Episode description

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 thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.

Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: Lawrence M. Wein
• Lawrence’s Paper: Analysis Of The Genealogy Process In Forensic Genetic Genealogy

Connect With Us:

• Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
• Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
• Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Lawrence Wein, professor of management science at Stanford University.

(00:02:18) Forensic Genealogy Explained

Forensic genetic genealogy and its impact on solving unsolved crimes.

(00:04:31) Third-Party Databases in Genealogy

Insight into databases that allow law enforcement to search for criminal suspects.

(00:08:23) Math Models in Genealogy

Using mathematical models to streamline genealogy work.

(00:11:31) Components of the Genealogy Algorithm

The algorithm's methods, including ascending and descending family trees.

(00:14:12) Algorithm Efficiency and Comparison

Comparing the new algorithm's effectiveness to traditional genealogy strategies.

(00:16:53) Algorithm in Practice

Role of human input alongside the mathematical algorithm in genealogy cases.

(00:20:42) Role of Genealogists

Genealogists’ insights on balancing human skill and mathematical algorithms.

(00:22:45) DNA Databases and Ethics

The ethical and privacy concerns related to using genetic data.

(00:27:01) Background and Interest in Forensic Genealogy

Lawrence’s journey from operations management to forensic genealogy.

(00:30:16) Conclusion

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook