Jack Baxter

3/8/18

Forensics

Current Event

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170814120933.htm

Automated fingerprint analysis is one step closer to reality: Scientists have developed an algorithm that automates a key step in forensic fingerprint analysis, which may make the process more reliable and efficient.

Since the first case where fingerprint evidence was used in court, in 1911, fingerprint analysis technology has been constantly developing and improving. While at the time of this first case, fingerprints evidence was thought to be indisputable, we now know that fingerprint examination can provide erroneous results. The article mentions evidence of errors made in fingerprint examination in a 2009 report that found the results “are not necessarily repeatable from examiner to examiner.” Because different experts have different opinions, innocent people have been wrongly accused. The purpose of this article is to spread the news that studies are being conducted to reduce the chance of human errors occuring. They provide evidence from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Michigan State University, who have evaluated an algorithm that can conduct the key steps in fingerprint analysis. The idea is that if fingerprint references were high- quality, it would be much more efficient to match them, especially on a computer that can analyze rolled prints. The tricky part is when the fingerprints are brought in from a crime scene, they are never perfect rolled prints, so it’s hard for examiners to determine what parts of the print evidence is useful.

By automating the step where examiners choose what is valuable prints and what is not, it will allow evidence to be processed more efficiently, reducing backlogs, etc. Crimes will soon be solved much more efficiently when the evidence can be processed conclusively, following the completion of the algorithm. This algorithm has the potential to permanently change the current ways of fingerprint analysis that has been used for decades, the same process that has lead to numerous false convictions. The possibility of someone being falsely accused by fingerprints would no longer be an arguable factor in a court of law.

This article was extremely interesting and valuable to society and relevant to our Forensic Class studies. This algorithm has the potential to change scientific method of fingerprint analysis! And the way the article was formatted and written was very easy to read and understand, it was divided into 3 parts; first the introduction paragraphs, then “A Key Decision Point,” then “Training the Algorithm.” This last section was the only slightly difficult information to understand because it got into the technical things of it, but was still clear and important to the article.

Patrolling for Clues

Andy Goldbaum 3/8/18 CE 18 D Even

McFadden, Chad. “Patrolling for Clues.” Forensic Magazine, Advantage Business Media © Copyright 2018 Advantage Business Media, 7 Mar. 2018, www.forensicmag.com/news/2018/03/patrolling-clues.

“Patrolling for Clues”, an article written by Chad McFadden in Forensic Magazine, explains in detail how crime scene and accident reconstructionist of the Washington State Patrol Rod Green is revolutionizing the reconstruction process. He developed an efficient technology that integrates the entire process of accident reconstruction by using a combination of hardware, software and procedures in the field centered around the concept of forensic scanning. Although Green’s achievement has gained significant attention from many in Washington as well as other surrounding states, Green was merely innovating on a technology that has existed for 20 years but was never superior enough in terms of efficiency, safety, and its ability to produce clear, thorough and detailed results for a jury to replace the outdated manual ones: total station measurement and baseline-and-offset techniques. These would require multiple people to capture and record data when they could spend their time working on other aspects of the investigation, total stations could take as long as six hours, congesting busy roads just to take the measurements, and was proven to be far less detailed in a test against Green’s laser technology despite taking more than four times as long. All of this matters when investigators have to waste drivers’ time, risk their own lives in traffic, and be efficient while doing their jobs. Now, detailed reconstructions of the scene are possible because Green equipped his new laser with not only the ability to adjust resolution, but with recommendations of resolutions for any given scene so that tiny details like shell casings can be acquired while scenes that require less resolution are taken significantly faster at lower resolution. Additionally, the multiple-man job of holding spherical targets of places at a crime scene so that the scene could be connected and modeled was now eliminated because “cloud to cloud” and “plane based” registration within the software already merges multiple scans, millions of points at a time, rapidly connecting the scene in far greater detail. Thirdly, Green’s laser scanner was designed with an easily confused jury in mind: the scanner can record the scene in “layers” so that only relevant aspects of the crime can be presented to the jury by turning off parts of the scene with irrelevant information, and density can also be lowered at irrelevant points of the scene to reduce clutter. Lastly, the scanner can preserve the scene permanently while it is fresh so that irrelevant physical evidence suddenly deemed relevant can be revisited at any time. All it took were a few innovations to make laser technology the superior choice to old, outdated manual methods.

Although visionaries and inventors are the most glorified people in our society, Green reminds us that common sense innovation can be worth just as much as an invention. This is especially true in a field like forensics that integrates ideas from many different scientific fields. For example, Green’s use of “layers” that can be revisited within an image is by no means far-fetched: I used that concept in middle school art class while experimenting with photoshop on a Mac. This is quite standard in digital imaging. Secondly, isn’t the walkthrough feature that allows the jury a clear view of a crime scene the same thing as what Google Maps uses to virtually explore cities at a more sophisticated level? What makes forensics such a rapidly expanding field is that it uses the advantages of labor specialization: people who are already deeply expert in one very specific, even esoteric area can be useful in solving a case by applying their knowledge to difficult aspects of said case.

This was a very well-written article because of how McFadden bothered to explain the connection of this innovation not just to humanity, but to the field of forensics as well. For example, he describes the many difficulties within the line of work that Green addressed before describing the innovation itself by addressing the fact that the investigators at a crime scene have to focus on not burdening the public, documenting in thorough detail a crime scene just as it happened in inclement weather and dangerous traffic conditions all well being extremely careful to maintain the chain of custody of evidence. By using this context, McFadden persuaded me to care about a topic I was not already interested in by showing how remarkable Green’s innovation was. However, I would have loved for McFadden to describe what exactly some of the terms were, such as “cloud-to-cloud” and “plane based” registration and how exactly they work to make a multiple-man job so easy. If these terms were explained a little more thoroughly, and if the prior method of total station measurement was actually described as a basis for comparison, the article would have been even stronger by enhancing learning.

Trillions of Flies Can’t All Be That Bad

“Trillions of Flies Can’t All Be That Bad” James Gorman

www.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/science/flies-biology.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic+Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=10&pgtype=collection.

“Trillions of Flies Can’t All Be Bad” is mainly an article on flies that’s filled with information that could support the argument that they’re one of the most fascinating creatures and do, do some good in the world. The article had lots of information on flies and I can guarantee when you read it you’ll be as fascinated as I was. Bugs aren’t a particular interest of mine but Erica McAlister made me want to learn more about them, “That’s why I love them. They do everything. They get everywhere. They’re noisy. And they love having sex” Erica McAlister says, McAlister is the curator of Diptera at the Natural History Museum in London and author of “The Secret Life of Flies”. This article was written by James Gorman and was filled with reasons why Erica McAlister enjoyed the studies of flies and what made her become so interested in them. The purpose of this article was to inform the readers that there are much more to flies then just how annoying and harmful they are to us, flies “pollinate plants, consume decomposing bodies, eat the sludge in your drain pipes, damage crops, spread disease, kill spiders, hunt dragonflies” flies are harmful in many ways but this article would make any reader if not admit at least acknowledge that they are good for something.

This article effects all of humanity and I think it would be a good read for everyone. There was much valuable information to be learned in this read and I think it’s for anyone to know more information on one of the most perceived harmful creatures on this earth. The article covered on some forensic information, it talked about how different flies devour on decomposing bodies. Flies are very important when it comes to forensic, “The maggots of these flies, like the very attractive bluebottle larvae, devour corpses of mice and men and everything else” in forensics this could be very helpful. Forensics sometimes depend on insects, “Knowledge of which species lay eggs at which stages of decomposition can help determine how long ago a person turned into a body” flies are important to the science of forensics because they sometimes can determine things about the body and their death. Flies when devouring on decomposing bodies can determine time and death. Flies can be used in many studies because their make up of DNA is very similar to ours and many other species.

I really enjoyed this read, I thought it was very interesting to learn more about flies and how they can destroy but also help. I thought this article was a fascinating read and very different from other ones. Many forensic articles only deal with crimes which are very important and worth the read but it’s also important to know about other things involving forensics such as insects and how they contribute to the science world. I liked all the new perspectives on flies from Erica McAlister but I thought perhaps more information on how flies can help with forensic science would’ve made the article that much stronger. There wasn’t much factual evidence as well as the article was really one sided, it didn’t show both perspectives of flies being both harmful and helpful. Some statistics would’ve been nice if they were added or maybe some other opinions and facts from other authors and not just one. It would’ve been interesting to hear from other people and not just one. Overall I thought the article was very well written and informative and made my outlook on flies change a bit. I enjoyed the read and it didn’t bore me or feel like a struggle not once. This was a unique thing to write about but it’s really made an impact on my opinion and will stick with me.

posted for N. Robles

They Died by the Border. Art Students Hope to Bring Them Back

Lucy Rizzo

March 7, 2018

Forensics

Current Event #18

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/arts/design/new-york-academy-of-art-arizona-border.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection

Brown, Patricia Leigh. “They Died by the Border. Art Students Hope to Bring Them Back.”The New York Times , www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/arts/design/new-york-academy-of-art-arizona-border.html?rref.

I read the article “They Died by the Border. Art Students Hope to Bring Them Back,” from the New York Times this week. The remains of eight migrants crossing into the United States from Mexico were found last summer in the Arizona desserts. The bodies were identified and scattered by scavenging vouchers and other predators. Students at the New York Academy of Art are working alongside forensic artist Joe Mullins to reconstruct the faces of these missing individuals for families to claim and identify. Forensic Anthropologist Bruce Anderson, explained to New York Times reporters the importance of forensic artist work in identifying missing people in the reconstruction of an individual’s face based on characteristics of the skull. “To a trained eye, the complex structure of the human skull offers a blueprint to the facial features of the deceased. “A skull is the foundation an individual’s face is built on,” said Mr. Mullins, 47. “It’s like a house for your face.” The class than begins identifying specific characteristics of each skull differentiating one from the other; including scars, tissue depth, nose arch, chin, and earlobes. These are what build the foundation of the multiple layers of clay that are cut to create the unique faces of these unidentified migrants. By rebuilding an individual face scientific accuracy in understanding the built of muscle and soft tissue require many different layers of clay to create the perfected shape. The balance between scientific accuracy and artistic skill continues to remain debated in the forensic world but their results are unlike any others. These students give unidentified remains to have their stories told and not be a lost identity.

I chose this article based on its influence of art in the forensic field. It is something that really interests me given my involvements in fine arts as well as interest in learning about forensic science. I thought that this article was extremely well written and shed much needed light on a situation that is silenced in our country. Since 2001 nearly 2,800 migrant remains have been discovered in the Pilma County of Arizona and nearly 1,000 individuals are still left unidentified. It is a chilling story to hear the tales of those who do survive the dessert crossing and it is an issue that still occurs today despite government efforts to close the Mexican American borders. I wish that the article had included a story about one of these border crossing stories, however the included stories about remains found not in the dessert but a few miles from their work space in Queens, NY. The article could easily have included a story of a survivor however it was not the point of the article to tell the stories, but to tell the story of how students are restoring their identities.

After reviewing and reading the article I learned a lot, not only about forensic work but also different fields of art work. I am always interested in learning something new about how art can impact and help society and this was just another article enlightening me on the importance art truly plays in people’s lives. I would strongly recommend for someone to read this article and further research arts impact in fields or studies that interest oneself.

New Mexico Study of Strangulation Deaths Points to Value of CT Scans at Autopsy

Current Event 18

Mr. Ippolito

YiFei Wu

3/8/2018

https://www.forensicmag.com/news/2018/03/new-mexico-study-strangulation-deaths-points-value-ct-scans-autopsy

Augenstain, Seth. “New Mexico Study of Strangulation Deaths Points to Value of CT Scans at Autopsy.” Forensic Magazine, 7 Mar. 2018, www.forensicmag.com/news/2018/03/new-mexico-study-strangulation-deaths-points-value-ct-scans-autopsy.

New Mexico Study of Strangulation Deaths Points to Value of CT Scans at Autopsy

In this article, the forensic scientists discussed about CT scan technology used in the forensic field in order to solve death cases easily. “The National Institute of Justice published a recent paper citing the use of computed tomography (CT) scans to speed up work amidst a staggering caseload of death in America—and to even catch postmortem details that may have gone unnoticed under the scalpel and microscope.” The benefit of the CT scan is that it is more clear and detailed than any other machines.  It can also help forensic scientists to analysis the cause of death or even investigate the suspect.

This technique in my opinion is benefiting the forensic field. In our life, there’s too many grey areas comes to the death case, a lot of cases couldn't solve by the investigators. We need more justice in the society. This CT scanner technique helped.

But the concerns about this technology is that when it came to poisoning and rare death case, how would the scientist analyze that. Now technology is all around us include in the forensic field.