Question: What do you find interesting about forensic evidence?

Tom Hardy answered on 15 Jun 2010:

“Every contact leaves a trace” is a phrase all Forensic Scientists throughout the world will associate with a man named Edward Lochard. Lochard came up with this basic principle. What he was saying is that if someone touches something then that person leaves a little bit of them behind and takes a little bit of the thing they touched away with them.

This is difficult to image because we all touch things every day of our lives but we don’t really notice. But as you are reading this, put your finger on the computer and lift it off again… you have just left tiny deposits of sweat and sebum and water and fatty deposits and oils that secrete from your skin, but they are too small to see. You also now have tiny particles of paint or dust or fibres from the computer on your finger, again these are too small too see. If you know how, you could use simple forensic techniques to make the invisible (latent) fingerprint on the computer visible and as every fingerprint is unique to an individual you could be identified as the person who left that fingerprint.

I find this fascinating. Forensic evidence isn’t just fingerprints though; it is basically any piece of scientific information that can be used in a court of law. I wanted to do something worthwhile that made a difference to society and forensic evidence helps to catch criminals and this certainly makes a difference, I guess that’s why I find it so interesting.