Solving Crimes With Science: Forensics
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"Real-life" crime dramas on television intrigue us with the details of postmortem examinations leading to the arrest of murder suspects—but how do forensic pathologists, the doctors who investigate unnatural deaths and chilling crime scenes, actually bring criminals to justice? The story lies in the body of evidence. Literally. The human body provides a wealth of scientific evidence that allows forensic pathology, or legal medicine, to help resolve criminal cases and convict even most elusive perpetrators. The human body records the story of a crime in the language of cuts, wounds, and bruises, and in the fingerprints and bloodstains. Forensic pathologists are trained to scrutinize and interpret this evidence in ways no other scientist can. Examining victims' remains from the outside in, forensic pathologists investigate every inch of the human landscape to discover when, how, and why the victim died. Sometimes, a time of death is all a jury needs to convict a suspect of murder, and forensic pathologists are experts at uncovering this crucial evidence. Visiting crime scenes, collecting bodies in the middle of the night, and excavating suspicious burial grounds are all in a day's work for the sake of bringing justice to victims who can no longer speak for themselves.
Why are programs such as CSI, Law & Order, and Cold Case so popular? Because our culture is fascinated with crime-and these television shows reveal investigators' procedures and secrets. With so many forensic-based television programs, it might seem that North America's morbid curiosity is a new phenomenon. The truth is, however, that humanity have always been fascinated by that which also frightens them. What's more, humans are attracted to puzzles-and forensic science offers opportunities to solve mysteries while at the same time "catching the bad guys." Modern media has only magnified the tendencies of previous generations. This book takes a look at the ways this fascination with crime shapes modern news media, television programming, movies, and the Internet. It also provides information on the real-life opportunities for forensic careers. Forensic science is more than just a cultural obsession-it's a fast-growing professional field. Forensics in American Culture will reveal this field's intriguing mixture of science, mystery, excitement, and justice.