|
The following is a transcript of an interchange between defence
attorney Robert Blasier and FBI Special Agent Roger Martz on
July 26, 1995, in the courtroom of the O.J. Simpson trial:
Q: Can you calculate the area of a circle
with a five-millimeter diameter?
A: I mean I could. I don't...math I don't ...
I don't know right now what it is.
Q: Well, what is the formula for the area of a circle?
A: Pi R Squared
Q: What is pi?
A: Boy, you ar really testing me. 2.12... 2.17...
Judge Ito: How about 3.1214?
Q: Isn't pi kind of essential to being a scientist
knowing what it is?
A: I haven't used pi since I guess I was in high school.
Q: Let's try 3.12.
A: Is that what it is? There is an easier way to do...
Q: Let's try 3.14. And what is the radius?
A: It would be half the diameter: 2.5
Q: 2.5 squared, right?
A: Right.
Q: Your honor, may we borrow a calculator?
[pause]
Q: Can you use a calculator?
A: Yes, I think.
Q: Tell me what pi times 2.5 squared is.
A: 19
Q: Do you want to write down 19? Square millimeters, right?
The area. What is one tenth of that?
A: 1.9
Q: You miscalculated by a factor of two, the size, the
minimum size of a swatch you needed to detect EDTA
didn't you?
A: I don't know that I did or not. I calculated a little
differently. I didn't use this.
Q: Well, does the area change by the different method of
calculation?
A: Well, this is all estimations based on my eyeball. I
didn't use any scientific math to determine it.
--David Blatner, the joy of pi
|