text: how is csi - the tv show - different from real crime scene investigations?   csi's would never talk to suspects/witnesses or go into houses where they think the suspect is hiding & armed.   i know more about the lab-rat types who don't go into the field at all. the cops just give them all the evidence they found and think could be useful and the analyst picks out a few things tha have the best chance of having the suspects dna or other important evidence. there isn't time to analyze every single item left at a crime scene. you have to pick out the important things.  tests take way longer to get back than on the show. the show would be ridiculously boring if they had to wait days or weeks for tests to be done.  in real life they don't really find that much evidence. this is actually becomming an issue in courts. they call it the csi effect and it is very damaging. jurors want to see concrete dna evidence on everything or they think there must be some doubt. as if people have a floating cloud of dna around them that leaves evidence on everything they touch. it just doesn't work that way.