Who committed the crime? When? Even the smallest of witnesses can tell scientists stories that will make or break a criminal case. Insects and pollen grains help forensic scientists bring criminals to justice. A suspect escapes a crime scene, leaving not a trace of evidence behind - except for the hind leg of a grasshopper, which helps convict him of murder. A thief runs through a cornfield, relieved that no one saw him commit the crime - unaware of the tiny grains of pollen stuck to his shirt. Plants and insects hold clues to guilt or innocence. Evidence from nature is all around us, silently and swiftly leaving fingerprints, unnoticed by even the most cunning of criminals.
The famous Lindbergh kidnapping in the 1930s was solved, in part, through a detailed analysis of the kidnapper's handwriting. Other criminal cases, such as selling phony manuscripts, forgery, and fraud can be broken with detailed analyses of handwriting, typewriting, photocopied documents, and the inks and papers used on documents. The science of analyzing documents has been growing for more than a century. In this book, readers will learn how to document analysis has helped solve various crimes, from kidnappings and famous forgeries, to bombings and other violent crimes. Readers will also see how document examiners present their findings in court. Crime leaves a paper trail, and document analysis provides the techniques for following that trail.
The digital age we entered in the twenty-first century has rapidly become an age of digital crime. Cyber crimes like spoofing, phishing, and hacking are on the rise, and computer forensic technicians are on the case. Even traditional crimes like murder, fraud, and child abuse can be both facilitated by computers and solved through computer investigation. Computer Investigation helps readers understand how cyber crimes are committed, and how investigators help solve them and bring the perpetrators to justice. Readers will also gain a few tips for protecting themselves online and protecting their computers from intrusions and hacks.
Most people cringe when they hear the word physics. Physics is a very technical science that most people rely on every day, but do not really care to understand. Things work, and that is enough for most of us. Solving Crimes with Physics delves into the use of this challenging science to give readers a basic understanding of how the principles of physics can be used to solve crimes. From ballistics to bomb blasts, the knowledge of the theories of physics are powerful tools in the hands of a skilled forensic scientist.
Why are programs such as CSI, Law & Order, and Cold Case so popular? 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 has 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 is a fast-growing professional field. Forensics in American culture will reveal this field’s intriguing mixture of science, mystery, excitement, and justice.
A flake of skin, a strand of hair, a fleck of saliva, a drop of blood - everywhere we go we leave behind bits of ourselves that are as unique as fingerprints. Each cell contains genetic material called DNA, which holds information that scientists can use to learn about the person who left those cells behind. In the past twenty-five years, researchers have made significant advances in all disciplines of science, including the study of genetics. As science has leapt forward, the effect on forensics has been remarkable. New knowledge of DNA has dramatically changed the amount of information available to forensic scientists at the scene of a crime, opening doors that were never open before.
Welcome to the exciting world of forensic investigation, the science of solving crimes. This introduces the field of forensic anthropology, where scientists and criminal investigators use the human skeleton to solve some of the worlds most mysterious and violent crimes. From the nineteenth century murderer who boiled his wife in a vat of acid, to the modern day pig farmer accused of murdering more than sixty women, forensic anthropology shows how even the tiniest fragments of bones can reveal the identities of victims as well as killers. From mass-transit accidents to war to genocide and terrorist attacks, this science also pieces together the most scattered and seemingly unidentifiable remains. Using recent finds such as bags of bones in the woods, or the five-thousand-year-old skeleton of a victim of foul play, forensic detectives use the smallest clues, revealing a massive crime-recording device: the human body. See how the dead do tell tales to those who know how to listen!
Television programs and feature films present criminal psychology and profiling as a blend of psychic visions, supernatural intuition, and evidence analysis. The reality, however, is quite different. Using true-crime case studies from history and the present, examples from current and former FBI profilers and informative sidebars, Criminal Psychology & Personality Profiling explores the many roles and responsibilities criminal psychologists and profilers fill as they support other professionals in addressing crime and its consequences. From crime-scene analysis to offering expert testimony in court, these behavioral scientists offer an understanding of crime, the criminal mind, and those affected by crime.
Crimes happen every day all around the world. Sometimes, criminals think they have taken every possible precaution to avoid capture, but they are often mistaken. Every crime leaves a trace, and forensic science has evolved to find the tiniest bits of evidence imaginable at a crime scene. Mark & Trace Analysis gives readers some insights about the tricks and techniques used by forensic scientists and crime-scene investigators when evidence is scarce. Criminals always leave a trail. The trick is finding it.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of chemistry. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in chemistry, from Alice Hamilton to Darleane Hoffman, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a chemist. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Chemistry to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in chemistry is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of medicine. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in medicine, from Rita Levi-Montalcini to Margaret Chan, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a doctor. Find out about the opportunities for women in medicine. Read Women in Medicine to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in medicine is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in building the foundation of our current scientific knowledge. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women who have changed our scientific understanding, from Marie Curie to Ellen Swallow Richards, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a leader in science. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women Who Built Our Scientific Foundations to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in science is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of information technology. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in information technology, from Augusta Ada King to Radia Perlman, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to work in information technology. Find out about the opportunities women in the field have today. Read Women in Information Technology to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in IT is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of engineering. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in engineering, from Grace Hopper to GM executive Grace Lieblein, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be an engineer and find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Engineering to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in engineering is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of physics. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in physics, from Shirley Ann Jackson to Lisa Randall, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a physicist. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Physics to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in physics is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of space exploration. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in space exploration, from Sally Ride to Mae Jemison, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to work in space exploration. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Space to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in space exploration is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including by creating new and incredible inventions. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women inventors, from Margaret Knight to Rachel Zimmerman, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be an inventor. Find out about the opportunities women inventors have today. Read Women Inventors to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women whose inventions have made their mark is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of anthropology, the study of people. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in anthropology, from Jane Goodall to Zora Neale Hurston, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be an anthropologist. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Anthropology to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in anthropology is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the environmental sciences. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in environmental science, from Rachel Carson to Lena Ma, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to work in the environmental sciences. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in the Environmental Sciences to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in environmental science is something you want to do.
For nearly 4,000 years, the people who have lived in the region known as Mexico have expressed themselves through a variety of folk arts. Today, the art and architecture of Mexico blends indigenous and pre-Columbian influences with Spanish and European traditions. From architecture to music, from painting to poetry, from colorful clay pottery to ornate woven baskets and rugs, Mexicans have demonstrated the vitality and creativity of their culture. This book provides information about Mexico's ancient and modern architecture, visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and folk art.
The Mexican cuisine of today originated thousands of years ago. The ancient Olmec and Mayan civilizations domesticated maize, beans, and chili peppers and developed the flatbread cakes known as tortillas. The Aztecs expanded the Mexican diet with other meats, fruits, and vegetables. As Spanish explorers conquered and colonized Mexico, European cooks introduced new ingredients, such as rice, wheat flour, and the meat of domestic animals like pigs, chickens, and cows. They also brought previously unknown methods of preparing food, such as frying. Today, Mexican cuisine is extremely popular far beyond the borders of the nation, and in 2010, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Mexican cuisine to be an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
According to Mexico's official Secretariat of Tourism, each year more than 5,000 officially recognized fiestas, or holiday celebrations, are observed in the country. These fiestas include religious feasts like Easter in the spring, and the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe in December. They also include national and local holidays like Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo. Some Mexican festivals pay homage to the special foods and crops of the nation; other special events are held for birthdays, baptisms, weddings, and graduations. This book provides information about many of the most popular and important festivals celebrated in Mexico today.
For thousands of years, humans have lived and worked in the land that today is known as Mexico. This book provides an overview of Mexican history, from the origins of its ancient civilizations, such as the Olmec and Maya, to the arrival and impact of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, to the struggles for Mexico to become a stable, modern, independent state during the 19th and 20th centuries. This book also examines the present-day issues that affect Mexico, including widespread poverty and economic inequality, as well as a brutal internal conflict between government forces and powerful drug cartels.
The central states of Mexico are the geographic and economic heart of the nation. This region has been the site of many events that shaped Mexico's history, and includes the federal district that is home to the national government. The fertile farmland of central Mexico provides food. In Mexico's Central States, you will learn about the geography and climate, history, economy, culture, and the major communities of 11 Mexican states: Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico State, Mexico City (Federal District), Michoacn, Morelos, Puebla, Quertaro, and Tlaxcala.
Like people everywhere, Mexicans have experienced governments that have been beneficial to the people, and those that have treated people harshly. The history of government in the land known as Mexico is long and complex, beginning more than 3,000 years ago with the various Amerindian civilizations that lived in the region. Once the Spanish conquered the native people during the 16th century, they imposed their own forms of government that persisted until the early decades of the 19th century. Since Mexico gained its independence in 1821, the people have experienced many periods of unrest and turmoil, as various groups have attempted to create an effective government. With the election of Enrique Peña Nieto as president in 2012, many Mexicans hope that their government is headed in the right direction to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The history of Mexican government, and hopes for the future, are traced in Meeting Future Challenges: The Government of Mexico.
