New technology makes fingerprint removal from metals easier

Tim Brogan 9/22/09
Mr. Ippolito Forensics Even



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090713085018.htm


This article is about an advance in technology that has helped us discover news way in removing and identifying fingerprints. Researcher Alex Goddard has discovered a natural technique to remove a fingerprint without disturbing the construction of it. The way that he does this involves studying the chemical and physical interactions occurring between the metal and the fingerprint sweat deposit. Using advanced surface imaging techniques, such as an atomic force microscope, observations of fingerprinted brass samples can identify optimum conditions to promote the natural enhancement of the fingerprint, vastly improving their recovery rate.

This article can help many crimes be solved. The way in which this article can help that is because of the major advance in technology presented in it. This technology will allow many crimes to be solved with even partial prints because it will be able to lift the print off of a bullet without destroying it.

In the world today this is extremely useful because now many of the murders that happen everyday will be solved and the people who break the law and harm others. In the world today this may help the crime rate in cities go down because criminals will start to think about the advancements in technology that might catch them for their crimes.

Health Ills Abound as Farm Runoff Fouls Wells

Recently, residents in the mid-west, especially in Wisconsin, have been falling ill due to the contamination of well water. The ground water has become increasingly polluted due to many factors. However, the main factor is an excess amount of waste being spread across fields. After the fields have absorbed as much “fertilizer” as possible, the extra waste flows into streams, rivers, and groundwater. Lisa Barnard, who lives just 15 miles from the city of Green Bay said, “sometimes it smells like a barn coming out of the faucet.” Residents have had to deal with water contamination for a while now and it has been causing many illnesses.

The people who are affected by the contaminated well waters have experienced “chronic diarrhea, stomach illnesses, and severe ear infections.” One young boy had so many ear infections that he had to have an operation and his physician said that the infections were most likely caused by bathing in polluted water. Along with being sick, residents have also had to spend thousands of dollars re-digging/digging deeper wells. For instance, Joel Reetz spent $16,000 making his well deeper after he learned that his water was polluted. Thankfully, Reetz was able to afford to dig a deeper well, but this is not always the case and leaves many families with nothing except contaminated water.

Although there has been a large effort to greatly reduce the amount of pollution in water resources, by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are even more factors that refute their arguments. For example, the EPA has requested that larger farmers, those with 700 or more cows, be required to follow special laws. However, the George W. Bush administration passed regulations allowing many farms to “self-certify that they will not pollute.” In response, most farms never register and get away with contaminating states’ water sources. Also, even though the EPA is trying to increase the enforcement of the Clean Water Act, Congress has yet to create new rules on the topic.

Who Says You Can't Do That? Crime Scene Photography: Capturing the Scene

Dick Warrington is a crime scene officer who works with traffic fatality, homicide, theft, assault, or any other kind of case. He strictly influences those who are at the crime scene of these events must capture an accurate record of the scene and the evidence collected. In order to provide a complete record of each scene, the photographer needs field notes and diagrams, along with relevant still photographs that correlate with those notes and diagrams. While you do not need to be a photography expert to take crime scene photographs or testify in court about these photographs, a photographer does need to have a solid understanding of the proper way to photograph a scene.

It is highly advised by Warrington to look for a camera that you can operate well and that can provide high quality pictures. Whether you choose a film or a digital camera, the photographer must remember that all pictures taken at the crime scene have to be accounted for. It’s easy to delete photos with a digital camera, but a photographer should never delete photos taken at a crime scene. If you delete photos at a scene, it can lead to a lot of controversy if your case goes to court.

In addition, when photographing a scene you have to realize you are trying to provide a permanent record of the scene and the evidence collected. This record will assist anyone who is not at the scene and can help if the case goes to trial. From detectives and prosecutors to members of the jury, any visual information is vital. As you create that record, Warrington asks you to, “…remember that the photographs you take should be relevant to what you are trying to depict. Basically, a photographer should only capture the scene and the surrounding areas that provide useful information, not the ‘extras.’ ”

Bitemark Evidence And Analysis Should Be Approached With Caution, According To Study

Here is the link to my article. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123515.htm It is about a study that has been recently done on bite-mark analysis. The reason that the study was done was because in the past 10 years or so there have been several overturned convictions, convictions that were based on bite-mark analysis. The basic conclusion of the study was that there are a lot of times where it is hard to distinguish between bite-marks done by two different people. More information is in the article about this. 

Bird Migrations Set To Increase: Added Distance Is 'Considerable Threat' To Some Species

Bird migrations are likely to get longer according to the first ever study of the potential impacts of climate change on the breeding and winter ranges of migrant birds. The length of some migrations could increase by as much as 400 km. “The predicted future temperature changes and the associated changes in habitat could have serious consequences for many species”, said lead-author Nathalie Doswald of Durham University . “Our findings show that marathon migrations for some birds are set to become even longer journeys”, said Dr Stephen Willis – team leader from Durham University. “This is bad news for birds like the Common Whitethroat”. Some 500 million birds are estimated to migrate to Europe and Asia from Africa. Birds weighing as little as nine grams undertake the annual migration of thousands of miles between the two continents to find food and suitable climate. In response to worrying declines of many migratory species, BirdLife has launched the Born to Travel Campaign to protect migratory birds along the African-Eurasian flyway. “These birds face many threats during their incredible annual journeys”, said Richard Grimmett – BirdLife’s Head of Conservation.