Popular podcast from the Department of Forensic Medicine has almost 100,000 downloads
NEW EPISODES: Traces of poisoning, bone analyses and CT scans of the deceased are subjects Danes want to hear about. However, the most listened to episode from the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University has a more everyday theme.
Since the start of the year, the Department of Forensic Medicine has uploaded five new episodes of an unconventional podcast series which focuses on the work of forensic pathologists. There was considerable media interest when the first five episodes were published around a year ago, and at the time of writing, the series has 95,846 downloads.
"I'm surprised by how many people have listened to the series. It started out as a fun idea, but as it turned out, the podcast format was really well-suited to illustrate our work," says Department Head Christian Lindholst.
The format works because employees at the Department of Forensic Medicine can guide listeners while they perform e.g. an autopsy without compromising the ethical aspect or revealing sensitive personal information. This has meant that employees feel comfortable with participating, explains Christian Lindholst.
"Being able to hear what’s happening means the listeners feel like they’re right there. Hearing something rattle or the ventilation system running has a strong effect. We don’t focus on individual or spectacular cases, but instead talk about our everyday work, which is enough for people to find it interesting," he says.
Over 15-20 minutes listeners can learn how a medical specialist receives a presumed – and possibly aggressive – suspect and minutely checks all parts of the body for injuries and DNA traces. Or they can follow a forensic dentist working on identification based on a set of teeth.The latest episodes focus on examining children who have been subjected to violence or sexual abuse, and on how a corpse is specifically cut open and then sewn up again, so that the person looks as nice as possible.
700 substances in one blood sample
The most downloaded of episodes – all of which are in Danish – is called ”Farlig kemi i trafikken” (Dangerous chemicals in the traffic) and is about what happens when the police suspect that a driver is under the influence of illegal substances. More than 19,000 listeners have heard Forensic Chemist Mette Findal Andreasen explain how she and her colleagues use advanced equipment that is able to test for as many as 700 substances in a blood sample from e.g. a driver who is under the influence.
The ten podcasts provide a rare and interesting insight into the working methods and deliberations of forensic pathologists. The true crime genre is popular on the Danish podcast hit lists, but there is no exciting build-up of suspense as journalist Jakob Kehlet calmly and mater-of-factly describes what is happening in the department’s basement in Aarhus. Listeners are enthralled by the good reportage and documentary elements and the interviews with the employees from the Department of Forensic Medicine, who recognise that the general public finds their work really interesting.
The series is widely available, including on Spotify, Podimo and Apple Podcast. The department does not currently have further seasons in the pipeline.
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