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Forensic Science
What is Forensic Science?
Forensic Science (also known as crime scene investigation) is the process of
analyzing the evidence to reach a conclusion using science and technology. There
are many tools and methods used in Forensic Science. There are also many
branches—sub-divisions—of Forensic Science. The word “forensic” comes from the
Latin word “forēnsis” which means ‘of or before the forum’.
Tools Used in Forensic Science
There are many tools used in all branches of Forensic Science. There are:
Tweezers which are used to pick up small objects such as strands of hair, Dusting
Powder which is used to collect finger prints, Vacuum that collects very small
pieces of evidence, Measuring Tools that are used to measure room temperature,
room size, and objects within the area of other objects. Microspy is used to analyze
evidence. The tools used are usually microscopes, which include the compound
microscope, stereo dissecting microscope, and the digital microscope. Forensic
Scientists also use a wide array of chemicals.
Chemicals that produce fumes are used often for documenting fingerprints.
These are used when the fingerprints are hard to reach or on surfaces where
dusting powder (see above) cannot be used. Chemicals are also used with unknown
substances. How the chemicals react with the said unknown substance is very
important when investigators check for certain substances.
Sub-Divisions of Forensic Science
As I mentioned before, there are many subdivisions in Forensic
Science. MANY subdivisions. Here they are:
Computational Forensics which is the development of algorithms & software to
help with examinations, Criminalistics which is various scientists examining
evidence, controlled substances, ballistics, firearm & tool mark examination, and
other criminal- involved evidence examination, Digital Forensics which are
methods & techniques used to recover and analyze data from digital media,
Forensic Accounting which is the study & interpretation of evidence, Forensic
Aerial Photography which is the study of aerial photographs, Forensic
Anthropology which uses physical anthropology, typically for identification of
human remains, Forensic Astronomy which is the usage of astronomy to
determine past constellations, Forensic Botany which is the study of plants to gain
information on possible crimes, Forensic Chemistry which is the detection &
identification of drugs, accelerants used for arson, and explosive & gunshot remains,
Forensic Dactyloscopy which is the study of fingerprints, Forensic Document
Examination which answers questions about argued documents using methods
involving handwriting & tries to figure out the author, Forensic DNA Analysis
which uses uniqueness of DNA to answer questions & placing a suspect to a crime
(i.e. rape).
There is also: Forensic Engineering which is the examination of
structures/products to determine the cause of failure, Forensic Entomology which
is the studies of insects in or around human remains to determine time and location
of death.
Forensic Geology which is the study of evidence in forms of soil, minerals,
etc…
Forensic Geophysics which is the geophysical techniques (i.e. radar) for finding
objects underground or underwater.
Forensic Intelligence which starts with the collection of evidence and ends with
interrogation of results of the crime under investigation.
Forensic Interviews which is conducted by using methods to investigate victims,
witnesses, suspects, etc…
Forensic Limnology which is the analysis of evidence collected from crimes
in and/or around freshwater bodies of water, Forensic Linguistics which deals
with government issues that need linguistic experience, Forensic Meteorology
which is the analysis of past weather for point of loss, Forensic Odontology which
is the study of teeth. Smile! 
Forensic Optometry which is the study of eyewear, Forensic Psychology
which is the study of someone’s mind and criminal behavior, Forensic Seimology
which is the study of seismic signals made by underground nuclear explosions,
Forensic Serology which is the study of body fluids, Forensic Toxicology which is
the study of the affects of drugs and poisons has on the human body.
Forensic Video Analysis which is the examination, comparison, and
evaluation of videos.
Mobile Device Forensics which is the evaluation of evidence found on cell phones,
Trace Evidence which is the analysis of evidence (glass, paint etc.), Wildlife
Forensic Science which is involved with cases involving poaching, animal abuse,
and other things involving non-human living beings.
Forensic Scientist of Notability
There are a lot of scientist I could write about, but I have only chosen 2 and
have also decided to write about one of the historic cases that they helped solve.
Michael Baden (1934—)
Michael Baden received his medical degree in 1959 from the New York
University School of Medicine. He has been Deputy Chief Medical Examiner of
Suffolk County, given many lectures at universities, worked with the VICAP (Violent
Crime Analysis Unit) and with the New York State Police Child Abuse. He is also a
Board Certified forensic pathologist. Baden has been an expert witness to the Claus
Von Bulow murder trial along with the OJ Simpson trial and many others. He has
also been the Chairman of the Forensics Pathology Panel of the U.S. Congress Select
Committee that investigated the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.
President John F. Kennedy was shot November 22, 1963 just after noon. He
was in Dallas Texas at the Dealey Plaza. He was aware that there was a small group
of extremists adding to the political tension in Texas. JFK had arrived at the airport
and then began to go to his hotel. As his limousine passed the Texas School Book
Depository, a gun was shot. The president had been shot in the neck and head. He
was pronounced dead at 1 o’clock P.M.
Pathologists with no training or experience with gunshot wounds examined
President John F. Kennedy. Baden was the first forensic pathologist to examine the
president’s wounds. He used photographs. Less than an hour after his death, Lee
Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of John F. Kennedy. When Oswald
was being transferred from, the police station to the county jail, he was shot by Jack
Ruby. Oswald died 2 hours later.
Sara C. Bisel (1932—1996)
Dr. Sara C. Bisel was a physical anthropologist and a classical archaeologist.
She researched at Herculaneum. She attended the University of Minnesota and
received a master’s degree in Classical area studies and also specialized in Greek
archaeology. She also had a PhD in archaeology. When she researched at
Herculaneum, she became an expert on ancient health and nutrition. She has also
been awarded fellowship of the Smithsonian Institution, she has done research
funded by the National Geographic Society, and worked at sites in Greece, Israel,
Italy, and Turkey.
Herculaneum was discovered in the 18th century while a well was being dug.
Herculaneum was lost to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It was a village in Italy at
the time. Since it has been discovered, there have been around 300 skeletons
recovered. It was a breakthrough in science and anthropology because Romans
almost always cremated their dead. When the eruption had occurred, almost the
entire town had fled, while around 300 took refuge in 12 boathouses.
Dr. Sara Bisel conducted much research on Herculaneum. She discovered
many things. For example: they had a good diet and good nourishment (she found
this based on the height of the bones), she noticed that there was a lack of children’s’
bones (either from low fertility rate or that the bones had decomposed faster from
being more fragile and/or smaller), the people of Herculaneum had good teeth from
their high seafood diet. She was there for six years dong chemical analysis. Sara
Bisel’s findings are extremely important for the studying people of Herculaneum
and their nutrition.