In the clip above, from Bones, Angela Montenegro—a classically trained artist-turned diligent forensic reconstructionist—uses an obscure set of mathematical equations developed hundreds of years ago to reconstruct the skeletal system of a crime victim. What’s wrong with this picture? Let’s start from the beginning.
First of all, every crime show—from NCIS to CSI—has its inspired crusader. In this case, Montenegro just happened to remember the work of some obscure 16th-century scientist, whom she no doubt studies about in her ample spare time. Sure. Most of us can guess what happens next: she single handedly blows the lid off a case deemed unsolvable.