and really any old vehicle. Working on those is far purer than dialling numbers on laptops! A wholesome activity, do you have any before/after shots, I love looking at those Thank you for sharing.

@Makalakumu, even if you have not striven to achieve it, might you be expert without acknowledging it? Is it better to be expert in fewer areas or have proficiencies in more areas do you think? Is it possible to have both? Concurrency aside, your cumulative MA training must still have accounted for a sizeable whack of your time. Would you say your major expertise (I mean adeptness ) was in the martial arts or elsewhere among your skills? Being a seasoned traveller, do you think it is possible that some are more inclined to life in wilderness even if born in a city? I have met rural and country folk in different places who had an incredible savvy that I always think is very metropolitan. And can I ask what is the subject of your doctorate you are poking through? And a calling to Patagonia? Does this suggest ancient ancestry or do you not believe in all that stuff? Thank you for taking the time to share, I am grateful.

@Big Don, commenting so succinctly on many topics here defines your knowledge in a wide range of fields. Is expertise not defined by knowledge? As you have read the skillsets of others, they I am sure would like to read yours. Modesty is admirable, nevertheless see this as a tiny opportunity to share the wealth of your experience and then modesty is less relevant. I really appreciate your time. Thank you.

 

[oftheherd1]

...

@oftheherd1, is your working environment at all likened to CSI from the TV? And even if you have not used your languages I think maybe core words and phrases and grammar are still resident in you, no? Is there any pinyin system that you could write a Vietnamese phrase here? And I wonder would finishing your degree, rather than being for career benefits, be a reminder to you of your perseverance, determination and your ability to see a task through to the end? I think these things are often for the bragging on resumes and but this is for you alone. I hope you decide to go those last few steps that you deserve. Thank you for your reply.

...

I don't do crime scene processing any more, and haven't for over 20 years. The type of expertise depicted on CSI was somewhat like that. However, most CSI type organizations aren't also investigators, they are strictly crime scene processors or lab people. There are investigators and there are crimes scene processors in most organizations. Crime scene processors of the CSI type in real life tend not to exist. If they process scenes for a living, that is all they do. The lab types generally don't leave the lab. There are different ways in different police organizations, but that is how it usually is. When I did that type of work, I was supposed to be the senior crime scene (forensics) processor, but all were required to have some knowledge in it, and all required to be regular investigators as well. I also had a bunch of administrative type duties as well. But it was challenging and fun while it lasted.

I still remember some Vietnamese. If you dropped me in Vietnam I wouldn't starve. But I wouldn't carry on any real meaningful conversations either. My Spanish is better, but at one time I considered myself somewhat fluent. No longer. Much as I would like to be at the level I once was, I don't consider the time and effort worth it at this point in my life. Relearning my Korean and learning Koine Greek have more interest for me now. Korean is practical as my wife and I may spend some time in Korea in the not too distant future.

As to finishing a degree, yeah, I expect I will do it before too long. Mostly so my grandkids can know I did it. I think Undergrad degrees are more like High School diplomas when I was a kid. I don't want to give my grandkids any reason to discount their worth.

 

[Jenna]

I don't do crime scene processing any more, and haven't for over 20 years. The type of expertise depicted on CSI was somewhat like that. However, most CSI type organizations aren't also investigators, they are strictly crime scene processors or lab people. There are investigators and there are crimes scene processors in most organizations. Crime scene processors of the CSI type in real life tend not to exist. If they process scenes for a living, that is all they do. The lab types generally don't leave the lab. There are different ways in different police organizations, but that is how it usually is. When I did that type of work, I was supposed to be the senior crime scene (forensics) processor, but all were required to have some knowledge in it, and all required to be regular investigators as well. I also had a bunch of administrative type duties as well. But it was challenging and fun while it lasted.

I still remember some Vietnamese. If you dropped me in Vietnam I wouldn't starve. But I wouldn't carry on any real meaningful conversations either. My Spanish is better, but at one time I considered myself somewhat fluent. No longer. Much as I would like to be at the level I once was, I don't consider the time and effort worth it at this point in my life. Relearning my Korean and learning Koine Greek have more interest for me now. Korean is practical as my wife and I may spend some time in Korea in the not too distant future.

As to finishing a degree, yeah, I expect I will do it before too long. Mostly so my grandkids can know I did it. I think Undergrad degrees are more like High School diplomas when I was a kid. I don't want to give my grandkids any reason to discount their worth.

Ah so the CSI on TV is typically not accurately depicting that branch of law enforcement, I am grateful that you have explained that. It makes sense that the roles are necessarily specialised in the one area of expertise. Thank you. And I think Koine Greek is so beautiful to read in written form. I can muddle through reading in Greek and but do not know what I am saying know little in Greek except the Christian Lord's Prayer and which I know by heart in Greek as I was once advised that that was the original language from the verse in which that prayer appears. I do not know if that is true. Are there any grammatical or oral-spoken similarities between Vietnamese and Korean or is proficiency in one irrelevant to another? As for undergraduate degrees, I think the worth of something decreases as its rarity decreases and this is the cost of pushing everyone through university maybe? I hope you do finish your study though for you rather than for showing its worth to your granschildren. They will do well with or without a label after their names I know. Sorry for all the questions and but thank you again for your kind reply. It is a wonderful thing for me to have shared and learnt.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Ive also bought and restored over a dozen old jeeps over last 5 years i dont know if it makes me an expert but im prety good at it.

Sweet! One of my first cars was a 1946 Willys CJ2A. I wish I still had it, but I want an early CJ5. I want to pick your brain about that sometime. I've got a local friend who's an expert on Jeep Commandos, but I'm not so much into those; I love the CJ and Wagoneers.

 

[jks9199]

Ah so the CSI on TV is typically not accurately depicting that branch of law enforcement, I am grateful that you have explained that. It makes sense that the roles are necessarily specialised in the one area of expertise. Thank you. And I think Koine Greek is so beautiful to read in written form. I can muddle through reading in Greek and but do not know what I am saying know little in Greek except the Christian Lord's Prayer and which I know by heart in Greek as I was once advised that that was the original language from the verse in which that prayer appears. I do not know if that is true. Are there any grammatical or oral-spoken similarities between Vietnamese and Korean or is proficiency in one irrelevant to another? As for undergraduate degrees, I think the worth of something decreases as its rarity decreases and this is the cost of pushing everyone through university maybe? I hope you do finish your study though for you rather than for showing its worth to your granschildren. They will do well with or without a label after their names I know. Sorry for all the questions and but thank you again for your kind reply. It is a wonderful thing for me to have shared and learnt.

CSI the tv show has very little realism. As oftheherd noted, generally, the crime scene folks do crime scenes. They may or may not be fully sworn police officers (most in my area are; I can't speak for other places), and many will do some processing of the evidence on their own -- but really advanced forensic stuff is left to folks with the appropriate training and background, usually an advanced degree in an appropriate hard science like chemistry or physics combined with specialized training in forensic sciences. The crime scene techs on the tv show do all sorts of things that are often specialized roles, like crash investigation and evidence collection at the scene, and they get results in a fraction of the time it takes in real life. (A straightforward confirmation that drugs are indeed whatever they field tested as generally takes more than a month, for example. It takes a major case and a lot of pushing to accelerate the lab...)

 

[Jenna]

CSI the tv show has very little realism. As oftheherd noted, generally, the crime scene folks do crime scenes. They may or may not be fully sworn police officers (most in my area are; I can't speak for other places), and many will do some processing of the evidence on their own -- but really advanced forensic stuff is left to folks with the appropriate training and background, usually an advanced degree in an appropriate hard science like chemistry or physics combined with specialized training in forensic sciences. The crime scene techs on the tv show do all sorts of things that are often specialized roles, like crash investigation and evidence collection at the scene, and they get results in a fraction of the time it takes in real life. (A straightforward confirmation that drugs are indeed whatever they field tested as generally takes more than a month, for example. It takes a major case and a lot of pushing to accelerate the lab...)

Yes, that makes sense even to me having seen real forensic officers here in London who wear white paper suits and masks as opposed to a nice Armani and matching latex gloves I guessed the show was not accurately depicting reality. Are any of the technologies used based on anything real do you know? Some seem a little far fetched. I do not know if you watch much TV? I was wondering what you could watch for accurate depiction of law enforcement that would not have you shouting at the box? Thank you!