The scientific method always solves it time and again!
You’ve all probably read about Sir Conan Doyle’s Sherlock or Christie’s Poirot. In doing so one can clearly see that all detectives solve crimes in their way. Every story, be it the Famous Five or the Secret Seven has a particular setting that is accompanied by a particular mood. Sherlock is for example a poignant observer who solves crimes via deductive reasoning and keen observation. As he often explains to Dr. Watson, there is a clear difference between seeing something and observing something.
And that is the difference Sherlock understands and thrives at. On the other hand, Poirot’s style is that of thorough thought and an explanation-seeking process which aims at the exact same thing as Sherlock. However, their methods of extracting knowledge and applying it to intelligence are quite distinct.
It’s just like solving Physics: Yukawa’s Method
KeigoHigashino is, without a doubt, a compelling writer. And the character of Professor Yukawa is quite the detective – of sorts. Yukawa sensei is a professor of Physics at the Imperial University in Tokyo who has a friend in the police force who he knew since their time as students at the university.
That friend is Detective Kusanagi, a good detective who is however helpless in front of certain cases which just can’t possibly happen. Be it something as mind-boggling as a murder from some thousand miles or a murderer who can’t be put to the sentence because people can’t be in two places at the same time.
What seems like an impossible mystery to the entire police force is just a matter of problem-solving to the professor.
The Physicist’s Way: How he takes on the problems
Yukawa can go to any lengths to ensure strict extraction of data that is not muddied by subjective thought and do experiments to eliminate or confirm his suspicions. Unlike other detectives whose primary concerns remain as the apprehension of criminals, his main concern (at least the way he likes to put it) is to solve the crime. He says that he is only interested in figuring out how the crime was done and not in the criminal. Even so, time and again he finds himself involved with the criminal, either comforting them or simply telling them that it sometimes is just not their fault.
Compelling Stories: There is always something off till the last page
With professor Yukawa, it is an adventure of innocence and morale. No matter how much he denies it, he is after all a human before a scientist and always stands by those who have fallen into the darkness.
