Criminology Under the Microscope - WHYY

It’s one of the first questions we hear on detective shows after a heinous crime has occurred: “What’s the motive?” For hundreds of years, criminologists, politicians, and law enforcement have been asking a bigger version of that question: What causes crime? What makes criminals — criminals?

People have turned to everything from appearance to biology and environment for answers, and they’ve tried to use science to address this question.

On this episode, we look at science, crime, and the sometimes ill-fated attempt to use one to address or explain the other. We hear stories about the use of plastic surgery to prevent people in prison from reoffending, a recent case involving the “warrior gene defense” — and whether there’s anything to it — and the origins and evolution of criminology.