Forensic Pseudoscience

Forensic Pseudoscience

From The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean by Sam Kean

May 5, 2026 · 18 min · Season 12 · Episode 5

About this episode

This episode discusses the theft of the Mona Lisa and the biases of the detectives involved in the case.

When the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, the two most scientific detectives in the world took on the case. But they overlooked the real enemy—their own petty prejudice. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

People in this episode

Host: Sam Kean

Topics covered

  • forensic science
  • pseudoscience
  • art theft
  • detective work
  • prejudice

Keywords

  • forensic science
  • Mona Lisa
  • Louvre
  • art theft
  • pseudoscience
  • detectives
  • prejudice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Louvre

Books & works: Mona Lisa

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