Barnacles are encrusting arthropods that attach to all kinds of surfaces, including rocks, boats, and even human remains. In 2002, police discovered a highly decomposed human body in the water on the southwest coast of Italy. The forensic pathologist on the case didn’t have a lot to go on to determine how long the body had been in the water. The only clue found was barnacles on the victim’s pants and shoes.
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It’s pretty easy to single out a driver that is driving under the influence of alcohol. Swerving between lanes, running red lights and inconsistent speed are signs easily identifiable to passersby and police alike. Additionally, police can conduct a test using a breathalyzer to estimate the amount of blood alcohol content in said driver—providing unequivocal confirmation of the presence of alcohol. But how do you spot a driver that is driving “high,” or under the influence of marijuana?
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First responders, doctors, and hospital staff do everything they can to save the lives of gunshot wound (GSW) victims. At times, they succeed, resulting in about 70,000 survivors of firearm injuries annually in the United States. But once survivors walk out the hospital doors and away from attentive eyes, it’s a different story. A new study from researchers at Penn Medicine reveals survivors of GSWs have negative physical, mental and emotional outcomes for years after injury.
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Moqi has officially releasing its new Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) at the Milipol Conference in Paris. According to the company, this new AFIS system, called FingerID, leverages the newest advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
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Inhaling dust that contains fly ash particles from coal combustion has been linked to lung and heart disease, cancer, nervous system disorders and other ill effects. But tracking the presence of coal ash in dust has been a challenge for scientists. Until now.
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The University of Toledo recently received a research grant from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Pet Partners for a new study, “Implementation of Canine-Assisted Forensic interviews with Children.” The study will measure whether a therapy dog can influence the quantity and quality of children's event reports.
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Small, clingy and nearly impossible to clean up. The attributes of glitter that drive moms, dads and teachers mad are the same characteristics investigators and forensic scientists hail. As far as trace evidence goes, glitter is one of the hardest for perpetrators to eliminate at a crime scene.
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The analysis of hair has been a “hairy” situation for forensic science over the years. Traditionally, scientists examined hair under a microscope and then testified that it either matched or did not match hair found at a crime scene. However, this type of analysis is no longer considered scientifically valid and has been put to rest as part of a forensic science overhaul that began in 2009 with the now-famous National Academy of Sciences report.
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With today’s technology, forensic science is undergoing a transformation by using new techniques, such as DNA phenotyping and virtual autopsies. Read on to find out how these new methodologies are being used to solve crimes that may have previously gone unsolved.
Simply stated, forensic science is the application of science to law (both civil and criminal). Because of popular television shows, most people are familiar with forensic science as it applies to solving crimes, as it can be the difference between proving guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. Some accepted forensic science techniques include fingerprint analysis, toxicology, ballistics, DNA, and blood splatter analysis.
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Pinpointing time of death of a corpse can be an uncertain science. Many factors, including weather conditions and location of body storage, can confound traditional time of death analysis techniques. More accurate methods for identifying time of death could go a long way in connecting a name to unidentified remains or establishing the truthfulness of an alibi in a murder trial.
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