Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Definition:
Forensic comes from the Latin word forensis, meaning public. The modern definition of forensic means to be suitable for the courts. Thus, forensic science is any science used for the purpose of law.
Forensic scientists perform chemical and physical tests on evidence submitted by police officers to resolve legal issues.
There are many areas of forensic science and you can specialize in any of them.
Forensic Science
However, forensics is still a relatively new area of science. It was not until the beginning of the 1800s that hair, blood, and fingerprints were frequently used as evidence to convict someone of a crime.
Sherlock Holmes
Do you think Sherlock Holmes was a real person?
Sherlock Holmes
Conan Doyle based Sherlock Holmes on his professor in medical school, surgeon and forensic detective Joseph Bell.
Joseph Bell
Bell taught the importance of close observation in making a diagnosis. He would often pick a stranger and, by observing him, deduce his occupation and recent activities. These skills made him a pioneer in forensic science.
CSI Effect
The CSI effect is where the popularity of forensic based TV shows has raised crime victims and jurys expectations of forensic evidence. Although the technology seen on these shows are used in crime labs, they take much more time and detail in real life.
Criminalists
Criminalists are the most common form of forensic scientists. They analyze, identify and interpret a broad range of physical evidence. Using chemicals and various instruments, they discover useful information for an investigation or trial.
Criminalists
For example, they might find that a bullet was shot from a particular gun, or blood at a crime scene was the suspects.
Criminalists
The most important task of a criminalist is to interpret the results of the tests they run to determine the truth. This requires an understanding of human nature, of laws of science, and how they interact.
These scientists must identify what species the evidence came from to determine if poaching or hunting violations had occurred.
Becoming A Criminalist
A bachelors degree is required at a minimum, with a masters degree preferred. You do not have to major in biology or chemistry, but you do have to take at least 24 hours of math and science.
Forensic Pathologists
Pathology is the study of disease. Forensic pathologists perform autopsies to determine the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding a persons death. They investigate not only violent deaths, but also sudden deaths, deaths in police custody, and death during surgery.
Forensic Pathologists
They also may visit the scene of the death to discover what happened at the time of death, what the person was doing at the time, and the persons medical history. A forensic pathologist collects evidence from the body and sends it to a criminalist to analyze.
Forensic Pathologists
Forensic pathology plays an important role in public health and disease prevention. They can recognize when a disease is occurring in an area and discover faulty consumer products that may lead to injury or death.
There is a need for pathologists!! If you can get through med school and you like to work on your own, this field is less competitive to start a career in.
Forensic Anthropologists
Forensic anthropologists are called in to identify recovered skeletons and bones and decipher many clues about the person, such as sex, age, and health.
Forensic Anthropologists
Some make facial reproductions, where they model how a face may have appeared when the only evidence is a skull.
They can also work with pathologists to determine the cause of death, and by examining insect remains, can determine time elapsed since death.
Forensic Anthropologists
Forensic Anthropologists must have a Ph.D. in anthropology specializing in skeletal biology. What makes forensic anthropologists stand out is they must know about issues affecting contemporary human populations.
Forensic Anthropologists
Can you think of an instance when a forensic anthropologist would have been called in the last few years? Need a hint?
Forensic anthropologists were called in to help identify the remains of loved ones.
Image taken from: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/nypd_wtc_emerg.html
Forensic Engineers
Forensic Engineers use the science of engineering for the purpose of the law, mostly in civil suits but sometimes in criminal cases. Common questions they answer include:
How did the fire start? Why did the plane crash? How did this car accident happen?
Forensic Psychiatrist
Forensic Psychiatrists are doctors that perform assessments of mental illness to determine innocence by reason of mental illness. They spend a lot of time with lawyers and judges and are trained to give expert testimony in the courts.
Document Examiner
Document examiners investigate documents and related material, such as ink, paper, or ribbons from a typewriter. They answer questions such as:
Is this a true signature? Are there any additions on this check? Is this document a forgery?
Toxicologists
Toxicology is the study of harmful effects of chemicals or drugs on living systems.
Forensic Toxicologists
Forensic toxicologists answer the question, "Did prescription or illegal drugs and/or alcohol lead or contribute to the person's death or intoxication?" This is accomplished by performing chemistry tests on body fluid and tissue samples and interpreting the findings.
Forensic Dentists
Forensic dentists are called to identify human remains of natural disasters, terrorist activities, and missing/unknown persons. They also analyze bite marks in cases of rape, assault, or homicide, and can compare this evidence to dental evidence from a suspect through digital imaging.
Forensic Specialists
Speech scientist- analyzing voice patterns Artist/sculptor- facial reconstruction Ballistics analyst- wound interpretation Marine scientist- investigation of crimes against the environment Computer analyst- unearth details of crime through computer technology
Summing it Up
So if you have a love of science and you would like to use it for the good of society and public safety, forensic science could be a career for you!