The exciting new series on Discovery Channel, Manhunt: Unabomber is a fictionalized account of the FBI's search and capture of domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski back in the mid-1990s. What's fascinating about the show is its development of the still-in-its-infancy form of detective work, forensic linguistics. Kaczynski (played by the exquisitely eerie Paul Bettany) was not only a mad bomber with a doctorate in mathematics; he was also a confident writer who begged for his ideas to be published, thinking his "revolutionary" insights could impact the world. His writing is eventually what got him caught by lead FBI profiler Jim Fitzgerald, portrayed on the show by Sam Worthington.
Episode 3, which aired last night, is particularly delightful for those of us who study language, as close reading and intricate dissections of words, phrases, idioms, and accent markers become key points of investigation in the case. We can tell a lot about an author based on his writing fingerprint. And Kaczynski's writing landed him eight life sentences in prison.
The show is a great reminder that studying English or other areas related to literacy and linguistics have incredibly valuable applications in the world beyond academia. Being a good reader and student of language may actually lead you to catching bad guys and saving lives. Sounds like a pretty good reason to be an English major to me. Check out the link above for cool stuff from the show, or catch up on the first three episodes of Manhunt: Unabomber on OnDemand.
Episode 3, which aired last night, is particularly delightful for those of us who study language, as close reading and intricate dissections of words, phrases, idioms, and accent markers become key points of investigation in the case. We can tell a lot about an author based on his writing fingerprint. And Kaczynski's writing landed him eight life sentences in prison.
The show is a great reminder that studying English or other areas related to literacy and linguistics have incredibly valuable applications in the world beyond academia. Being a good reader and student of language may actually lead you to catching bad guys and saving lives. Sounds like a pretty good reason to be an English major to me. Check out the link above for cool stuff from the show, or catch up on the first three episodes of Manhunt: Unabomber on OnDemand.