Mind on Crime

This week, Natalie talks about forensic pathology: the medical science that determines how and when a person died. She explains how our bodies decay, and what clues a crime victim can provide to catch their killer. From cadaver dogs to blow flies, hyoid bones to undigested fries - the dead never lie. Then, Erin presents a case where investigators used every forensic tool in the book to get justice for a girl who vanished into thin air. And Kathleen unravels the layers of a famous vintage crime so brazen & bizarre, it ended in a trans Atlantic boat chase - or did it? *You'll need a strong stomach for this one, folks.*

This week, Erin interviews Dr. Joshua Bourdage about so-called “unproductive workplace behaviours”, ranging from mundane to criminal. How common is sleeping at your desk? Stealing a hole punch? Workplace Harassment? Dr. Bourdage discusses all things sinister in the workplace. Then Kathleen presents some serious cases of falsified qualifications, and Natalie discusses one of the most infamous fraudsters of all time.

Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the 'cast,

the ladies discussed holiday crimes from the past,

A weed-loving Santa, a Barbie car heist,

Repeated kidnappings of lil jesus christ,

A grinch and his missus, caught robbing their hood,

A bank robbing Santa gang, all up to no good,

So could it be true, what was thought for some time?

Are the holidays specially rampant with crime?

We'll look at the science, examine the facts,

And laugh at these holiday criminal acts!

This week, Kathleen explains how memories are formed and stored in our brains, and what factors make our memories more or less reliable. Can we trust witness memory? What are false memories, and how common are they? Do high stress situations improve or impair memory? Then, Erin and Natalie discuss cases where a witness or victim’s memory has been called into question.

Erin discusses the science of personality, with a particular focus on the dark tetrad: narcissism, sadism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy. How do we assess for these traits? What's the difference between psychopath and sociopath? Are Kathleen and Natalie sadistic narcissists? Erin discusses all! Then Kathleen talks about the local case of the bedroom strangler, and Natalie tells us about the case of a man who faked mental illness to get out of a prison, but ended up locked up for longer.

This week Natalie interviews Dr. Adrienne Borrie about Deoxyribonucleic acid (aka DNA), and how scientists have been able to use this incredible molecule to solve crimes. Why do almost all humans have different DNA profiles? What DNA of our own are we potentially leaving at crime scenes? Can we get away with murder by posing as a DNA lab technician? Dr. Borrie answers all! Then Kathleen and Erin chat about two crimes where DNA played a pivotal role. First the murder of Yara Gambirasio, a crime whose investigation led to thousands of people having their DNA tested. Second, the case of Dr. John Schneeberger, a crime where all was not as it seemed.

In our Halloween Special, we chat about the origins of our favorite scary stories, including the Killer in the Backseat, the Wendigo, the Canadian Witch Trials, Vampires, and Frankenstein. Do some of these stories come from real life diseases, crimes, or scientific possibilities? Does Canadian politeness extend to witch trials? Why is Buffy the Vampire Slayer so great? We answer all these questions, and more! We also discuss the psychology behind why human existence is so dependent on narratives and why we all sometimes believe things that are not based on facts or reality. Happy Halloween!

**A huge thank you to Dan Machado for this great episode idea!**

Natalie talks with special guest Jeremy about the latest sleep research and parasomnias. How do you sleep walk, talk? What about sleep sex? Then Kathleen and Erin present cases of two infamous sleepwalkers. Decide whether or not these 19th-century killers are culpable of their crimes.

Check out our pilot episode! Kathleen delves into the latest neuroscience research linking brain injury with violent criminality and discusses what it would take for scientists to discover if head injuries lead to serial killers. Then Natalie and Erin present the cases of two prolific murderers with and without serious head injuries -“The Gorilla Killer” and “the Scorecard Killer”.