Want to catch a criminal? Join Ira Flatow on this hour of Science Friday for an hour of crime fighting. First--the numbers behind the television show "Numb3rs." We'll talk with two mathematicians about how the police use math to fight crime.

Then a talk with "Body Farm" founder and forensic anthropologist Bill Bass on what bones can tell police about a crime. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Gary Lorden
Coauthor, "The Numbers Behind Numb3rs" (Plume Books, 2007)
Professor, Mathematics
California Institute of Technology
Math Consultant, television show "Numb3rs"
Pasadena, California

Keith Devlin
Coauthor, "The Numbers Behind Numb3rs" (Plume Books, 2007)
Executive Director, Stanford University's Center for the Study of Language and Information
Consulting Professor, Mathematics
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California

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Bill Bass
Forensic Anthropologist
Author, "Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science"
Knoxville, Tennessee

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science by Jefferson Bass. William Morrow, 2007.

"The Numbers Behind Numb3rs" by Keith Devlin and Gary Lourden. Plume Books, 2007.

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This segment produced by Annette Heist