I have previously talked about how to get a job in forensic science and how CSI has skewed the image the general public has of forensic scientists (see job in forensic science, retrain, real CSI effect, speed and effect of science, job in forensic science plus others – it’s something about which I have strong feelings…). This is a good and brief article dealing with Bob Shaler’s opinion on forensic science, CSI and what it means to get a job in forensic science: Is Forensic Science on TV Accurate?. Bob Shaler was the man charged with handling the DNA identification of the World Trade Centre bombings so he knows his stuff. Disappointingly for many, when he says “I was a crime lab guy, but I was never the person portrayed on TV.” “That person doesn’t really exist.” – it’s sad but true.

One of my work-heads is as a Palynologist, which means I study pollen, spores and other microscopic material that remain in sediments after they’ve been chemically treated to remove extraneous material.  For forensic work, we might be limited to sediment scraped from the knee of a pair of trousers or perhaps pollen collected from the heads of cannabis plants, but any sort of sediment can be examined for pollen.
For geological/archaeological samples, lake sediments and peats are the best in terms of preservation state, abundance and variety.  It is therefore extremely heartening to see that palynology has been able to help in determining the extinction mechanism of mammoths and other large mammals during the last Ice Age, which ended approximately 10,000 years ago (depending on one’s global location) – see Mammoth dung unravels extinction. The study indicates a gradual decline in large mammal numbers, not a catastrophic extinction a la the dinosaurs at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary 65 million years ago.
Scientifically, it’s an interesting study but from a general perspective I still find it strange that people are surprised that the large mammals are probably more than just a pretty addition to an African landscape but have actually been significant in it’s development. I’m pretty sure David Attenborough’s known that for years.
It’s also reassuring that analysing excrement can add so much information to our knowledge – an archaeologist I know has spent years analysing coprolites from Maori sites. It’s fascinating what we can learn from pooh.

What happens to the human body after it dies? Well, after the TV program two nights ago about what happens to bodies when they are gifted to research, it’s been possible to get a visual insight into the ‘after life’. If your stomach’s not up to it or you can’t stand the smell, “Death’s Acre, Beyond the Legendary Body Farm” by Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson is an excellent read. It’s largely autobiographical in that it’s written by the man who founded the Body Farm (to whom and to which I have referred in an earlier post) and it’s an extremely insight book into the world of forensic anthropology.
Dr Bill Bass established the Body Farm in 1980 – it’s now a major research facility dealing with how the human body decomposes under different circumstances after death (locked in the boot of a car in hot weather or cold weather; how long bodies stay submerged in water; what happens if a body lies on a coin for twelve days…the possibilities are endless because the circumstances of casework are endless) – it’s the only facility of it’s kind in the world – probably because no-one else wants rotting corpses lying around in the open air. Fascinating reading and not gory at all (well, not my most forensic science book standards….).
He provides interesting case examples and hasn’t been afraid to admit where his knowledge was lacking in the early days and why, therefore, considerable research was required to bring the subject to the high level it now enjoys.
Dr Bass writes in a clear and enjoyable way – he’s one of those writers who can convey a difficult and somewhat morbid day job into a fascinating learning experience for the reader. I love reading books like this because I always come away having learnt something new – and doing that without having to read a dry text book is a plus as far as I’m concerned. Plus his story about being told off by his wife for boiling up bodies on the kitchen stove makes me feel less guilty about wrecking expensive household items during a recent research project…

Blood pattern analysis (BPA) is an area of forensic science that is extremely important but extremely under-rated – people seem to have a misconception about how easy it is to “read” blood patterns (no doubt not helped by CSI!).  To become proficient in blood pattern analysis requires more than just a few tests drips cast down a wall or onto paper.  Understanding the variability in pattern (or lack of) created by direction, velocity, flow, depositional surface…. are crucial to correct interpretation of blood patterns.  As with any other area of forensic science, specialised training is required plus considerable experience backed up with advice and peer-review.  It’s not the sort of thing that can just be Googled for a quick answer.

Finally I have managed to find a good online resource that details how to record blood patterns: Documenting Bloodstain Patterns Through Roadmapping .  It may sound ridiculous but you’d be amazed at how poorly blood patterns are recorded in casework. As the article states, “As the old adage goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” However, in the field of crime scene investigation this saying should be changed to “a properly taken picture is worth a thousand words.” Never is this more true than when documenting bloodstain patterns at a scene. Proper documentation of a crime scene, and bloodstains specifically, verifies the integrity of the scene and the evidence within it; provides quality presentations for subsequent courtroom testimony; and allows for outside analysis by other experts. The fundamental goal of documenting bloodstain patterns is to accurately depict the patterns as you found them.” One of the key indicators of a good crime scene examiner is the ability to record information from a crime scene so that it can be viewed at a later date by individuals who have not attended the crime scene so that they, in turn, will be able to understand what was present and, if necessary,re-interpret the patterns.  Some people could learn from this….

A man in Trinidad and Tobago had to wait six years for his trial to be heard – he was arrested for possession of a pistol and six rounds of ammunition in September 2003 – Man freed after six-year trial. The firearm and bullets were sent to the Forensic Science Centre on 26 September 2003 and the Certificate of Analysis was dated 15 February 2007 – a total of 3 and a half years…but what have they been doing since then that delayed the final verdict?!  The article is silent on that point.