Fingerprints

Hello!

Today I'm going to be telling you about fingerprints. FIngerprints are unique to everyone, even identical twins.

they are important in solving most crimes, and are also great in the identification of a victim or criminal.

 Detectives will use different colored powders depending on the color of the surface, and different sizes of brushes to record prints from surfaces. Also they will use magnetic powder and a metal wand. To lift prints off of surfaces, they'll use clear tape, and to gather prints from actual  fingers, they'll use ink. 

There are 4 different basic fingerprint patterns, Whorl, Left Loop, Right Loop, and Arch. There is many more fancy termed patterns, but for now I'll just stick with the basic ones.

Did you know that before fingerprints were used to solve crimes, they were used to sign documents and important papers? That kept up until Sir William Herschel published a report that changed the mystical world of fingerprints forever.

I've even done some work on fingerprints so far this year! I took my own, and even my families fingerprints! Taking fingerprints are easier said than done so I wouldn't recommend doing it on your own!

Before: Taking First print

After: Viewing first recorded print.




I hope you've learned something today!

Over and Out!
Elise

Bugs.

Hello!
Today I'm going to tell you about bugs!

—Bugs can tell scientists when a victim died by what creatures have inhabited the body. First the blowflies come in, then beetles, then wasps, then ants and roaches, and finally the moths. 

Bugs inhabit the corpse for food, and a place to lay their eggs. Eggs are first laid by female blowflies. Then the eggs turn into maggots. Then after about 3 weeks, they cocoon themselves, and turn into adult blowflies.

Scientists rely on these bugs to tell when a victim died, for example, if there was a natural disaster, like a hurricane, and police find a body, the bugs that are in it tell if the person was a victim  of the hurricane, or something else before hand.

Hope you learned somthing today!

Over & Out!

Elise

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Face Reconstruction

Hello!

Today I'm going to tell you about face reconstruction. People perform face reconstruction when there is fires and there are only bones left, they publish an ad in the newspaper with the face on it so that friends or family can give more information about the victim. 

The traditional way to perform this act was to:

1. Insert depth pegs into a cast of the skull
2. Sculpt or draw in the underlying facial muscles and tissue
3. Completely cover the pegs and smooth skin,(clay) over it
4. Add hair, eyes, and color the skin and all of the features they just added. 

That was the traditional, non-modern way of doing it, and it could take days or weeks to complete. The modern way, which would take about one day to make. Here are the steps:

1. The skull is scanned by a laser and the scan is then sent to a computer database
2. The user of the computer will then mark the points where the scan needs to be altered to match the real skull
3. It is matched with a replica of the real skull and the changes are made
4. Then, electronically, face muscles and skin is added
5. Then a 3-D model of the face is printed
6. Then a photo of a person with the same features is wrapped around the face.

I hope you learned something today!

Over & Out!

Elise

Interview!!!!

 Hello!

Below is questions and answers about what Heather Murphy, who is a nurse specialist, does. Read on to learn more!

Please see my answers to your questions below.

1)WHAT DO YOU DO?

I am a nurse specialist in the Quality Department at BARD Access Systems. I am responsible for gathering information needed to investigate events involving our products.

2)WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART?

My job is to assist facilities determine how to best utilize our products to improve the quality of life of patients.

3)WHAT'S THE MOST INTERESTING PART?

The investigation and evaluation of the root cause of the event. (Figuring out what happened).

4)WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE?

Knowledge of medical practices and intended use of our products as well as microscopes and other laboratory equipment to examine products.

5)WHAT IS THE CREEPY PARTS?

I have been an Intensive Care Nurse for 13 years so this job is not so creepy. J I have seen worse in the hospital.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Good luck with your project. Before becoming a nurse I was pursuing a behavioral science degree in criminology. Forensics is an amazing field with so many different applications.

Heather

Is her job interesting or what?! I hope you learned something from this interview!

Over & Out!

Elise

DNA Model

Hello!

I just wanted to say that on April 18 I successfully completed an almost 2 foot tall model of DNA! It will be my 3D piece for the school project I've been telling you about and was very fun to make!
Below are some pictures of making it.

Over & Out!
Elise

Hello!

Just checking in! I wanted to say that I'm starting my power point for my school project soon and I'm working on building a huge model of DNA to show!! I will be interviewing another forensic specialist who studies investigations so keep a lookout for a new post featuring her.

Over&Out!
Elise

Firearms: Identification

Rifling scratches a bullet and makes it as genuine as a fingerprint. Also when the  gunman pulls  the trigger tiny bits of explosive, called gunshot residue, sprays out onto the gunners hands. If a suspect is interviewed after a crime, his hands might be swabbed with a special chemical to show if he has fired a gun recently.

What Gun?
Each brand and type of gun has it's own rifling, so forensic scientists might fire a gun of the same type and see if the rifling on the bullet matches. If they match, they will search a suspect for any weapons.

Where?
Where the killer and the victim were standing is also a important clue. Cartridge cases are fired right behind the bullet and will land at the gunners feet, showing were the killer and the victim were standing.

Over & Out! 

Elise