Ask a Forensic Scientist

[nonconformist]

I would've started this earlier, but I thought it unfair before I was qualified.

Two days ago, I passed my Forensics degree, and I thought it would be a good chance for people to ask and learn about this misunderstood field.

My background:

I have just completed a 2:1 degree in Forensic Science from a UK university which leads the field. When I started, it wasone of 6 univsersities which offered this type of course.
The degree is accredited by the Forensic Science Society, the UK's governmental regulating body for Forensic Science, so I am actually government recognised, so it's not a Mickey Mouse degree.

My speciality in the field is as a firearms expert, and a road traffic collision, though I also regard explosives a specialisation, and I enjoy working as a SOCO (Scene of Crime Officer), basically on-field CSIs.

I will answer most questios, but some, for obvious reasons, I won't.

If anyone else has any relevant knowledge, feel free to get involved too.

Ask away!

 

[classical_hero]

Is there specialisation in this field and if so, what field did you choose? Also, do you watch Dexter?

 

[Kozmos]

When can we expect CSI: London? More seriously, do you like guns and explodey things since you specialized in it? How is the sciency part of forensics? Lots of physics?

 

[Tee Kay]

Can I immigrate to the UK with a Forensics Science degree?

Does the job pay well?

And to repeat Kozmos' question I guess, what are the sciences involved in the field?

 

[nonconformist]

Is there specialisation in this field and if so, what field did you choose? Also, do you watch Dexter?

I specialised in (this is the posh name) Forensic Ballistics and Collision Analysis; in other words, generally firearms, car accidents, and the physics based side.

I don't watch Dexter, I don't have a TV and I haven't really had time.

When can we expect CSI: London? More seriously, do you like guns and explodey things since you specialized in it? How is the sciency part of forensics? Lots of physics?

I can do CSI Canterbury if you want

No, firearms always interested me as a hobby, but this pretty much gave me a legitimate excuse to talk about them professionally ^^

It's actually a lot more chemistry based than physics, with all the analytical methods and DNA typing and all, but I tended to specialise in the physics based realms of it, making me somewhat of an exception.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Can you dust for vomit? In Spinal Tap they said you can't.

 

[nonconformist]

Can I immigrate to the UK with a Forensics Science degree?

I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you mean will a foreign degree in it allow you to get into the field?

Does the job pay well?

Assuming you get a job in the field, you'd be looking at maybe £21,000 at entry level? ($42,000 USD)

And to repeat Kozmos' question I guess, what are the sciences involved in the field?

Mostly chemistry, which is a lot of organic, some inorganic, medicinal, and biochemistry.
Maths, specifically statistics (very, very important).
Depending on your specialisation, maybe physics?

 

[Kozmos]

I can do CSI Canterbury if you want

Only if you do a case where you solve the murder of an Archbishop who has been killed by a car fired from a car shooting gun.

 

[Tee Kay]

I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you mean will a foreign degree in it allow you to get into the field?

Well, I assume the UK has a skilled migrations program like Australia's where certain professions are preferred if you are not white. So how easy is it to immigrate (not so much getting into the field but getting into the country) with a foreign Forensics Degree?

Depending on your specialisation, maybe physics?

So, firearms specialists?

 

[Oishi]

1) did you got permission for this thread?

Moderator Action: Yes he did.

2) do maggots really solve crimes?

3) how would one know if the house was burnt by arsonists or by other causes (e.g. stove, faulty wiring, etc.)?

 

[Furiey]

Congratulations noncon!

What other specialisms do people take for this degree?

I've just been made redundant and have always fancied forensics, so now may be a time to find out a bit more.

 

[Dudemeister]

Only if you do a case where you solve the murder of an Archbishop who has been killed by a car fired from a car shooting gun.

dont forget that the car was loaded with explosives

 

[Masada]

If I was looking to bury a body is there general type of soil or methodology I should employ in order to hide it from investigators? I know I should probably dig a grave six to eight foot to reduce the likelihood of it sinking -- always a tell-tale sign -- but is there anything else I should be doing? I have a bunch of likely locales already set-up but you can never be to careful with these things, am I right?

 

[nonconformist]

Well, I assume the UK has a skilled migrations program like Australia's where certain professions are preferred if you are not white. So how easy is it to immigrate (not so much getting into the field but getting into the country) with a foreign Forensics Degree?

I can't really comment on immigration policy, but IIRC, you're commonwealth citizen.
For the degree, I'm not sure, UK practice on ForSci qualifications changed recently.

So, firearms specialists?

Very possibly, though this also invovles things like measuring barrel twist rates, checking rifling etc.

Car accidents, explosive scenes, and suicides by jumping are other common physical fields.

1) did you got permission for this thread?

Affirmative

2) do maggots really solve crimes?

No, maggots cannot solve crimes. However, forensic etymology is rapidly becoming more and more accepted as evidence in court.
The presence of certain insects can give information of where the body was stored.
However, in the UK, we tend to use the life cycle of blowflies to calculated the interval since death, as under constant conditions, their life cycles are very predcitable, allowing Accumulated Death Hours (ADH) or Accumulated Death Days (ADD) to be calculated.

3) how would one know if the house was burnt by arsonists or by other causes (e.g. stove, faulty wiring, etc.)?

One hundred different ways.
There are very good clues to look for in a crime scene indicative to arson, but at the end of the day, you need to prove it in a lab.
Presence of accelerants, forced entry, disabled security systems, fires with no apparent ignition source, essentially.

 

[nonconformist]

Congratulations noncon!

Thanks

What other specialisms do people take for this degree?

It's literally huge.

From the standard SOCO "CSI", there's also:
-Chemists, running analytical methods
-Digital experts
-Programmers
-Image experts
-DNA analysers
-Psychologists (we dont really deal with them)
-entymologists
-botanists
-palynologists (pollen experts)
-dactylograhy (fingerprinting)
-document analysts
-forgers (who better to identify forgeries?)

the list is huge

I've just been made redundant and have always fancied forensics, so now may be a time to find out a bit more.

Go for it, it's an interesting field! Best of luck!

If I was looking to bury a body is there general type of soil or methodology I should employ in order to hide it from investigators? I know I should probably dig a grave six to eight foot to reduce the likelihood of it sinking -- always a tell-tale sign -- but is there anything else I should be doing? I have a bunch of likely locales already set-up but you can never be to careful with these things, am I right?

Yeah, don't bury em. We'll find you.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

How many dead people have you seen?

 

[Fifty]

I've heard (from people in the field) that the actual day-to-day reality of this job is incredibly monotonous, is that true in your experience?

 

[nonconformist]

In real life, a couple outside of uni.

In uni, it's pretty much photos and autopsy records. They don't really allow people on crime-scenes.
We also tend not to deal with corpses a lot, excepting the ones that are in pieces.

I've heard (from people in the field) that the actual day-to-day reality of this job is incredibly monotonous, is that true in your experience?

I assume you're talking about Americans?

But ya, it's true. For every hour or so of actual practical work you'll do, you'll spend at least the equivalent time, if not more, writing out reports, dotting Is, crossing Ts, and going to court.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

So you didn't have to do anatomy?

My mate at Uni did that freaked him out.

 

[nonconformist]

We do anatomy, but we're not mandated to interfere with the deceased; only a qualified pathologist is.

Rule of thumb for us is "if it's on 'em, it's fair game. If it's in 'em, call a Doc".