Who Dunnit? The Science Of Solving a Mystery
Dhivya Arasappan takes us through some of the key scientific technologies used by modern-day sleuths.
DNA Profiling
A fairly recent discovery by British geneticist, Alec Jeffreys, DNA profiling is, by far, one of the major breakthroughs in the field of forensic science. Much like fingerprints, DNA can be used to uniquely identify a person. However, DNA is more powerful because it is easily left behind- skin cells left in the victim’s fingernails when he/she scratched the perpetuator, blood, a strand of hair, a nail, semen, they can all be used in DNA profiling.
This method, has not only helped identify the culprit, but has often helped exonerate the innocent. In fact, many old cases have been reopened and solved using DNA evidence. Perhaps the most famous one is that of Ex-marine, Kevin Green, who was imprisoned for raping and killing his wife. After spending 16 years in jail, Green was finally set free when DNA from the semen in the victim’s body failed to match his.
Ballistics
Ballistics refers to the flight path taken by a bullet. By tracing the path of the bullet, investigators can find out critical details such as the distance and direction from which the bullet was fired. Ballistic fingerprinting is also used to identify the gun from the patterns on the bullet remains.
3D modeling and animation
The scene of the crime provides valuable information about the crime itself. Not too long ago, an investigator’s record of the crime scene consisted merely of photographs taken at the scene. Today, with computer visualization technology at the forefront, investigators can recreate the crime scene as a 3D model. This is powerful because they can then test out different theories of what might have happened using their 3D rendition.
What’s next? Facial recognition software
Facial recognition and retinal scanning software are expected to be the next scientific breakthrough in the police field. The FBI has already begun setting up a database of people’s physical characteristics, such as eye scans, which can later be used to identify criminals.
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