Randy Ayala Valdez
Mr. Ippolito
Forensic Science
10/17/19
“Serious Problems with Forensic Software.” ScienceDaily, North Carolina State University, 15 Jan. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190115111950.htm
The forensic software program, DXAGE which is devised to estimate the age of individuals based on their bone mineral density, has received backlash for vital flaws. Jonathan Bethard, an assistant professor of anthropology at USF, saw that DXAGE's evaluations were confirmed using a small sample size of only 100 women. Thus, the researchers utilized data from 470 women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine DXAGE's accuracy. They plugged the bone mineral density data for each of those women into DXAGE and compared the resulting estimated age with each woman's actual age. The researchers determined that the DXAGE calculations were off by 14.25 years.
Although the research centers on a software program that failed to function accurately, it demonstrates great measures we have taken within the scientific field. Correspondingly, science and technology have major impacts on society, and their impacts continue to grow. Great measures like the establishment of software programs are essential to keep up with drastic changes generated by science. These major shifts act as a catalyst for scientific inquiries and breakthroughs. DXAGE attempted to develop a new process of obtaining important information like identifying unidentified remains to help build a biological profile of the deceased through technology. We just need to ensure the validity of these programs before putting them into practice.
The article provides a sufficient amount of context, providing details on the extensive process of the research taken on the recent software program. Yet it fails to mention other techniques and alternatives used by current forensic experts to the same extent. This poses a weakness in the article that could easily be resolved to highlight the importance of performing validation studies on web-based applications like DXAGE.
5 comments:
I think that Randy did a really good job putting in important detail about the new software that was created for scientists. I think he also did a really good job incorporating more detail than needed about the new forensic device. Lastly, he did a good job explaining what the device does and how it can make criminal investigations better in the future. I think Randy did a really good job in general but two things I think he could have fixed were maybe could have added some examples of where it has been used it, or where it could be considered to be used. I also think that he could have had a more compelling introduction rather than the one he had. I new thing I learned was about the device that was used. I thought it was super interesting and cool that could really help further criminal investigations.
Serious Problems with Forensic Software.” ScienceDaily, North Carolina State University, 15 Jan. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190115111950.htm
Masha Popovic
Mr. Ippolito
10/26/19
“Serious Problems with Forensic Software.” ScienceDaily, North Carolina State University, 15 Jan. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190115111950.htm
(Randy Ayala Valdez’s analysis)
I had the pleasure of reading Randy’s review on the article “Serious Problems with Forensic Software”. First of all, I believe Randy did a great job with being concise. I like how his description was very straightforward and easy to understand, listing details he found most relevant. Second, I liked how he expanded beyond what his research was centered around. He explained how, even though the analysis was based on a software program that failed, it demonstrated how great measure have to be taken in a scientific fiend. Lastly, I believe his conclusion was wonderful, summarizing just enough of the information he had listed above. In addition, I enjoyed the inclusion of highlighting the weaknesses and strengths of the article he read.
Although Randy did a great job, I felt as though there were certain aspects missing from his writing. For one, there was no introduction of the article in the first paragraph. I feel that entering that information into the first sentence would have been informative and a great transition into his explanation of the research. Second, I would have liked to see more reflection. It would have been nice to include what he thought about the research and jot down some opinions. It's always nice to see how a reader perceives a piece of writing, instead of just listing what they read about.
Overall, Randy did a great job with his analysis of the article he chose. I enjoyed learning about DXAGE and how it can estimate the age of an individual based on their bone density. It was a fascinating topic to choose and Randy executed his write up well with great detail.
Jordan Hoang
Mr. Ippolito
Forensics C Odd
10/26/19
“Serious Problems with Forensic Software.” ScienceDaily, North Carolina State University, 15
Jan. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190115111950.htm
https://bhscsi.blogspot.com/2019/10/randy-ayala-valdez-mr_18.html
Randy’s review of the article “Serious Problems with Forensic Software” had many positives to it. For one, he used effective transitions, which made his review was fluid and easy to read. In addition, I liked how he gave an in-depth, but concise overview of how DXAGE works. I was able to learn about how forensic scientists utilize it without him having to give an extensive description of it. Finally, I enjoyed how Randy gave thoughtful insight on the significance of DXAGE. He didn’t just acknowledge that DXAGE was a great invention, but a device that “attempted to develop a new process of obtaining important information like identifying unidentified remains to help build a biological profile of the deceased through technology.” I thought Randy did a nice job of highlighting how important softwares such as DXAGE is to society.
One thing I wish Randy talked about was DXAGE’s other issues. He mentioned that DXAGE had multiple “vital flaws”- yet only highlighted one throughout his review. In addition, I believe Randy should’ve explained how increasing the sample size of the women from 100 to 470 made the software more accurate, as this information might not be common knowledge to readers.
It is interesting to see how even technology as advanced as DXAGE can be inaccurate at times. Randy’s review opened my eyes to how much further we have to continue to develop and invent new forms of effective technology.
Clara DeMagalhaes Current Event #6
https://bhscsi.blogspot.com/2019/10/randy-ayala-valdez-mr_18.html
“Serious Problems with Forensic Software.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 15 Jan. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190115111950.htm.
Randy’s review of the article “Serious Problems with Forensic Software” was intriguing and informative. One aspect of the review that was done well was that the summary was very clear and concise, getting to the point right off the bat and making sure the reader understands the subject well. The critique given to the article was something that I found to be well thought out and well-reasoned. Finally, I like how Randy included statistics from the study into his review. This overall makes the subject matter and the review itself more credible.
While the assignment as a whole was done very well, there are still a couple of small things that could be addressed. First, although the link to the article is present, it isn’t cited with MLA format. This can be easily remedied by using sites like EasyBib. Additionally, while remaining objective is good, I would’ve liked to hear Randy’s personal thoughts on the matter. It’s nice to get multiple perspectives on a subject and would’ve been interesting to see.
As scientific articles are more about breakthroughs rather than failures, it was very intriguing to see one that talked about the latter. However, this experiment can serve as a stepping stone to greater scientific achievement. It’s likely that in the near future, there will be a device developed that can accurately estimate one’s age based on their bone density, and personally I’d be interested in keeping up with that.
Riley morgan
Mr ip
Forensic Science
10/28/19
“Serious Problems with Forensic Software.” ScienceDaily, North Carolina State University, 15 Jan. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190115111950.htm
https://bhscsi.blogspot.com/
The review Randy Ayala performed on the article: “Serious Problems With Forensic Software” very interesting and informative. He talks about how in a forensic software program called DXAGE, There was a massive mistake resulting in their age calculations to be off by over 14.25. I like how he was straightforward with the information. When he stated that DXAGE which is devised to estimate the age of individuals based on their bone mineral density, It was a good way to put the information because he did not use any unnecessary detail and got the point across to set the stage of the article. I also appreciate how he was able to make his sentences flow nicely, putting the reader at ease while reading. His sentence: “They plugged the bone mineral density data for each of those women into SAGE and compared the resulting estimated age with each woman's actual age.” is just one example of his wonderful sentence flow. I also like how Randy used numbers in his overview of the article rather than just explaining the general results. This makes the reader more engaged and shows that he put work into drafting the review.
One thing Randy could improve on is using quotes from the article. Without quotes, her credibility is taken away and her accuracy is questioned since she does not have any quotes to back up her information. Randy's Analysis was also very short and lacked more detail. He could provide a longer analysis that makes the reader feel he has read the full article and knows what it is about. This short analysis leaves the reader unfulfilled. To improve, Randy could make sure to use quotes from the article to back up his information, as well as creating a stronger summary to make sure the reader really knows that the article is about
I chose this article because it was very interesting and I enjoy reading things like this. I also wanted to see Randy’s writing style as I have never looked at one of his reviews before. By reading this article I learned how there are mistakes in forensic technology such as the DXAGE which will put into question many other scientific technology. It was very informative. It will change my perception because now I have another piece of knowledge that I can use.
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