The Art of Facial Recognition

Taylor, Michelle. “The Art of Facial Recognition.” Forensic Magazine, © Copyright 2017 Advantage Business Media, 13 Mar. 2017, www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/03/art-facial-recognition?cmpid=horizontalcontent.

“The Art of Facial Recognition”, by Michelle Taylor, describes the ways in which the use of Facial Recognition technology is widely misunderstood by the public. She describes how unlike biometric sciences, Facial Recognition is not absolute, falls under no scrutiny in terms of regulations, standards, or restrictions to the science; cannot be used on its own in court to lead to an arrest, and it is unique in that it serves as an intersection between the principles of biometric science and graphic art design. However, despite these disadvantages, the “up and coming” (4th-last paragraph) science still continues to be improved in its efficacy and reliability. Most notably, retired NYPD detective Roger Rodriguez, the designer and builder of the nation’s first “dedicated facial recognition unit” that “triaged lower-quality photos for post-investigation analysis” (paragraph 5), described at length how images from or related to a crime scene that were originally deemed too low quality to be analyzed by facial recognition could instead be given a second chance for use through the application of photo enhancement and other graphic art design tools. These tools can account for the inaccuracies of facial measurement caused by bad lighting, distance, “bad pose”, closed eyes, as well as articles of clothing that block the face by correcting as many of those elements as possible with replacing eyes, changing lighting, etc. and therefore assisting FR technology in accurately measuring the face. However, rapid progress in the science has led to a public misunderstanding of how law enforcement actually uses the Facial Recognition technology due to unrealistically high expectations of its efficacy and accuracy that was generated by misrepresentation of the field.

If facial recognition becomes more widely known as a relevant and successful science to aid law enforcement, the applications of this technology in other sciences will increase. For example, cell-phone companies will utilize such technology as a security measure to protect people’s phones from being unlocked by others. In fact, this already posed an issue when Android attempted to do this because people were able to unlock the phone using pictures of people’s faces as well as masks to fool the FR software. This likely happened because members of Android did not realize how much extra manipulation of the image was needed to validate the FR software results in law enforcement, and this caused an unrealistically high expectation of and reliance on the FR software itself. This is an example of how a public disconnect from law enforcement regarding the perception of a field of science can actually pose risks to people’s lives outside the field of forensics. Therefore, it is important for law-enforcement and the public to be on the same page about any science that may be used outside of forensics. Additionally, the merging of biometric science and graphic art design shows how fields like forensics also help people and society by expanding the marketplace for different skills.

While the use of dialogue from the chief designer of this software was instrumental in increasing the article’s credibility, the key flaw in its overall ethos is other perspectives. For example, after the science itself was described in great detail, the concluding paragraphs describe how there is a public disconnect with law enforcement on the expectations, efficacy and on the applications of Facial Recognition technology due to what Rodriguez described as “misunderstanding” and “misinformation” about the science (Taylor 2nd to last paragraph). Rodriguez goes on to state that, “There needs to be a push for education in the field,” (last paragraph). In this portion of the text, Rodriguez’s take on the situation is not sufficient to aid in the reader’s understanding of the issue. This is an example of where quotes from the supposedly “uneducated” public would have helped to clarify exactly where the expectation and/or understanding of Facial Recognition differed in the public sphere from the understanding of law enforcement agencies. Although she proved to understand the actual science with extensive explanation in how it is applied, the fields used in the science and how the science itself works; simply writing the article from the viewpoint of Rodriguez does not support that Michelle Taylor understands the context or controversy surrounding the subject matter.

Yes, Aaron Hernandez Suffered Brain Injury. But That May Not Explain His Violence

Carey, Benedict. “Yes, Aaron Hernandez Suffered Brain Injury. But That May Not Explain His Violence.” New York Times, 22 Sept. 2017.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/health/aaron-hernandez-brain.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, has been a big problem in contact sports for many years, and for the past decade has been a problem in the NFL.  It is caused by constant hits to the head and could lead to short-term memory loss, impulsive behavior, difficulty thinking, suicidal thoughts, and other serious problems.  In the early 1900s, CTE, or as it used to be called, dementia pugilistica, was thought to only affect boxers but now scientists know that it can affect anyone playing a contact sport.  Due to the high rate of head injuries like concussions in the NFL, CTE has become synonymous with the league.  More attention has been drawn towards CTE with the suicides of former NFL players like Junior Seau and Andre Waters, both of whom had CTE.  It has recently been found that disgraced former player Aaron Hernandez had CTE.  Hernandez, who has had a history of violence, was jailed for murder recently before he, too, killed himself.  It was theorized that maybe his violence was caused by his severe CTE, but recent evidence says that may not be true.  In his article, Benedict Carey states that the science relating brain biology to behavior is a little unclear.  He states that even though doctors such as Dr. Samuel Gandy, the director of the NFL neurology program, say that “... rage and irritability are ‘far and away the most prominent symptoms’ among former players with likely CTE,” and that “similar behavior” has been found in players who are likely to have CTE, there is little evidence to prove that extensive brain damage causes irritability and violence.  Carey states that people with dementia, a similar degenerative disorder of the brain, often do have times where they act in “uncharacteristically aggressive ways.”  This could be a factor in proving the link between brain biology and behavior.  While that could be a factor, Carey then states that Hernandez’s history of drug abuse makes him more impulsive and could possibly make the impulsivity and emotional instability caused by his CTE even worse.  Carey says that testosterone could make somebody- especially a football player who could have excess testosterone in their system due to performance enhancing drug use- more violent.  Carey concludes the article by saying that there might never be a definitive answer to whether or not brain damage is the cause for a specific act of violence.

The subject of this article is very important because of the prevalence of contact sports in our society.  If people of all ages want to continue playing contact sports, then there needs to be safer ways to play the sports.  Parents aren’t going to let their kids play the sport if they worry about permanent brain damage.  Aaron Hernandez, who was 27 when he died, had severe damage to his brain and most of his temporal and frontal lobes were degenerated.  The extent of his brain damage was akin to that of former NFL players with CTE in their 60s.  The popularity of football will decline if more and more players die young because of CTE, and more people will lose their lives if we can’t find a way to make the game safer.  

Carey’s article was very well written and entertaining.  It had an intriguing first sentence which made me want to continue reading the article, and the article itself was just as interesting.  Carey had relatively few weaknesses.  The main weakness was that Carey should have included more details about how the CTE scientists were conducting their experiments and coming up with their conclusions.  I feel that would have made the article more interesting.  Also, I don’t think it was necessary to include the part about Hernandez’s fiancée and daughter’s lawsuit against the NFL because it is not relevant when discussing whether or not brain biology is related to behavior.

Posted for P. Kinon

Traces of Crime: How New York’s DNA Techniques Became Tainted.

Liam Grealy

Forensics

Mr. Ippolito

September 24th

Current Events #2

Kirchner, Lauren. “Traces of Crime: How New York’s DNA Techniques Became Tainted.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/nyregion/dna-analysis-evidence-new-york-disputed-techniques.html.

The article starts out discussing how the DNA lab in New York City has been home to breakthroughs in the field of forensics. The methods were so much more advanced than any of nearby labs that they often would do other samples at a cost of one thousand dollars each. However, the new techniques which were discovered in New York City have recently come under controversy over validity.  Earlier this year the lab changed their methods for more accepted technology. This means that there is the possibility that cases can be revisited and proven not guilty as the flawed evidence may prove a different outcome in the trial.

I think it is very important that we revisit and adapt our forensic equipment. If we as a society are putting someone in jail there must be no shred of doubt that they are truly guilty. For instance in the article they talk about how a man was convicted after they found a very small amount of DNA on his shoe. “Recovered 97.9 picograms of DNA from at least two people. A picogram is one trillionth of a gram.” I think it is ridiculous that a man was arrested after they found such a small amount of DNA like how much DNA would be on your shoe from just walking in the same place as someone else. In a case like that such a small amount of DNA should not put a man in jail, if anything it should support a stronger piece of evidence. After all in America we are innocent until proven guilty and to me he was not proven guilty. Years ago we only used fluids to as evidence now we can use a fraction of a cell and we call it evidence. Although forensic devices are adapting we must also take into account that it could be a mistake or even just circumstantial evidence. The DNA is usually used to prove someone's innocence by proving their DNA was not present at the crime so in that circumstance the method is great.

The article was a little long and I feel as though many other people who just saw the title and it caught their eye would be turned away after they saw the length. I feel like the topic was very important so they should have broken it into smaller articles. I would have enjoyed to have seen another trial which was brought back as it would have helped to understand just how little DNA they have decided was too little to count as evidence.  I enjoyed the  detail about the software that accompanied the DNA to help get better results as I found it very interesting.

Salvador Dalí Was Not Woman’s Father, DNA Test Shows

“Salvador Dalí Was Not Woman’s Father, DNA Test Shows”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/arts/salvador-dali-paternity-lawsuit.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection

This article regarding Salvador Dalí made headlines all across news stations when Pilar Abel claimed that Dalí was indeed her father. If Dalí was indeed her father, Pilar Abel would have inherited the fortune that Dalí’s estate that is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Salvador Dalí is known as one of the best painters to ever live and his works are still studied today. He was a an icon when alive appearing on talk shows and interviews to talk about his paintings. He died without having a child. Many years after his death, Pilar Abel claimed to be the daughter of Dalí and wanted to take an official paternity test to see if she indeed was the daughter and if that means she would be able to get the hundreds of millions of dollars inherited by being the daughter of Dalí. The only way to test if she was the daughter was to find Dalí’s body which is in a museum in the Catalonia region, and retrieve DNA to see if the two would match. Scientists were baffled to find the body of Dalí surprisingly intact and took the information they needed. Ironically, the museum where Dalí’s body is was designed by Dalí himself. He died at age 84 in 1989 and even his mustache was intact from when he died which is remarkable. Once the paternity test came back it was clear that Dalí was not the father of Pilar Abel. Proving that Dalí died without having kids.

This article shows how curtail forensic evidence can be especially when determining the DNA of two individuals. Without information and testing like this, Pilar Abel could have gotten away as being the daughter of a Picasso like figure, but thankfully we are able to find the truth through the paternity test. As stated in the article, “Ms. Abel’s paternity lawsuit had been supported by forensic experts and the results of DNA testing, she could have claimed part of the estate worth hundreds of millions of dollars that Dalí left to the Spanish government.” It is moments like these in history that we are blessed to have forensic studies.

I would say this article was a very good read. I enjoyed learning about Dalí because of how famous he is and I loved how there was real forensic science involved as well. Finding like this in any case are extremely important and we have to keep thriving in this aspect to be able to determine matters like this. A great read and a great article.

Posted for G. Gelinas

Accused Massachusetts Killer-Rapist ID'd, 25 Years Later, Through DNA and Handwritten Confession

Citation: “Accused Massachusetts Killer-Rapist ID'd, 25 Years Later, Through DNA and Handwritten Confession.” Forensic Magazine, 19 Sept. 2017, www.forensicmag.com/news/2017/09/accused-massachusetts-killer-rapist-idd-25-years-later-through-dna-and-handwritten-confession.

Link: https://www.forensicmag.com/news/2017/09/accused-massachusetts-killer-rapist-idd-25-years-later-through-dna-and-handwritten-confession

I read an article published in Forensic Magazine entitled, “Accused Massachusetts Killer-Rapist ID'd, 25 Years Later, Through DNA and Handwritten Confession.” This article discusses the 1992 murder and rape case of Lisa Ziegert, a teacher’s aide in Massachusetts. On the night of April 15, 1992, Lisa was working a second job at a card shop, where she went missing. The next day, Lisa’s boss found the shop doors open, and Lisa’s car in the parking lot. Four days later, Lisa’s body was found in a wooded area nearby. For 25 years, the case had remained unsolved. The article discusses the case in detail, and how they were able to find the murderer, who was arrested on September 16th. Gary E. Schara from West Springfield Massachusetts was finally convicted based on investigative work, and a written confession from Schara. As well as both of these elements heavily assisting the case, the article discusses the DNA work that also contributed. The case was reopened in 2013, and Last year, they began work with Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA phenotyping company which uses DNA profiles to generate an idea of physical appearance. The composite came back depicting a suspect with “a mix of northern and southern European ancestry: a male with fair to very fair complexion, with some freckling, brown or black hair, and hazel or brown eyes. They showed the purported suspect at age 25, and about 25 years older.”

This article is very important to the world as a whole, as it discusses how a famous murder case was finally closed. The article also talks about very revolutionary DNA technology, that could potentially help solve closed unsolved murder cases in the future, as well as helping to further advance the field of DNA technology. It is very important for the general public to stay educated on important advances in science, and this article helps do this. The article also gives a very general overview of the way that investigative research is conducted, detailing the step by step procedures that police took to reach their conclusion on the case, which is also very informative and important.

I felt that the article overall was very impressive, and I really enjoyed how in-depth it went with the police work involved in the case. I also really enjoyed that the article included quotes from both Lisa’s family, and the detectives that worked on the case. I think that the article was slightly confusing in the way that it was spaced, and larger paragraph grouping as opposed to short sentences would have been more coherent, and easy to follow. I also think that a lot of information could be condensed, to make the article easier to read.

Posted for F. Fraser

Simulation of mirror surfaces for virtual estimation of visibility lines for 3D motor vehicle collision reconstruction

 Simulation of mirror surfaces for virtual estimation of visibility lines for 3D motor vehicle collision reconstruction

Forensic Science International, Volume 279, Issue null, Pages 106-111

Anja Leipner, Erika Dobler, Marcel Braun, Till Sieberth, Lars Ebert

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037907381730302X

I chose my article from the Forensic Science International Journal that discussed the Simulation of mirror surfaces for virtual estimation of visibility lines for 3D motor vehicle collision reconstruction. The article focused on the use of modern technology, specifically surface scanning tests for vehicle mirrors that utilize raytracing algorithms. By positioning mirrors in different angles and using these algorithms to take into account the effects of sunlight as well as driver headlights the the testers were able to simulate the exact field of vision that a driver had during an accident. They also used the simulations to improve the field of vision for driver rear-view and sideview mirrors therefore making the cars safer due to this new technology.

The findings in this article could be significant as in could possibly lead to the prevention of future traffic accidents if they have been caused by the driver’s limited field of vision.  The 3D data can lead to changes in potentially adding new road signs or changing crossings if data demonstrates that the driver’s visibility lines were limited.  This would benefit all of our society.  Today drivers have many more distractions than ever before so having the best field of vision and reducing blind spots could make our roads safer.  Eliminating one deadly traffic accident due to lack of field of vision could save a family heartbreak. As a new driver, any possible blind spots could lead to a dangerous or deadly situation.  We should strive to have the best and safest cars available.  Another important aspect of collision reconstruction is the ability for the those investigating an accident or crime scene to use these new technologies to better understand who is responsible. This can be important for court cases and those determining who was at fault.

The article clearly explained how to use modern technology to improve car safety as well as assisting law enforcement in deciding why an accident or crime occurred.  The article while very detailed about how the technology is used, did not take into account how human error can affect the reason for accident.  The article also was heavy on the data and not as detailed on the types of improvements would suggest for improving mirror safety.  

Posted for K. Formato

Families deserve a final Grenfell death toll. We mustn’t be slaves to DNA testing

I

“Families deserve a final Grenfell death toll. We mustn’t be slaves to DNA testing”

Easthope, Lucy. “Families Deserve a Final Grenfell Death Toll. We Mustn't Be Slaves to DNA Testing | Lucy Easthope.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 Aug. 2017, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/24/families-deserve-final-grenfell-tower-fire-death-toll-slaves-dna-testing-identify-victims#img-1.

On July 14, 2017, the Grendell Tower located in North Kensington, United Kingdom, experienced a dreadful fire which resulted in dozens of casualties. Recently, the death toll is said to be 80 people, however, only 58 victims have been formally identified. Many families who lost loved ones, have already been waiting for weeks to hear about the bodies that have been identified. Sadly, our current technology will not make this process any faster. DNA technology enables a reliable identification of victims. However, the downside to this process is that it may take months or even years to be certain to identify the bodies. Lucy Easthope, the author,   discusses other tragedies that have also left death tolls. Reflecting back on 9/11, she highlights the fact that victims from this terror attack are still being identified to this day. For instance, she states “Earlier this month, it was announced that the 1,641st victim of the attack on Twin Towers of the World Trade Center has been identified by the lastest “sensitive DNA technologies.” This proves that even after 16 years, bodies are still being identified. Shortly after the 9/11 tragedy, many families “opted in” to be regularly updated on the identification process. However, a majority of these families were oblivious to the fact that they were opting in to a process with no clear endpoint. In the meantime, science is continually developing, as scientists try to uncover new methods for identification, that will give them the information they are seeking but at a faster rate. So far, four billion dollars has been put into this identification process, by using technology, but as of now, scientists have been failing. Similarly, in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, just a few years ago, 47 people died due to a train that derailed and ignited in its town centre. Easthope discusses how the forensic challenges were comparable to both Grenfell and 9/11 but that “the process had a defined endpoint.” Because the death toll was less, it was easier to obtain DNA at the scene and to identify the bodies. As of today, countless families are living, still without confirmation of deaths of their loved ones.

This article is extremely important because of the fact that tragedies similar to these occur almost every day. Many of these attacks results in deaths, in which individuals need to be identified. With new technology, scientists will be able to identify bodies at a faster rate. It is important to invest more money into this process because of how common these disasters are. Even the smallest tragedies deserve equal attention, and by relying on exact DNA science to identify bodies, may just resolve many years of uncertainty. With scientists working each day to develop new ideas, hopefully new technology will soon be invented, with the ability to identify victims at a faster rate.

Throughout this article, the author highlights significant facts, making the article interesting to read. This article was well written and organized into logical sequence. She starts off by discussing the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower and the statistics that came with it. Easthope also includes other disasters, similar to Grenfell, such as the train incident in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, or the Twin Towers that were destroyed on 9/11. Although the author discusses other incidents, she does not fully explain what happened to cause the Grenfell fire, or the outcome it left on the city. In addition, she fails to mention the date of the fire, which may result in further research for the readers. Overall, this article was very well written, however to fix these small problems, the author should have included more information about the fire, and less about other tragedies.

School Shooter in Clovis, New Mexico

Griffin Garbarini
Forensics

Mr. Ippolito

09/10/17

Current Event Review #1

MLA Citation and hyperlink:

Press, Associated. “Police ID Teen Suspect in Fatal New Mexico Library Shooting.” Forensic Magazine, 30 Aug. 2017,

Review:

A previously peaceful community, with a quaint public library, was disturbed on Monday August 28th, 2017. Clovis, New Mexico was cursed with resident Nathaniel Jouett who open fired into his public libary, killing two librarians and wounding four others including a young boy. The Associated Press usually does not release the names of juvenile alleged criminals, but Mr. Jouett’s name was released because the DA’s office (district attorney) is going to charge him as an adult. The shooting took the community by surprise as any atrocity of that nature would. The story behind Mr. Jouett shows how manipulative he was and how he took advantage of the local priest. Nathaniel was dating the priest’s daughter. The priest realized through interaction that he had some issues that needed to be worked through if Nataniel still wanted to date his daughter. The priest convinced Nathaniel to come to church and start reading the bible. Nathaniel did wind up going to church a couple times and even brought his family with him. The priest assured the community that this young man had changed. The priest stated "It's just more than we can comprehend. I don't know what happened," Stevens (the priest) said. "His mind had to snap. I don't know any other way to explain it. He was a good kid. He had straightened his life out” (Associated Press). The shooting left the community of “40,000 shocked” and took two souls with it (Associated Press). Mr. Jouett will be charged with “two counts of first-degree murder, four counts of assault with intent to commit a violent felony, four counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of child abuse” (Associated Press).

The article written by the Associated Press helped to inform many of the shooting that occurred in Clovis, New Mexico. Some, including myself, had never heard of the incident and this article not only informed me of the incident, but educated me on the details surrounding the shooting. It sparked the curious side of my mind that made me think about what types of forensic scientists could be involved in this shooting to help the DA proove Nathaniel is guilty and was in the mindframe of an adult. They could ask for the help from forensic psychiatrists, who will determine the mental state of Nataniel, or criminality who can internalize and utilize all the physical evidence to help the DA prosecute. While the article did not have any life changing information, it still help educate people in the forensics community about the use of firearms in a attack in Clovis, New Mexico.

This article was found on forensicsmag.com, yet did not have as large as a forensic involvement as I had hoped. The article failed to mention what type of gun he used, how many times he fired into the library, and how this teaches the forensics community something new. This could have been seriously improved if they had mentioned more forensics related information. For example, they could have explained that the local or county criminalist is going to used the weapon and slugs to prove he was the one who killed everyone. While this information may be obvious to some, it may not be to entry level forensic scientists. Although the article was lacking in some areas, it exceeded my expectations in terms of the investigating that went into interviewing the priest. The interview and information from the priest added a certain angle that made the article very emotional and real as it gave true background to the incident.

A Closer Look at the Evidence

Haberman, Clyde. “A Closer Look at the Evidence.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Apr. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/us/retro-hair-analysis.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/us/retro-hair-analysis.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection

In Clyde Haberman’s “A Closer Look at the Evidence,” he discusses how the National Commission on Forensic Science, which had been made up various scientists, as well as judges and lawyers, was put to an end in April of this year, 2017, by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The advisory panel was initially started by the previous President, Barack Obama, with the goal to improve forensic techniques, some of which include ballistics testing, evidence from bite- marks, shoe-print comparisons as well as blood typing and analysis of hair. However, Haberman mentions the fact that errors do occur in forensic crime labs, which sometimes, would lead to miscalculating the subject of a crime. According to Max M. Houck, a former forensics expert for the Bureau of Investigation, “About 11 percent of the time, mitochondrial DNA said: ‘No, that hair actually came from someone else.’” Haberman also mentions that in  2009 the National Academy of Sciences, stated, “‘no forensic method has been rigorously shown to have the capacity to consistently, and with a high degree of certainty, demonstrate a connection between evidence and a specific individual or source.”’ Throughout Haberman’s article, he uses multiple examples from places such as a committee of the National Academy of Sciences to express how forensic evidence can be faulty, then causing those who may be innocent to be convicted of crimes.

Clyde Haberman’s article regarding evidence from forensic science is very relevant to our society. Forensic science, and DNA research is an important factor to being able to identify a suspect of a crime. Whether it be from trace evidence on objects and victims, hair analysis, ballistics testing, or other various techniques such as those mentioned in the article. With a rising crime rate, such as robberies, assaults and rape cases, in places such as Manhattan, the extensive use of forensic sciences is more present. However, without the National Commission on Forensic Science, it is questionable if the standard of laboratory work in labs will get better or worse.

I found this article interesting to read, as I was able to learn more about the current situation with forensic science. Haberman provided many sources of evidence to make his point that evidence from forensic science is not always accurate, such as findings from committee of the National Academy of Sciences. However, it appeared that the author focused mainly on the criticism of crime labs, and forensics. Also, perhaps the author could have provided more information on the National Commission on Forensic Science, as I would have wanted to know more about what their job was in a greater detail.

New York DNA Crime Lab

Hana Eddib 09/12/17

Forensics current event 1

Sampson, Barbara A. “New York DNA Crime Lab.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/opinion/medical-examiner-new-york-city.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/opinion/medical-examiner-new-york-city.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection

In Barbara Sampson’s “A New York DNA Crime Lab”, Sampson published a letter written by the New York City chief medical examiner. The letter discussed the crime labs integrity with their DNA findings. They claimed to be unbiased in producing evidence that supports one party over another. The letter discussed how in previous circumstances, defense lawyers and the FBI would request usage of the “Forensic Statistical Tool” (F.A.S.T) for “high sensitivity testing.” However, the lab upgraded their technology to technology that no longer required F.S.T. They reiterated their claim that they were nonpartisan to the court and would continue to stand by forensic evidence and that their upgrades were just another way of ensuring their integrity.

This article is very relevant to our society. DNA and forensic evidence is a large indicator of a comitance of a crime. It is important that if their are any ways to improve our ability to find evidence through forensics, that we must implement those improvements. As a society, we must be present and involved in making sure our communities are safe and that criminals are serving their time. Forensic evidence is a great way to ensure the right people are charged for a crime.

The article was a very interesting read. Having the actual letter included gave readers a direct perspective of the chief medical examiner. However, the author was missing some important factors. Considering the author didn’t include any background information before publishing the letter, it was a little hard to follow the subject of it. It would’ve been appreciated had the author opted to include a slight introduction in which they discussed the topic at hand and the relevance of the letter to the topic. It also would’ve been nice to know what the response was to the letter. The response could help to give insight on how people feel about this change in technology.

Taking the guesswork out of forensic analysis of fingermarks

Louisiana State University. "Taking the guesswork out of forensic analysis of fingermarks." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 June 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170613111624.htm>.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170613111624.htm

For my current event report, I decided to read and analyze the article “Taking the guesswork out of forensic analysis of fingermarks,” from the online news source Science Daily. The article discusses the scientific developments of researchers Fabrizio Donnarumma, Eden E. Camp, Fan Cao, Kermit K. Murray. These scientists have developed an “infrared laser” which “takes the mystery out of the process of identifying the chemical compositions of fingermarks at a crime scene.” This instrument will allow other forensic scientists to easily and swiftly capture the marks of fingerprints without disrupting the evidence. The device would also allow scientists to remove the finger marks from a surface and then analyze the many molecules in the print, including lipids, proteins, and other genetic materials. Using these newfound features, the team is working on prototypes of more portable lasers to be easily used at crime scenes. It can also identify different substances found in explosives. The process, referred to as laser ablation, involves angling a specialized laser onto the surface that contains a fingerprint. The laser heats up the area it is directed at and causes all of the water, in proximity to the print, to become gaseous. The gaseous water brings all molecules with it when sucked into the device’s vacuum. Once all molecules are safely collected into the vacuum container, they can be analyzed and further identified. The team is also in communication with several law enforcement institutions to establish better fingerprint identifying protocol and to inform other forensic scientists about easier methods used when identifying the chemical composition of a fingerprint.

Considering the fact that this article concerns the collection and identification of molecules on fingerprints, it is evident that it plays an extremely important role in the future of forensic science. If the portable laser ablation devices are perfected and dispersed among law enforcement institutions across the world, then the processes of fingerprint identification and analyzation will be much easier and more effective. This can lead to quicker arrests and more evidence to be offered during court trials. This would surely lead to a safer world as arrests would become much more definite and conclusive. The other molecules found among the fingerprints could also aid law enforcers in the countless different types of investigations, ranging from burglary charges to homicide, depending on what molecules were found among the fingerprints. The device would also prevent any interference and tampering with the crucial, and limited, evidence.

Overall, I believe that the article “Taking the guesswork out of forensic analysis of fingermarks,” was extremely well written and equally informative. The authors were able to describe the complicated and advance scientific instrument at hand while relating back to it’s uses and how it could deeply change the world of forensic science. The authors go into amazing detail surrounding the exact functions the laser. There is even information surrounding the different molecules that could possibly be found along with the fingerprints at the scene of a crime. In an effort to improve the article, the authors should have supplied the reader with more information surrounding the development of the scientific instrument. It would be interesting to know when exactly the instrument is going to be put into use by different law enforcement agencies. The authors could have further improved the article by describing a detailed example of the laser instrument in one of its many mock experiments to the readers. This would have given the readers a better idea of the process the forensic scientists go through to set up the device and the process the instrument goes through to gather the different types of molecules.

Where Are the Rape-Kit Nurses? 

Bronson, Brittany. “Where Are the Rape-Kit Nurses?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20

June 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/opinion/rape-kit-nurses.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=collection.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/opinion/rape-kit-nurses.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=collection 

I decided to read, "Where Are The Rape-Kit Nurses", for my current event. In this article, it describes the lack nurses that are trained properly for taking rape kits in Las Vegas. The process of teaching the nurses and having them on-call is too expensive. Last year in Las Vegas 718 people had received sexual assault examinations, this means there were about 50-80 kits taken every month. Las Vegas has one of the highest sexual assault ratings because of the clubs and casinos that are running around the clock. They said, "the line between consent and assault are quickly blurred" in a casino. Last year from the 718 people who got the sexual assault examinations, 60 percent of them were residents. This also isn't counting the people who are too scared to come forward because they think that their insurance won't be able to cover it and they might not be able to get to a hospital that has trained nurses. Not only do people have trouble coming forward and getting an examination when they do come forward, their rape-kit might not ever get tested. In Nevada alone, there were 8,000 rape kits that were never tested that just sit in law enforcement storage rooms. Overall, there are so many rape cases that are going undetected because of the lack of training the nurses have and the availability in local hospitals. 

This article is very significant to issues that are happening today. You hear stories of young girls at college who get taken advantage of because of "miscommunication" between them and another person. These girls who do get raped, are too scared to come forward because they're afraid of what people might think of them. If they do come forward, most colleges say that they should go to the campus security before they go to the police. When they go to the security, they usually try and tell the girls that they should take a day to think about what actually happened that night. This will make the girl think that they did something wrong and they'll get intimidated into not saying anything. This is a very prevalent topic today amongst women who are trying to advocate for the girls who are too afraid to say anything after their assault. Many times, if the girl does get a rape kit and they do find the person who assaulted the girl, the guy somehow gets the charges dropped or gets the charges cut. This is one of the biggest controversial topics between men and women. 

While reading this article, I thought that the author did a great job explaining the troubles that women face while trying to get justice for themselves. One of the things I would have liked to have in the article was more information about different places in the United States, like New York, California and maybe some colleges, and how they deal with rape cases and what their system is for taking examinations. Also, I would have liked to see the different numbers of nurses in each state compared to each other to see how many of the nurses lack the training of taking these examinations. Overall, I thought that the article had a great explanation on why some girls don't come forward after their assault. 

Traces of Crime: How New York’s DNA Techniques Became Tainted.

Kirchner, Lauren. “Traces of Crime: How New York’s DNA Techniques Became Tainted.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/nyregion/dna-analysis-evidence-new-york-disputed-techniques.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/nyregion/dna-analysis-evidence-new-york-disputed-techniques.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection

For this current event i decided to read the article Traces of Crime: How New York’s DNA Techniques Became Tainted. In this article it discussed how the technology used to identify DNA evidence in court cases has changed from being way above the standard of the FBI to faulty microscope technique. With this new technique scientist are questioning its validity, however New York's medical examiner claims that the new method is well tested and had to be updated in order to keep up with the FBI’s changing standards. The article claims that of this new technique is indeed faulty, then many crime scene evidence would be unusable in court, hurting many cases.

This topic is relevant to modern issues because if the DNA being recorded is not correct, it will arise faulty accusations in court, along with further complicating hard cases.  The scientist found a way however to make the samples more accurate, by testing the DNA in smaller groups they were able to focus more on these small groups then let's say a bigger jumbled group. THis may semi fix the problem of accuracy, however by looking at the DNA in smaller groups slows down the process and holds back many other steps in cases. Also by starting up a new process of getting evidence also slows down the scientist who have to spend time relearning on how to use this new type of technology, rather than just being able to stick with the old standard  technique they already knew how to use.

While reading the article i think the author did a ok job on assessing the problem at hand, however there summery on the situation was very wordy and lengthy responses which just ended up being confusing to have to decipher in order to understand.  However they did do a good job at bringing up examples of cases that became more difficult with the new technology, as well as giving examples as to what the overall effect is on society.