John Oliver Says Some Forensic Analysis Is Actually 'Junk Science'

On Sunday’s “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver examined the often misunderstood topic of forensic science.

Shows like “CSI” and “Law & Order” might give the impression that forensic scientists can click away on a keyboard, generate an elaborate animated 3D model instantly and conclusively determine whether or not a suspect “matches” the evidence.

But, as Oliver explains, many of the techniques we think of as reliable, such as bite mark analysis or hair sample comparison, are actually fundamentally flawed.