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In the Balance: Bringing Science to Justice
With David Faigman
Check upcoming programs for dates and times
Exploratorium, Pier 15, Bay Observatory Gallery
The fields of science and the law pervade modern society, and yet largely exist in separate spheres. Where scientists seek truth, the law seeks justice, two laudable goals, but which often overlap only marginally. Clearly the law works with different objectives, values, and timetables than does science. And science can never say what is fair and just. However, in today’s technological world, science has become, and will forevermore be, a legal tool for justice.
In a unique collaboration between the Exploratorium and UC Hastings College of the Law, In the Balance examines the numerous, complex, and fascinating issues arising at the intersection of these different systems. From the use of brain imaging to detect lies and assess blameworthiness, to the reliability and validity of forensic science, to the effects of unconscious bias on police officer behavior, the list goes on virtually without end.
Join host David Faigman, one of the world’s preeminent experts on the law’s use of science, as he engages scientific and legal experts on some of the most vexing issues of the day. Gather evidence and add to the discussion with your own questions and observations.
David L. Faigman is the Chancellor and Dean, and the John F. Digardi Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California Hastings College of the Law. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including two books written for a general audience: Laboratory of Justice: The Supreme Court’s 200-Year Struggle to Integrate Science and the Law (2004) and Legal Alchemy: The Use and Misuse of Science in the Law (1999). Professor Faigman has been widely cited by scholars and courts, including several times by the United States Supreme Court. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences panel that investigated the scientific validity of polygraphs and is a member of the MacArthur Law and Neuroscience Network.
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Past Programs
Join host David Faigman and California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu in a wide-ranging conversation about how courts use, and misuse, scientific research in cases ranging from criminal prosecutions to the very definition of constitutional rights.
In 2015, 21 young people filed a constitutional climate change lawsuit against the federal government. Meet with Julia Olson and Philip Gregory, counsel for the plaintiffs, to discuss the details and stunning implications of this historic case.
Meet with attorneys and neuroscientists involved in a landmark case on behalf of prisoners held in solitary confinement. They’ll discuss the use and impact of neuroscience in the case, which resulted in a massive policy change in California’s prison system.
Learn how science is used—and misused—in legal decision-making with David Faigman, host of In the Balance: Autonomy on Endless Trial. Or come be in your elements at Everything Matters: Silicon with Exploratorium host and scientific raconteur Ron Hipschman.
Reinvent your Thursday nights at After Dark. Experience a fascinating array of unique, adult-only programs and events that change each week. Grab dinner by the Bay, play with hundreds of hands-on exhibits, crawl through our pitch-black Tactile Dome, sip cocktails, and explore.
Join host David Faigman and special guests Dr. Kent Kiehl and Professor Amanda Pustilnik to discuss the uses of modern brain imaging technologies in the law, both in criminal cases and civil litigation.
Join David Faigman in conversation with Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project and Andrea Roth of Berkeley Law to learn about the current state of forensic evidence and the many reforms being considered for its future.
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