Science Daily had a couple of recent posts about forensics and ballistics which were interesting. On the subject of ballistics, they reported the National Research Council has recommended a new national database containing images of ballistic markings from all new and imported guns sold in the U.S. should *not* be created at this time. Although proponents hoped such a database would help investigators link ballistics evidence to a firearm and the location where it was originally sold, the report says current limitations of ballistics don't justify the effort, since "the fundamental assumption underlying forensic firearms identification — that every gun leaves microscopic marks on bullets and cartridge cases that are unique to that weapon and remain the same over repeated firings — has not yet been fully demonstrated scientifically."
The report does recommend 15 improvements to the ATF's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), an existing database that contains ballistic images from crime scenes and suspects' weapons, and also more research on a promising alternative to providing links between crime-scene evidence and the original weapon, called "Microstamping." This technique etches or engraves unique markings on gun parts, which in turn generate unique marks on spent cartridge cases and could even be applied to individual pieces of ammunition.
The other article was a little more hopeful. Titled "CSI Fact Catching Up With Fiction As Chemists Develop New Technology" (and actually referring to an article "Clues at the scene of the crime" scheduled for publication in the the March 24 issue of Chemical & Engineering News), it mentions a few new forensic tools. The first is a highly-sensitive method for identifying the specific dyes used to color fibers, a technique that hopefully will help distinguish between fibers that appear similar. Others include a handheld spectrometer for on-site detection of explosives and illegal drug residue, and a fluorescent dye allowing for a longer and more detailed analysis of bloodstains than conventional dyes.
Crime fiction writers take note — more fun forensics tools for your protagonists to play with.
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