 |
      |
 |
 |
||
 |
|
 |
||
 |
|
 |
||
|
For more information on these science news and feature story tips, please contact the public information officer at the end of each item at (703) 292-8070. Contents of this News Tip:
STUDY SHEDS LIGHT ON LEGAL ROLE OF EXPERT TESTIMONYAs the role of technology in society expands, juries are increasingly called upon to evaluate testimony by science and technology experts -- particularly in civil litigation. An NSF-funded study has yielded insights into jurors' perception of that testimony. According to research led by Princeton University psychologist Joel Cooper, jurors' reactions often depend on such factors as whether the witness speaks in technical or simple language, whether or not the witness was paid to testify, and whether or not the witness had high credentials. The effect of these factors is magnified when testimony is complex. Using a combination of focus groups and experiments, researchers found that the most effective witness is one with high credentials who uses simple language. However, if the witness is highly paid, the influence on jurors is diminished -- even if that witness also has high credentials. The study also found that when expert testimony is given in complex language, jurors are more likely to make decisions based on the credentials of the witness rather than on the validity of the testimony. According to legal scholar and research team member Joan Hall, the findings have implications for the integrity of the U.S. legal system. "Expert witnesses are used in 86 percent of civil cases, with an average of four experts in every trial, and sometimes they contradict each other," said Hall. "We know that these peripheral factors influence jurors -- sometimes more than facts and testimony. What we need to ask is what this means to the future of our legal system in an increasingly technological age." [Mary Hanson] For more program information, contact Len Lederman at (703) 306-1742. PUTTING DOWN ROOTS IN EARTHQUAKE COUNTRYThose who live in Southern California know that this is earthquake country. They know that the San Andreas fault produces many earthquakes, and that other faults are also hazardous. However, it's often difficult to understand how to incorporate this information into daily lives: Should you be concerned if you live near the San Andreas fault? Is every place just as dangerous? What can you do about it, anyway? Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country, a new publication available from the National Science Foundation Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) in Los Angeles, provides some of the answers. Scientists at the center have recently completed a major project to summarize what's known about earthquake hazards from the San Andreas and other faults. The publication covers significant new advances in assessing earthquake hazards in Southern California; explains that earthquake damage is preventable and suggests how to make offices and homes safer; and reviews the basics of earthquake science in an effort to reduce fears ("natural hazards are inevitable; natural disasters are not"). SCEC will soon begin distribution of two million free copies of the 32-page handbook to libraries from San Luis Obispo to the Mexican border. Southern California residents may obtain copies at local libraries after Monday, October 16th. Reporters may obtain copies by calling Sheila Spiro at SCEC at: (213) 740-1560. [Cheryl Dybas] For more program information, contact Jim Whitcomb at (703) 306-1556. RADIO TELESCOPE CELEBRATES THIRTY YEARS OF DISCOVERY; ANOTHER POISED TO BEGIN NEW ERAAt the National Science Foundation's National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia on September 29-30, radio astronomers gathered to reminisce about 30 years of research on the the 140-foot telescope, and to tour the instrument of the future: the already massive Green Bank Telescope (GBT), set for completion in 1997. Astronomers looked back at milestones in the 140- foot's career: the first clear detection of "recombination lines," demonstrating a powerful tool for studying ionized gas in the galaxy; and the discovery of many molecules in space, such as formaldehyde and methanol--carbon-based molecules like those common to life on Earth. The 140-foot telescope also helped to pioneer the field of Very Long Baseline Interferometry, which enables radio dishes thousands of miles apart to join together in making very sensitive measurements; and the telescope continues to star in detecting pulsars (pulsating radio sources). In a new twist to the 140-foot telescope's history, the privately funded Project Phoenix hopes to lease the telescope to search for extraterrestrial intelligence, when the GBT is completed. The GBT, now rising above the trees at Green Bank, will be the largest steerable radio telescope available to U.S. astronomers, enabling work at much higher frequencies than other large telescopes and providing coverage of the entire visible sky. [Lynn Simarski]
|
||||
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |