Squintz Posted November 7, 2003 Posted November 7, 2003 Of all the science topics in here im suprised not to see Forensics as on of them. Why is this? I wanted to take a forensic science class in high school but they said i had to be in a law major to take it. (I went to a tech school) As a person who like to collect spy tools i think we should talk about some of the techniques used to catch criminals. It would be fun to try and figure out who left the Milk out on the table. You know how it get left out sometimes and all the kids say it wasnt me and you wife say nope i didnt do it. Well i think we need to talk about way we could track down the criminal who put the penut butter in the fridge and left the jelly on the counter. And who's been drinking the soda from the soda bottle. I think we should take swabs of cells from all the family members and test them to see who is guilty. This should be a good discusion so have at it people!
atinymonkey Posted November 7, 2003 Posted November 7, 2003 I use sticky tape to catch criminals. Then I offer them terms as henchpersons in my organisation. I laugh at the feeble attempts of the law worms in catching me. Their brains are so small, I hear the rattle as they run towards me.
Squintz Posted November 7, 2003 Author Posted November 7, 2003 What are some homemade test kits that people can make? Are there any chemicals that you can buy from the average store that you can use to test certain peices of evidence and compare it to your suspect?
YT2095 Posted November 7, 2003 Posted November 7, 2003 lol, yeah plenty, but you`ll need to be a little more specific than that
Squintz Posted November 7, 2003 Author Posted November 7, 2003 I dont have any idea where to start so can you just spit out two or three and the ill ask questions from there.
YT2095 Posted November 7, 2003 Posted November 7, 2003 well reading your 1`st post again, I`de have to say that it`s nothing a simple 50 dollar B/W vidi cam wouldn`t solve for a start
Squintz Posted November 7, 2003 Author Posted November 7, 2003 I know but that takes all the fun out of the game. I want to play with chemicals. Like i said in another post i live for knowledge. The average joe can set up a video cam on the refridgerator and catch his son taking the 3rd or fourth beer thinking that dad doesnt count. But that takes all the fun out of the work. Id like to find the can placed in with all the other aluminum cans and use some cotton swaps and saw the mouth peice of the cans for some skin cells and the go to my wife daughter and son and swab each of them. Mix the swabs in some chemicals and find out who took my beer. I have a great imagination! But the point is since a kid i liked playing with chemicals i like tearing things apart and putting them back together again. I like to do fun stuff that i didnt know i could do. Video taping isnt fun. Mixing chemicals is.
YT2095 Posted November 7, 2003 Posted November 7, 2003 Use UV marker then, but if more than one touched it, it will show. swabs and stuff like is for the Organic chemist here, I`m not one of them, my knowledge in that area VERY cursory. I`m more based on the "practical" side of things
VendingMenace Posted November 8, 2003 Posted November 8, 2003 squintz, Hey, you could aways grind up some graphite, take a makeup brush and dust for fingerprints. They you can use clear packing tape to collect the fingerprints. That would work for the beer can thing. As far as using skin cells, that may prove alternatively impossible and prohibitively expensive. As least as far as skin cells go, you would be looking for DNA, so you would need alot of lab equipment and really expensive enzymes to do that, unfortunately. One thing you could also could consider is silver nitrate. It is mostly harmless and when you touch it, it turns you skin black. SO you could set out a beer that you wanted stolen, and then dust it with silver nitrate, then the next day, whoever had black hands would be the one that stole you beer. Cool, there is a start
YT2095 Posted November 8, 2003 Posted November 8, 2003 Vending, you do realise you`ll get complained at for saying the "Silver Nitrate" word sorry couldn`t resist that one
atinymonkey Posted November 8, 2003 Posted November 8, 2003 Mmmmm, random use of silver nitrate around liquids intended for ingestion. Chewy lawsuit fun.
VendingMenace Posted November 8, 2003 Posted November 8, 2003 mmm....i kinda prefer the crunchy lawsuit fun yeah, so i guess i should say that everything i say should be taken as things you could do, not things you should do. esp since ingestion can cause sevear gastrointestinal problems that can be fatal yeah, i forget sometimes that we are not all chemists and talk as if we are *sigh* oh well...
aman Posted November 9, 2003 Posted November 9, 2003 The police use UV markers like YT says. I knew of a delivery by the post office back in the 70's that was dusted with powder. The police entered next and under UV illumination saw glow on each of the occupants hands and also a trail to the toilet tank where the contraband was hidden. It's safe and it works. Just aman
wolfson Posted November 17, 2003 Posted November 17, 2003 Im currently studying Bsc/ApFs Applied Science and Fornesic investigation combined with Crime Scene Science and Chemistry... I dont know the reason im sure the site would have the ability to open a section for CSS and FS i summise it would be very popular i'd for certain enjoy FS/CSS topics..... and go for it if you can make sure you have basic knowledge i.e. register for an extended science course (A'Level) will be very helpful and also a math (pure/advanced) would help, as i am currently practicing Pure math after completing Advanced. Gl anyway
Squintz Posted November 17, 2003 Author Posted November 17, 2003 Are there many private Forensics jobs or do most involve having a backround in law also?
atinymonkey Posted November 17, 2003 Posted November 17, 2003 Well, Quincy (ME) was a medical examiner by trade, but carried out forensic examinations at his own bequest to avoid having to carry out actual autopsies. MacGyver seemed to have official connections to government agencies, however his use of forensics was severely limited to using it as a tool for entertain the voices in his head that he constantly talked too. Jessica Fletcher, unconnected to any police agency, carried out cursory examinations of crime scenes, however the crime's were of a nature to occur in close proximity to Mrs. Fletcher who then proceeded to 'solve' the murder and make a profit from writing a book about her 'solving' the crime (the suspects invariably resisted the arrest, claiming innocence and unsubstantiated evidence) . Daphne and Fred carried out forensic analysis without any legal background, but as the case was invariably solved by a Doberman and a hippie running into the criminal, so I don't suppose it was ever raised as an issue. I guess the field is wide open, so long as your convictions are not based on the evidence you collated. I advice the use of Columbos method of annoyance to the point of the suspect spontaneously confessing. Although, as you are not connected to a police force or legal department, the suspect could choose to shoot you in the face rather than opting for jail time.
YT2095 Posted November 17, 2003 Posted November 17, 2003 Hey, monkey, don`t Knock MacGuyver ! he was a good student of mine
wolfson Posted November 17, 2003 Posted November 17, 2003 Not that i know of Law dosent have to be applied well not in the Uk
atinymonkey Posted November 18, 2003 Posted November 18, 2003 Those crazy talking dogs. God love 'em, I've no idea of the breeds. And Mr MacGyver is an outstanding fellow, full of ingenuity, mullets, social conscious and charm. He just hears voices in his head from time to time. I'm sure it's normal.
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