JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST:
FINGER PRINTS, BLOOD TYPES,
THESE ARE SOME OF THE CLUES
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS USE
TO SOLVE A PUZZLE.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CSI, THE
SCIENCE OF FORENSICS.
(MUSIC)
IT WAS A COLD WINTER
NIGHT, BUT WHEN I WALKED INTO
THE ROOM, I STARTED TO SWEAT.
THIS IS THE SCENE OF THE
CRIME, AND I NEEDED HELP TO
FIND OUT WHO TRASHED THIS
CLASSROOM.
>> IF YOU WANT TO SOLVE THE
CRIME, WHY DON'T YOU TRY
SCIENCE?
CRIME INVESTIGATORS USE TOOLS
AND SKILLS KNOWN AS FORENSIC
SCIENCE TO ANALYZE THE
EVIDENCE LEFT BEHIND.
IT HELPS THEM FIND OUT WHAT
HAPPENED AND MAYBE WHO
COMMITTED THE CRIME.
IN EARLIER TIMES, PEOPLE
THOUGHT THEY COULD DECIDE IF
SOMEONE WAS GUILTY JUST BY THE
WAY THEY ACTED.
THAT MEANT SOMETIMES INNOCENT
PEOPLE WERE CONVICTED OF
CRIMES.
THERE NEEDED TO BE A WAY TO
FIND RELIABLE EVIDENCE TO
CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHO WAS
GUILTY.
THAT'S HOW FORENSIC SCIENCE
AND CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
STARTED.
INVESTIGATORS LOOK AT EVIDENCE
FROM CRIME SCENES VERY
CAREFULLY.
EVIDENCE CAN BE SOMETHING LIKE
SOIL, OR A PLANT.
FOOTPRINTS.
TIRE TRACKS.
FIBERS.
AND BULLETS.
SOME EVIDENCE, LIKE
FINGERPRINTS, CAN BE VERY
USEFUL.
EVERY HUMAN BEINGS'
FINGERPRINTS ARE UNIQUE.
IF INVESTIGATORS FIND
FINGERPRINTS, THEY CAN COMPARE
THEM TO OTHER FINGERPRINTS
THEY HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED
AND SEE IF THERE'S A MATCH.
BLOOD AND OTHER BODY PRODUCTS
CAN ALSO BE TRACED TO THEIR
SOURCE.
THEY CONTAIN DNA.
DNA IS IN EACH CELL OF OUR
BODY AND IT'S MADE UP OF FOUR
TYPES OF CHEMICALS.
SCIENTISTS USE FOUR LETTERS,
A, G, C, AND T, TO DESCRIBE
THOSE CHEMICALS.
THEY USE COMPLEX INSTRUMENTS
TO TAKE THE DNA OUT OF THE
CELLS, MARK IT WITH
FLUORESCENT COLOR, AND PUT IT
INTO A COMPUTER TO BE READ.
WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE DNA,
SCIENTISTS SEE THE LETTERS
REPEATING IN CERTAIN PATTERNS.
IF THE DNA PATTERNS IN SAMPLES
FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE MATCH
THE DNA PATTERN TAKEN FROM A
PERSON, THEN SCIENTISTS CAN
TIE THAT PERSON TO THE CRIME
SCENE.
NOT ALL FORENSIC SCIENTISTS
WORK ON HUMAN CRIMES.
SOME INVESTIGATORS WORK FOR
THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF FISH &
GAME.
THEY HELP SOLVE CRIMES LIKE
POACHING OR HELP BIOLOGISTS
FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF
SPECIES AN ANIMAL IS.
OTHER FORENSIC SCIENTISTS
STUDY DINOSAUR BONES TO LEARN
HOW THE CREATURES LIVE.
OR STUDY THE REMAINS OF
ANCIENT PEOPLE TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THEIR CULTURE.
THESE SCIENTISTS ARE TRYING TO
LEARN HOW KING TUT, THE
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RULER, DIED.
YOU CAN LEARN TO BE A FORENSIC
SCIENTIST TOO.
THESE STUDENTS ARE TAKING A
FORENSIC SCIENCE CLASS AT THE
DISCOVERY CENTER OF IDAHO.
>> WE CAN USE FORENSIC SCIENCE
TO FIND OUT WHO MADE THIS
MESS?
>> POSSIBLY.
BUT IT TAKES TRAINING TO LEARN
HOW TO COLLECT EVIDENCE AND
MAKE SURE IT'S NOT
CONTAMINATED.
>> OK, LET'S GO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THIS FORENSIC SCIENCE.
WHOEVER COMMITTED THIS CRIME
MUST BE REALLY SMART.CARTAN-HANSEN: IF YOU
WANT TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT FORENSIC
SCIENCE VISIT THE SCIENCE TREK
WEBSITE, YOU'LL FIND IT AT
SCIENCE TREK DOT ORG.
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