Good news...Thorn and I have been selected to speak at this year's ShmooCon. Here is the abstract.

"The Geek and the Gumshoe" or "Can Mathematics and Computers Really Solve Crimes?"

Twelve million people tune in every Friday night to catch the latest episode of NUMB3RS, where mathematics is now the sexy way to solve crime. But do these numbers really add up? Can mathematics, whether simple formulas or complex computer algorithms, really help to solve crimes? Exploring the evolution of crime-fighting techniques from pin mapping through geographic profiling and beyond, the authors will examine the application of mathematical analysis as legitimate investigative approaches. There are compelling arguments to be made for using math and computers to solve crimes, although a healthy dose of skepticism can be applied to such techniques by those trained in classic crime solving. In the end, two questions remain: Can you really catch crooks with math and computers? And if you can, can "Minority Report" type predictions be far behind?

Bio - Michael Schearer

Michael "theprez98" Schearer (the geek): Recently separated from 8+ years of active duty in the U.S. Navy, theprez98 is fascinated by the application of mathematics to real-world situations. While he will never likely win the Fields Medal or solve P vs. NP, his interests include the history of mathematics, cryptography, probability theory, and graph theory. Michael is an active member of the NetStumbler, DEFCON, and Remote Exploit forums, a football coach, and a father of three.

Bio - Frank Thornton

Frank "Thorn" Thornton (the gumshoe): While computers and wireless technology keep Thorn busy these days, he used to spend his time investigating crimes and collecting forensic evidence at crime scenes. Covering a twenty-year period, Frank was a law enforcement officer and a forensic specialist. He served in a variety of police positions from Patrol Officer to Detective to Chief of Police. Rated as a Class I (Homicide) Death Investigator by Vermont's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, he has investigated thousands of crimes from burglaries to homicides.