#forensic science objective

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

Anyway, now that police are saying Luigi Mangione's fingerprints match those found at the crime scene, reminder that:

fingerprint evidence is flawed and the idea that no two people have identical prints is unproven

they matched his prints to those found on a water bottle and protein bar found near the crime scene and apparently the shooter is the only person who has ever littered in New York before.

[forensicfield]

Multiple Choice Questions on Forensic Medicine

1. The visual disturbances seen in methyl alcohol poisoning include all of the following, except? A) Concentric diminution of visual fields for color and form B) Pinpoint pupils C) Photophobia and blurred vision D) Sudden failure of vision

Continue reading Multiple Choice Questions on Forensic Medicine

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing References: World-Building

20 Questions ⚜ 100 Words for World-building

Basics: World-building ⚜ Places ⚜ Imagery ⚜ Setting

Exploring your Setting ⚜ Habitats ⚜ Kinds of Fantasy Worlds

Fantasy World-building ⚜ World-building Vocabulary

Worksheets: Magic & Rituals ⚜ Geography; World History; City; Fictional Plant ⚜ A General Template

Editing

Setting & Pacing Issues ⚜ Editing Your Own Novel

Writing Notes

Animal Culture ⚜ Autopsy ⚜ Alchemy ⚜ Ancient Wonders

Art: Elements ⚜ Principles ⚜ Photographs ⚜ Watercolour

Creating: Fictional Items ⚜ Fictional Poisons ⚜ Magic Systems

Cruise Ships ⚜ Dystopian World ⚜ Parts of a Castle

Culture ⚜ Culture Shock ⚜ Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism

Food: How to Describe ⚜ Lists ⚜ Cooking Basics ⚜ Herbs & Spices ⚜ Sauces ⚜ Wine-tasting ⚜ Aphrodisiacs ⚜ List of Aphrodisiacs ⚜ Food History ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Literary Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs ⚜ Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables

Greek Vases ⚜ Sapphire ⚜ Relics ⚜ Types of Castles

Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ The Physiology of Love

Mystical Objects ⚜ Talisman ⚜ Uncommon Magic Systems

Moon: Part 1 2 ⚜ Seasons: Autumn ⚜ Spring ⚜ Summer

Shapes of Symbols ⚜ Symbolism ⚜ Slang: 1930s

Symbolism: Of Colors Part 1 2 ⚜ Of Food ⚜ Of Storms

Topics List ⚜ Write Room Syndrome

Vocabulary

Agrostology ⚜ Allergy ⚜ Architecture ⚜ Baking ⚜ Biochemistry

Ecology ⚜ Esoteric ⚜ Gemology ⚜ Geology ⚜ Weather ⚜ Art

Editorial ⚜ Fashion ⚜ Latin Forensic ⚜ Law ⚜ Medieval

Psychology ⚜ Phylogenetics ⚜ Science ⚜ Zoology

More References: Plot ⚜ Character Development ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[matchalovertrait]

Alegría v Caruso: Day 2, Pt. 1

Everybody was seated, waiting for the trial to resume after what seemed like a never-ending weekend. Seriously, it felt like 4 months (and 7 days, if we want to be exact).

While Erick and Ángel felt a little uneasy after how Day 1 ended, Noemí was rather optimistic. She would feel comforted knowing Dulce was on the right side, even if the jury made a decision against her.

Lewis, however, felt pretty guilty for not sharing his suspicions regarding Caruso. In his defense, most people probably wouldn't like being told, "Your partner is a shady, lying jerk. And he squeezed my hand too hard."

When Lewis confessed this to Dulce, she forgave him. It didn't matter anymore. Yeah, maybe she wouldn't have believed Lewis, and that thought was unsettling.

On the other side of the room, Isabela was silently scolding Caruso for... reasons.

Hold on, were they trying to match outfits like Dulce and Antonio? The audacity when their claim was Caruso's "originality"...

It didn't take long for Caruso to be spared from the continuous bickering. The judge walked into the courtroom and took a seat, making Isabela settle down.

"This court is now in session," he announced. It was showtime.

Antonio stood up from his seat and walked over to the judge's bench.

“Your Honor, today we present a crucial piece of evidence: Ms. Alegría’s personal notebook, containing years’ worth of handwritten notes and original recipes.”

Chatter was heard around the room. What an interesting development.

Isabela shot up from her seat. “Objection! The notebook could have been fabricated over the weekend.”

A valid concern, but the judge was much too intrigued. “Overruled. We will hear the evidence first.”

Isabela remained firm, determined to cast doubt. “But, Your Honor. The defense was not made aware of this evidence before today.”

“Ms. Alegría could not find it, and we were unsure it would be found on time," Antonio explained.

That is technically the truth. Dulce was impressed with Antonio's ability to say just enough.

Antonio added, "Given that it contains important material to this case, we ask for it to be admitted."

“I will allow it.” His nod signaled for Antonio to continue.

“This notebook contains the ingredient lists and handwritten revisions. Momentarily, the ink analysis expert will verify when these entries were made.”

The screens behind him showed photographs of the pages from the notebook. The jurors nodded listened attentively.

Dr. Nadia Galecki, a forensic document analyst, was called to the stand.

Antonio began. "Dr. Galecki, can you explain how you determined the authenticity of this piece of evidence?"

"Using chemical testing, we conducted an ink dating analysis to determine when the ink was applied to the pages. The compounds in ink change over time, and by measuring these changes, we can estimate how long ago something was written."

"And what conclusions did you draw?"

"Based on our tests, the majority of the entries predate Ms. Alegría's relationship with Mr. Caruso by several years—some, nearly a decade."

The people in the courtroom whispered, and Caruso could not believe what was happening. How is he so good at this? He can't be real.

"Thank you, Dr. Galecki. No further questions." Checkmate.

It was Isabela's turn. "Dr. Galecki, ink dating analysis is not an exact science. How precise are these results, really? Could there be a margin of error of weeks? Months? ...Years?"

The analyst seemed to take offense to that. "It is a highly reliable method. Science is never absolute, but our tests can generally determine whether the ink was applied within a certain time frame. We use multiple techniques to ensure accuracy."

"But you also found that some entries were written after Ms. Alegría met Mr. Caruso, right?"

Dr. Galecki did not falter. "Yes, but it does not change the fact that the majority of the notebook is older than their relationship."

Isabela frowned.

Meanwhile, Dulce was pleased with how things were going. She hoped her joy wasn't too obvious. Winning was always fun.

Start from the beginning (Gen 2)

Previous | Next

[akhret]

Anubis

Offerings

Water, wine, whiskey, rum, scotch, beer, black coffee, milk, juice, teas, energy drinks.

Meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, bread, grains, nuts, honey, cakes and other sweets, too (like dark chocolate or cinnamon flavored candies). Spices (like turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, paprika, saffron, etc.) and spicy food.

Plants or scents (perfumes, incense, candles, essential oils) like like lavender, frankincense, myrrh, cedar wood, sandalwood, cassia, eucalyptus, camphor oil, cedar oil, peppermint, rose, thyme, and almond oil. (Please make sure these are okay to burn before doing so).

Knives, bow and arrows, or other weapons can be dedicated to Inpw.

Precious metals and stones like gold, silver, lapis lazuli, obsidian, onyx, black tourmaline, smokey quartz.

Funerary objects and materials like natron, linen bandages, imagery/figurines of the canopic jars, heart scarabs, coffin imagery/figurines, acacia gum or gum arabic.

Items like the feather of maat, scales of justice, the ankh, the sekhem scepter, the was scepter, the double crown, the crook and flail, You may also offer him imagery of him, a seated/laying down dog, or any of the previous objects listed (drawings, printed pictures, figurines).

Devotional Acts

Visit a cemetery and help clean up graves. Pay respects to the dead and help make their graves look nice, decorate it with flowers, or ask to pour out a libation to the deceased when you go and visit. Clean up any debris or trash you found around the site. Along these lines, getting in the habit of saying a prayer for the deceased to have an easy transition is also a great devotional act. You don’t have to address anybody in particular, just the act is enough.

If you have any desire to go into death work that can be a great devotional act- this can be done by being a death doula, mortuary science, death investigation, autopsy technician, forensic science technician, funeral assistant, etc. Helping the dead and treating them with respect is always appreciated.

Fostering dogs or helping out at dog shelters is a great devotional act for Anpu!

Volunteer at an orphanage. Anubis is associated with orphans, so helping those who have lost their parents can be incredibly beneficial to the child and something you can do in honor of him.

Doing things that will help make your heart lighter at the end of your life. This is going to look different person to person but it can include coming out if you’re closeted, being true to yourself, setting boundaries, dealing with your trauma and going to therapy to unpack whatever it is that you’ve been through, getting on medication for any mental illness you have, going down a career path you’re passionate about, picking up new hobbies, making new friends that will help you, finding a community that will accept you, etc. Again, this will look different for everybody. Ask yourself what will make your heart feel lighter at the end of your life?

Signs

Anubis is well known for sending dogs along people’s paths. I’ve seen that he’s most likely to send black dogs to a person- they may appear randomly along your path or they could appear as a stray dog looking for a home. He may also send you jackals, wolves, coyotes, foxes, or leopards- depending on what’s native to your area but they may also appear randomly through images. Along these lines, you could also come across scared signs and symbols of him, or you may see him.

You may get feelings of easiness, calmness, as well.

Signs from him could be your own life transforming around you. You could see yourself transforming much faster, where you’re learning lessons that you need to or you’re getting on a career path that will help you. Transformation can also take the form of being better at setting boundaries or becoming a better communicator.

As the god who renews the life of the dead, you could find yourself with renewed hope, feeling refreshed, or just an overall better outlook of life.

[a-very-tired-jew]

I was just reminded that the art collective Forensic Architecture exists and once again I’m disgusted.

For those of you who don’t know, it’s a collective of various artists who play at forensic science, conduct “forensic investigations”, and then make art exhibits of their “results”. Their reports and exhibits will make statements such as “the evidence shows that X is linked to Y” but the statistical output that they share will show something like a 5% confidence in the match.

That's right. They make art exhibits of their "investigations".

You want to talk about fandomizing tragedy? Making “forensic investigations” into art exhibits is the bougiest version I can think of, and it's only to serve an echelon of people who enjoy that kind of stuff. If any of the people in this art collective had a background in forensic science they would have taken ethics courses that would tell them how horrid putting on an art exhibit like this actually is. You don't honor the victims by putting on an art show for the rich and powerful to gasp and faint over so that you can fundraise for your next show.

Their founder has even stated that they’re not in forensics but “counter-forensics” and "counter-investigation". They eschew the practices and norms of the scientific community for telling their own version of investigative “truth”. They’ve even gone so far as to quote post-truth philosophies in their work and the controversial Nietzsche quote about there being no facts, only interpretations. Both are dangerous philosophies to hold in forensic science as it presents the evidence as subjective rather than objective. This is why they're an art collective and not a forensic science research group as they purport, they're rejecting objective scientific outcome for subjective interpretation.

You can go to the group's website and they have profiles on all of their team members. Almost every person is labeled as a "researcher", but once you click on their profile it quickly tells you that they're an artist, designer, activist, or some combination of the three. No mention of any scientific background whatsoever. That indicates their ability to actual conduct forensic science research is not great as they don't have any training or education on the methods involved. In fact, their entire program and personnel are out of an arts college with no science programs or faculty outside of anthropology.

That's weird, right?

A group that supposedly made a new discipline of forensic science, according to them, has no members with actual backgrounds in forensic science or scientific disciplines relating to it?

None of the team member profiles detail any scientific background that would be relevant to forensics outside of a few people with engineering and computer science degrees. Neither of the aforementioned disciplines typically train you in forensic practices anyway unless you take certain courses. Because these profiles are public you can go and checked LinkedIn profiles and find the CVs for each member as well. Guess what? No forensic science or relevant scientific backgrounds listed there as well.

But for some reason this art collective has received funding from governments and NGOs for "creating" a new discipline of forensic science. They're a "trusted" source for forensic investigations. That's worrying. That's terrifying.

I'm a forensic scientist and to make an objective field based upon methodology and empirically supported practice into one that is subjective and throws out the empirical aspects is terrifying. Everyone should have klaxons going off in their head whenever they see Forensic Architecture's name appear in a publication. I've reviewed a few of their "investigations" and they are rife with bad practice, manipulation, and misinformation. In fact, it appears that they present their work in art exhibits more than they testify to it in court due to their methods being questionable and their intent being not to help the investigation but to be a "counter-investigation" that can be judged by the court of public opinion. What do I mean by this? In many of their investigations the collective does not actively have personnel at the scene. Meaning they are not getting first hand physical evidence and measurements. Now, it's not always possible to be there personally and as such you rely upon crime scene techs, investigators, and other personnel to collect this stuff. Typically if you're a consultant or outside firm you are getting the evidence after it has been collected for analysis. You want the physical evidence in your hands as much as possible so that you can analyze it properly. Sometimes you have to request going to the scene yourself to get the measurements and evidence you need. The worst type of evidence to receive is honestly digital images of the scene as you are now having to analyze something a general investigator, who likely does not have specialized training, took a picture of.

In situations where you cannot have the physical evidence for analysis and you are left with only photographs then a forensic expert should be tempering their responses and conclusions. You cannot confidently come to conclusions based simply on looking at photos. This is something that is hammered home repeatedly in forensic programs and professionals.

In the case of warzone crime scene analysis, as FA typically does, they are, typically, not collecting evidence first hand from the scene, nor are they receiving evidence secondarily from actual trained investigators (when they are there first hand they also rely excessively upon expensive technology instead of best practices). They rely upon third party photos and satellite imagery to do their analysis.

Time and time again, forensic experts who rely solely upon digital photos and media to make their analysis get ripped apart by a good lawyer. Being confident in conclusions based upon photographs is the easiest way to lose your credibility. But again, the art collective playing forensic scientist primarily puts their work in art exhibits where they are not scrutinized by experts. Hell, I don't think I've ever seen them present at one of our professional conferences nationally or internationally (I would love to be a fly on the wall when that happens).

And finally, if this was an actual credible scientific group that produced credible investigations and had created a brand new field with methodology that stood to scrutiny there would be publications in the forensic journals detailing this. Especially from the "creator" of the field Eyal Weizman.

Guess what there isn't?

But in the end all they’re actually doing is crime scene reconstruction from people who want to cosplay as forensic scientists.

(for more reading on the group see this article that highlights issues with FA from another perspective https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/forensic-architecture-fake-news-1234661013/)

[autism-autobot]

Flower of a Poisonous Seed Part 52:

Part 51:

Tw: hate crime, vandalism, racism,

"So that's the plan. What do you think, Father?"

"I don't like any of what has happened recently, but I understand the precautions we must take moving forward. Perhaps you can take your mother with you. As much as I trust Nezha to have chosen good company for the task, I would prefer one of our own to be there by your side."

Erlang Shen drove them to Wukong and Nezha's house.

They were absolutely devastated at what they saw.

PIF: *in shock* Oh, my stars. Was it like that when you left, my child?

RS: No. No, this is far worse. The flowers are new, though.

On the sidewalk outside the picket fence were bouquets of fresh pink carnations and blue hyacinths. Signs and notes of support and love accompanied them. Packs of unused incense were laid there too. Beyond that, the house looked more like a war zone.

Someone had set fire to the yard leaving black ash in its wake. The smoke from the fire had turned the originally blue-green walls an unsavory gray. Every window was broken.

Jing: Stay on alert in case traps have been laid. We can never be too certain.

Erlang: Even if it is safe, there's no way that house is in good enough condition to be lived in.

PIF: Still, we should investigate the damage. Save any belongings that may be intact, and see if was isn't can be restored.

RS: Agreed. Cousin was wise to instruct us to take the objects we held most dear to us, but many things were left behind in favor of haste, practicality, and necessity.

Jing: Wukong's been excitedly showing Macaque pictures of their grandchildren, so at least the photo albums were spared.

RS: *laughs* As they should be.

The inside wasn't much better. Porcelain tableware and picture frames were smashed on the floor. The TV had an axe in it. The house was built out of fireproof materials but all inside that could've been burned was burned.

Red Son stepped out onto the back porch. His Uncle's favorite tea set had signs of mended breaks that weren't broken a week ago, neglected in the rush to safety. It was one of the few things Wukong had brought with him when he moved in with Nezha. It was a wedding gift from Guanyin, one that was used daily by the happy couple and yet somehow managed to survive the childhoods of their offspring.

A bold and black-hearted soul destroyed the tea set. Then a brave and kind soul took the time to mend it.

Red Son just wished he knew who to thank.

~~~

Princess Iron Fan stepped carefully through the master bedroom's bathroom. It wasn't much of a bathroom anymore.

The mirror was, unsurprisingly, shattered. Shards and medicines littered the floor. The bathtub and toilet looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to them.

Iron Fan went back into the master bedroom to make her leave. That's when she spotted a photo of Wukong and Nezha behind the door, missed by whoever rampaged through there.

The photo featured the two holding hands while walking down the stairs. Nezha was being led by a round, curly-haired Wukong. They were smiling.

Iron Fan felt her heart break like the mirror.

She held the photo in her shaky hands as she wept for a dozen reasons.

~~~

Erlang took gentle care to lift fingerprints off of the axe lodged in the TV. He only knew basic forensic science, but a sample could help find the culprit(s) responsible.

Xiaotian Quan sniffed around for any trace of the culprit's scent.

Erlang takes his role as Co-ruler of the Celestial Realm very seriously. Jing took on the legislative role while he was in police and military affairs both foreign and domestic. This qualified as a domestic threat. Even if it didn't, he wouldn't let this thing slide.

He didn't know or care for Macaque that well but Wukong is a brother. Erlang would rip the heavens from their foundation if that's what it took to keep Wukong safe. Now more than ever, Wukong needed people who would protect him from harm.

~~~

Jing: *over the phone* Son... I'm so sorry.

Nezha: *sobbing* Oh gods, why?

Jing: We'll be taking home whatever we can salvage, but... it won't be much.

Nezha: That's okay, Father. We can get by without much.

Jing: I will collect what I can. I love you son. I will support you both in any way I can.

Nezha: Thank you, Father. Goodbye.

Jing: Goodbye.

Nezha: *hangs up* *turns to Wukong*

SWK: *tears streaming down his face*

Nezha: *crying* You caught all that?

SWK: *nods* *cries silently*

Nezha: *faking a smile* Guess it's time to look for a new place to live!

SWK: *fakes a smile back* *hugs him*

Nezha: At least there's flowers for you.

SWK: *between quiet sobs* Pink carnations and blue hyacinths mean "Sorry". Not everyone is our enemy.

Nezha: *sobs loudly* Beautiful darling! I should hope so!

The two break down crying in each other's arms. They know they'll survive this storm together. But today? Today they mourn the home they lost. The one they made together. The one they planned to spend eternity in. As usual, life had other plans.

Part 53:

Masterpost

@weaverpop @istopaskingmemate @ainnur @starrclown @cutvdo @swkbiggestdefender @fruit-fight

[miniskirtmods]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐫

number seven . . faye hargreeves . . the psychic

born october 1, 1989

powers: her powers were the opposite of ordinary. though they seemed basic; having telekinesis, she had additional abilities that shocked even sir reginald hargreeves.

𝜗𝜚 telepathy : the ability to communicate entirely in the mind without saying anything.

𝜗𝜚 mind walking : the ability to enter the mind of another person.

𝜗𝜚 psychic projection : the ability to voluntarily project an astral body or mental body, being associated with the out-of-body experience, in which one's consciousness is felt to separate from the physical body temporarily.

𝜗𝜚 memory reading : the ability to read a target's memory to learn their history, discover lost memories and help the person remember, learn a memory that the target is unaware of.

𝜗𝜚 psychometry : the ability to learn information about the past of an object or those who interacted with i.

style: she is the more “colorful” one of the bunch: often wearing brightly colored pieces of clothing in contrast to her siblings’ appeal to more mute hues. she thrived in the fashion aspect of the 60’s. adoring her brightly colored rectangle dresses paired with cute accessories.

occupation(s): in the original timeline — the umbrella academy 2019 — she studied to become a forensic science teacher at a high school in new york city.

in the 60's timeline, she was thankful to have been taken in by a sweet japanese family who allowed her to work in their flower shop.

in the sparrow timeline, she didn't have a job because they did not stay there for long. only 10 days to be exact.

in the "no powers" timeline, she found her place again as a forensic science teacher.

significant other(s):

season one

girlfriend . . ramona pruett

born march 25, 1991

ordinary in power, but has a special place in my heart.

season four

fiancé . . joshua hong

born december 30, 1990

also ordinary in power, but is the only man I could truly love.

[frank-olivier]

Uncharted Skies: Exploring the Mystery of UAPs

The study of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAPs, has long been a topic of fascination and debate, with some approaching the subject with skepticism and others dedicating themselves to understanding these enigmatic events through a scientific lens. Dr. Kathleen Murray, a scientist with a background in forensic science, geoscience, and education, brings a unique perspective to the field, combining her expertise with a passion for nature and the universe. Her journey into the world of UAPs began with a remarkable sighting in 1997, where she witnessed a small, stylized object moving within an equilateral triangle of stars in the desert, an experience that sparked her curiosity and set her on a path of discovery.

Dr. Murray's research on UAPs is characterized by a combination of observation, recording, and analysis, as she uses binoculars with 36x optical zoom to capture videos of these phenomena, which she then meticulously analyzes using software such as Stellarium and Flight Radar 24. One of her most recent sightings, which took place on the 4th of March, is particularly noteworthy, as it involved a flashing object moving from south to west that she was unable to identify as a satellite or aircraft. Despite consulting with an astronomer and checking with Flight Radar 24, Dr. Murray was left with more questions than answers, highlighting the complexities and challenges of studying UAPs, where the lack of concrete evidence and the abundance of unknowns can make it difficult to draw conclusions.

Dr. Murray's approach to investigating UAPs is marked by a commitment to scientific inquiry and a willingness to consider alternative explanations for these phenomena. She recognizes that there is still much to be learned and that it is essential to approach the subject with an open mind, avoiding the pitfalls of skepticism and dogma. By doing so, Dr. Murray hopes to contribute to a greater understanding of UAPs, which may, in turn, shed light on the mysteries of the universe. Her use of technology, such as binoculars and software, allows her to collect and analyze data in a systematic and rigorous manner, while her decision to share her findings with others, including the scientific community, reflects a commitment to transparency and a desire to advance our understanding of UAPs.

Dr. Murray's exploration of the possibility of summoning UAPs, using techniques such as the Gateway Experience program, music, and visual imagery, demonstrates her willingness to think outside the box and consider unconventional explanations for these phenomena. Although these attempts have been unsuccessful, they reflect her openness to new ideas and perspectives, an essential quality in a field where the unknowns are so great and traditional explanations may not be sufficient. By embracing this openness and commitment to scientific inquiry, Dr. Murray's work on UAPs serves as a model for how to approach complex and mysterious phenomena, and her contributions to the field may ultimately help to shed light on the nature of reality itself.

Dr. Kathleen Murray: Pulsing Orb (UAP Files Podcast, March 2025)

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Object permanence

Picks and Shovels is a new, standalone technothriller starring Marty Hench, my two-fisted, hard-fighting, tech-scam-busting forensic accountant. You have TWO DAYS LEFT to pre-order it on my latest Kickstarter, which features a brilliant audiobook read by Wil Wheaton.

#20yrsago What if Bill Gates hired Linus Torvalds? https://web.archive.org/web/20050207155531/https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/microsoft_pr.html

#15yrsago Rogers Canada forces Android update that takes away root access https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/01/26/2358237/Canadian-Android-Carrier-Forcing-Firmware-Update

#15yrsago Sane copyright doesn’t treat all copying as the same https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jan/26/copyright-cory-doctorow

#15yrsago ACTA: the leaked secret memos https://web.archive.org/web/20100130005036/https://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4730/125/

#10yrsago Plan C: The top secret Cold War plan for martial law in the USA https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2015/jan/26/plan-c-top-secret-cold-war-battle-plan-bring-unite/

#10yrsago Google strong-arms indie musicians into accepting brutal, crowdfunding-killing deal for streaming service https://zoekeating.tumblr.com/post/108898194009/what-should-i-do-about-youtube

#10yrsago Great Firewall of Cameron blocks sex-abuse charities https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/24/internet-filters-block-sex-abuse-charities

#10yrsago The Haunted Mansion was almost the Tiki Room https://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2015/01/walt-disneys-enchanted-creepy-room.html

#5yrsago Two years after a federal law banning shackling women during childbirth was passed, prisoners in America are still giving birth in chains https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/24/shackled-pregnant-women-prisoners-birth

#5yrsago Andrew Cuomo’s naked hostility drives out MTA president Andy Byford, the “Train Daddy” who has transformed the world’s rail systems https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/you-blew-it-andrew-cuomo/

#5yrsago Fatal car wrecks are correlated with stock-market fluctuations https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629619301237

#5yrsago Banks have returned to the pre-2008 world of automatic credit-limit increases for credit cards used by already indebted people https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-23/banks-are-raising-credit-card-limits-without-asking-customers

#1yrago The long sleep of capitalism's watchdogs https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/26/noclar-war/#millionaire-on-billionaire-violence

Check out my Kickstarter to pre-order copies of my next novel, Picks and Shovels!

[0heymoon]

I was just thinking about forensic science. When a dead human body is found with no form of i.d on them, long been dead so mostly skeletal, do you think they use a ouija board to ascertain a persons identity?

Me neither, so you can fuck off with your 'there is no objectively real sex'. You will be correctly sexed, if your dead body is found. Bet your decaying arse on it.

[whimzikuhl]

Oooooooo a fellow anthropology fan!!!!!

What’s your favorite field of anthropology?

Definitely, sociocultural! I am just so fascinated by people, the way they think, how their culture influences them, their actions, and how they perceive the world around them. Subjecrive vs. Objective realities. Cyclical vs. Linear time. How ones perceived reality can actually have real-world consequences.

One book that I really enjoyed that explores how culture influences people to act or speak a certain way is Daniel Everett's "Don't Sleep There Are Snakes," which is about his time with the Piraha. It's primarily a linguistic book, however the Piraha's culture very much influences their language, so he does delve into the culture of the Piraha as well. I will say if you are a Chomsky fan, you probably won't like this book. However, I still recommend reading it anyway. The Piraha are sort of an anomaly because their language lacks recurrence. According to Chomsky, and everything we once thought we knew about languages, it is not possible.

I personally find the Mayans to be very interesting to study as well. The way they see the world and how they perceive time is so fascinating! I don't have any specific book recommendations for that topic, though, unfortunately.

I'd say forensic anthropology is awesome, too, though! I don't think I'd be very good at it, unfortunately, despite my interest in the field. I enjoy reading about it, though, and one of my favorite books is "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" by Dr. William Maples. He had quite a prolific career, and some of the stories he tells in his book are so fascinating and unbelievable. I highly recommend it if you'd enjoy a more realistic view on forensic anthropology.

Linguistics is interesting, but I'm very poor at it, and I really struggle to understand it. Which is unfortunate considering it is so closely linked to cultural. Guess that just means I need to work harder at it to further my understanding of it.

I'm gonna provide the links to the Goodreads pages for the books I mentioned, I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't read them yet!

I'd like to add to this as well that I have an Associates in History, and I'll be pursuing a Bachelors in the Social Sciences with a focus on Anthropology. I have taken two full 16-week courses while getting my history degree, one in General Anthropology, and the other was Archaeology.

Edit: Thanks for asking BTW! I think I forgot I was responding to someone. I just got excited to be asked about my special interest. Please share what yours is too!!!

[forensicfield]

Multiple Choice Questions on Forensic Physics

Continue reading Multiple Choice Questions on Forensic Physics

[myemuisemo]

With April showers, Letters from Watson brings us the first installment of The Sign of the Four, a prospect that makes me quake. When I was a tot of eight years, reading the library's copy of The Boy's Sherlock Holmes with a creeping sense of guilt because I was not at that time (and have not been at any time before or since) a boy, I found The Sign of the Four... long. Very long. I was obviously too young for the concepts, even though I could make sense of the words. (That sums up a lot of my reading in that era.)

I'm also reeling from last week's "The Man with the Watches," an utter tragedy of "be gay, do crime."

What's striking me this time -- what with the introduction of Holmes' cocaine use and also the watch deduction that raises a wince and a shudder from anyone who remembers that BBC Sherlock happened -- is how Watson is being positioned (and I don't mean "positioned in the path of which bullet," though apparently he got hit by more than one while in India).

Cocaine

Watson is progressive! His objections to cocaine sound so mild to us in the twenty-first century, but in 1890, scientific opinion was just barely starting to turn away from seeing cocaine as a wonder drug. It was used for local anesthesia as well as for general pep. Queen Victoria drank Vin Mariani, a wine fortified with cocaine, and so did the Pope. Coca Cola contained cocaine until 1906. Sigmund Freud was a vocal proponent of cocaine for improving mood and performance, until he botched an operation in the early 1890s while high.

A couple hair-raising reads on this topic are Cocaine: The Victorian Wonder Drug and A Cure for (Anything) that Ails You: Cocaine in Victorian Medicine.

So Holmes' original audience would have seen him as an up-to-date scientist using a socially approved means of moderating his mood. His shooting up a 7% solution of cocaine is about equivalent to a 21st century person taking nutritional supplements that are meant to boost brain power.

After all the "say no to drugs" education in the American school system, that's so hard for me to get my brain around, but there we are. Holmes is doing something no more troubling than pouring a glass of whiskey and much more scientific.

Watson, therefore, can be read either as being right at the edge of shifting scientific opinion or as being a fussbudget.

Tinge it with romanticism

I'm firmly Team Watson when Holmes starts criticizing A Study in Scarlet:

He shook his head sadly. “I glanced over it,” said he. “Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid.”

The reader is being positioned here to view with contempt the exact features of the work that we probably enjoyed. Poor Watson!

Is it possible that some reviewers commented on the melodrama of the Lucy portions? Yes, and it'd be a valid point. Nonetheless, having experienced a good many math classes, I think the fifth proposition of Euclid might be improved by a rom--

wait.

Doyle, you magnificent bastard.

Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions was published in 1884. It wasn't a huge success, but it seems likely Doyle could have known it, and it did, in fact, mention a love story in a discussion of angles. Back when I read it in college (because if you "liked math," someone would inevitably give you a copy of Flatland), I missed the social satire but appreciated the geometry.

Watson is canonically an effective popular writer, and I refuse to denigrate him for that.

The Watch

First, Holmes substantially invents forensic science with his monographs on tobacco and on callouses.

Then we learn that Watson is a second son, which fits with his his training for a profession and choosing the army to help make his way.

Watson was not on great terms with his brother before his brother's death. Holmes doesn't explicitly deduce this, but it's there to be deduced. Holmes knew Watson's father was long dead, which could have come up in any number of casual ways. Holmes had no idea that Watson had a brother, so Watson:

Didn't mention the brother in any context, ever.

Didn't set up any framed daguerreotypes from his childhood nor any modern photos made with the collodion process. Having a posed family photo would have been so completely normal, as would being sent new photos by family members.

Never interrupted his routine to visit his brother while living with Holmes.

Did not attend his brother's funeral (unless it took place while Holmes was away) and did not wear a black armband for mourning in Holmes' presence. Neglecting mourning for a relative would have been a sign of serious estrangement.

Holmes is possessed of some level of tact in not expanding on this topic.

Watson is also nobody's fool: he knows there are ways to fool a mark with apparently miraculous knowledge.

The question in my mind is this: did Watson deliberately distract Holmes from asking what was the subject of the telegram?

[gamerbearmira]

bh6 au bh6 au bh6 au!!! AHUAHSF but heya, hope you're doing well, and we dont have a specific name for this au yet, mayhaps we can find one but yesyes bh6 au!! (i am going insane /lh) me is attempting to write rn hehe <3

BH6 AU💪💪💪

It’s so cool, me and the asker have been working on it <333 instead of gifts, they specialize in certain tech and stuff 🗿

Basically Pedro is there. And it’s Antonio’s presentation at the college (he’s still 5, they’re all prodigies and presented at 5, except Mirabel who presented a little later cause she hadn’t decided her science concentration yet 😭😭). Anyway, Pedro sacrifices himself to save Señora Guzmán and boom died.

Alma hid the project he was gonna show the family that he was working on for a long time: Baymax. Basically Mirabel and the grandkids find him and he’s chill, helping them grieve and stuff. The pressure for this au is Alma taking Pedro’s saying “someone has to help” as the family needed to use their tech and intelligence around the city to help other people. And never expand on their tech. Always the same thing.

Anyway, here’s their sciences (all the Madrigals, including the husbands + Alma and Oedro are like. Literal prodigies, mostly in science, but other stuff 🤧):

Fields of Study:

pedro - robotics

alma - forensic engineering

-------

julieta - health sciences

agustin - language and literature

pepa - meteorology

felix - sociology and music

bruno - physics

-------

isabela - botany

dolores - acoustics

luisa - kinesiology

camilo - neuroscience

mirabel - psychology

antonio - zoology

—————

There’s so much more about this au but like. That’s the gist of it <333 if you guys have any ideas LET US KNOWWWWW ‼️‼️‼️ the adults actually later becomes hero’s and funnily enough they’re all hiding it from each other and Alma is entirely clueless 😭😭

Well, the grandkids become super cool heros and obviously Baymax is there (I didn’t draw him YET 💀) and here are their designs <333 COLOR COMING TO TUMBKR DASH NEAR YOU📸📸

Here’s their tech and stuff:

Isabela, maybe something similar to Honey Lemon, but she uses the chemicals of different plants that has different (non lethal) effects? She throws pollen pods like honey lemon does and whatever plants she makes all disappear after a certain amount of time or something, oh and her vines she uses to swing ofc, they're very durable. CARBON FIBER VINES ❗❗

Dolores, maybe she uses soundwaves and sounds in general, and uses something similar to a giant megaphone and speaks; does a lot of knockback.

Luisa, I feel like she would have attachable enhancements, kinda like gauntlets and boots that allow her to further utilize her strength and stamina etc etc

Camilo, maybe his tech tricks the mind, lots of illusions and stuff, and he definitely has a camouflage suit, so he's good for stealth and sneaking up on enemies. He might also go beyond from just people, might even have animals and objects too since its really illusion (mayhaps an upgrade later down the line in their endeavor) Ohhh, a upgrade would be really good and show how he (and the others) develop his tech further

Mirabel’s tech works with Baymax, so it's pretty similar to Hiro's, though I think she would be a jack of all trades as well. Also mentioned in what i wrote that she has a bag of tech goodies (inspired by her good ol bag in canon and also that one ask i saw about her magic bag)

Antonio, like I said before, uses robot animals. He builds them and sends then out, controlling them maybe via a headset similar to the microbots, and the animals have cameras so he can see what they see. I think maybe when he builds P.A.R.C.E (the giant robot jaguar; a.k.a Precision Automated Robotic Companion Entity) the other grandkids will let him go out to battle. Also lets him be at the final battle.

Still working on the adults 🤭🤭🤭

[mariacallous]

There are more than 114,000 missing persons in Mexico, and that number is continuing to rise. Criminal violence in the country is at a record level, largely driven by gangs and drug cartels. Many of those missing are buried in clandestine graves all across the country.

To contribute to the solution of this complex problem, a group of scientists from the Center for Research in Geospatial Information Sciences (CentroGeo) put technology and data analysis at the service of the searches.

"I never thought I would have to work on this, but if this knowledge is of any use, now is the time to show it," says José Luis Silván, a geographer at CentroGeo. Years ago, as part of his doctoral work, he specialized in measuring forest biomass and human populations through satellite information. At that time, he was far from imagining the scientific work he is doing today: investigating the potential of drones, hyperspectral images, and protocols to detect clandestine graves.

In a recent article published in the International Journal of Forensic Research and Criminology, Jorge Silván and researcher Ana Alegre insist that studying the geographical environment is very important to understand in depth a crime such as disappearance. Thus, “due to its context and diversity of climates, the case of Mexico may represent an opportunity for the development of investigations.”

Finding burials requires hard work. All available information and resources must be optimized. Therefore, scientists have evaluated the use of remote sensing tools and have systematized information from previous findings. They seek to discover patterns in the behavior of the perpetrators and, with this, to find burials.

According to Red Lupa, 88% of the 114,000 cases of disappearances in Mexico occurred between 2000 and May 2024. 10,315 were registered in 2023, the most on record. This represents an average of 29 people per day. Jalisco, Tamaulipas, State of Mexico, Veracruz and Nuevo Leon are the entities with the highest incidences.

Justice is almost non-existent, with 99% impunity for this crime. For this reason, since 2007 alone, civil society has formed more than 300 search groups, mostly made up of family members who scour the land guided by witness statements or organized in general brigades. These groups have detected most of the 5,696 clandestine graves reported on Mexican soil.

The association United for Our Disappeared searches in the north of the country, in Baja California. One of its members, who preferred to remain anonymous, has been searching for his son for 18 years. He says they have been using pointed rods to detect graves for more than 10 years. This is one of the most widely used tools in Mexico for this purpose. "We fit the rod in where we suspect the earth was removed, insert it, pull it out and smell it. If there are bone remains or tissue, you can tell by the smell. It is a strong odor, easy to detect. It smells like organic matter in the process of decomposition."

Before, he says, they used a georadar—a device similar to a pruning shear that detects inconsistencies in the ground—but they abandoned this practice because it was not very useful. The radar responds to almost any kind of object, from chips to boats. The last time they used it, it returned 40 suspicious spots, but none were positive. In Mexicali, another group uses a drone to fly over areas and detect changes in the terrain. Others have used machines to dig holes instead of shovels. Some innovations are abandoned over time, but the use of rods remains.

In 2014, after the disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa normalistas in Mexico, Silván and other CentroGeo professionals joined the scientific advisory board on the case. During the search for the students, different civilian groups and government brigades detected dozens of illegal graves. In less than 10 months, the Mexican Attorney General's Office counted 60 sites and 129 bodies in the state of Guerrero. As a result of the raids, 300 illegal graves were revealed. Since then, the number of clandestine graves has only grown.

No one anticipated the size of this horror. The report "Searching between pain and hope: Findings of clandestine graves in Mexico 2020 - 2022", exposes with hemerographic data that in those two years, 1,134 clandestine graves were registered, with 2,314 bodies and 2,242 remains. In proportional terms, Colima reported the highest rate of illegal graves, with 10 per 100,000 inhabitants. It was followed by Sonora, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Sinaloa and Zacatecas.

By number of cases, Guanajuato, Sonora and Guerrero stand out. These three entities account for 42% of the records. By April 2023, a journalistic investigation by Quinto Elemento Lab reported that the number of illegal burials reached 5,696 clandestine graves, and that more than half of them were detected during the current federal administration.

Employing his field of study, remote sensing, José Luis Silván uses images captured with satellites, drones or airplanes, from which he extracts geospatial information using knowledge of the physics of light, mathematics and programming. Multispectral and hyperspectral images capture subsurface information using sensors that record wavelengths of light imperceptible to the human eye, making them useful for searching.

In 2016, during a first study by CentroGeo researchers, they simulated burials with pig carcasses to evaluate the potential of using hyperspectral cameras in searches and learn what information from the sensors was useful to them. The Mexican researchers knew from research in other countries that successful detection with these techniques depends, in part, on being able to recognize how carcasses (and their spectral images) change in different soils and climates.

The experiment was carried out on rented land in the state of Morelos. There they buried seven animals and evaluated the light reflected by the soil at different wavelengths for six months. They concluded that a hyperspectral camera, which provides more than a hundred layers of data, has the potential to detect clandestine burials, although the technique is only effective three months after burial. They tried to arrange for the acquisition of a camera and drone (valued at 5 million pesos) through the National Search Commission, but were unsuccessful.

Faced with this, they began to evaluate more affordable alternatives, such as multispectral devices. Today, despite the fact that spaces such as the Commission for the Search for Disappeared Persons of the State of Jalisco (COBUPEJ—-with which they have a partnership—has acquired this equipment, no national strategy exists to deploy these technologies systematically.

Some time later, the scientists took on a bigger challenge. When they briefed the National Search Commission on the usefulness of remote sensing for locating burials, officials told them that in some regions of the Northwest, the greatest need was to locate substances used to conceal crimes. "They dispose of them in caustic soda or with chemicals, char them and incinerate them in the open air or in crematoria; they throw the remains away or bury them," the researcher says.

So, in 2021, Silván's group did another experiment, this time in Hidalgo and with a spectroradiometer, which measures how different substances reflect light. For that study, they tested the trace of substances used in crimes. They found that diesel, muriatic acid and blood treated with anticoagulants require more precise imaging to be located, but that most substances, such as caustic soda, lime, blood and those resulting from open burning could be detected with multispectral sensors, which are less expensive.

CentroGeo has also participated in the development of complementary strategies to identify areas with a high probability of harboring clandestine graves. One example is the training of mathematical models with the coordinates of previous findings and the characteristics of the sites preferred by criminals, which they call clandestine spaces and which define as those which are easy to access for perpetrators and of low visibility to the population.

In addition, they have been using the signs that decomposing bodies leave on the vegetation for years. As a corpse decomposes, it releases nutrients into the soil, in particular increasing the concentration of nitrogen. In plants, this element is linked to chlorophyll, which gives them their greenness. In experiments with buried pigs, they have observed that a chlorophyll indicator can be quantified through satellite images. They measure how fast this index grows to detect sites with anomalies. This tool is available on the "Clandestine Space" platform.

Silván says that to interpret the nitrogen signal, they must consider that the gas signal can also vary due to the use of fertilizers or rains that carry nutrients. The presence of nitrogen, then, is not definitive proof of the existence of trenches, but it provides indications that justify paying attention in certain regions. The National Search Commission has been trained to use this indicator.

In Baja California, a northern state with 17,306 missing persons cases, these strategies have already been used. They first analyzed 52 locations of known graves and deduced that, because of the way they were distributed, there was a high probability of finding more graves at a distance of between 18 and 28 kilometers from those already known. They also looked for possible "clandestine spaces" and identified that 32% of the territory of Baja California had the potential to be used for that purpose. Finally, they reviewed the concentration of chlorophyll in satellite images. The result was a useful accompaniment for some family brigades.

Recently, Ana Alegre and José Silván analyzed geospatial models that could explain the distribution of graves in 10 states. They found that the travel time it would take an offender to get from urban streets to the grave is the factor that most influences the location of graves. "The secrecy sought by perpetrators seemed less important than reducing the effort they invest in creating the grave," their article says.

In addition to collaborating with the government, CentroGeo researchers work with civil associations such as Regresando a casa Morelos and Fuerzas unidas por nuestros desaparecidos en Nuevo León (FUNDENL). Some time ago, the former asked them to survey a site. "We collected thermal images and three-dimensional models to provide information," says Silván. In addition, they gave a workshop for visual interpretation. Silván describes the members of "Returning Home Morelos" as dedicated people. "They want to find their loved ones, they are willing to learn anything, to analyze an image or fly a drone. To everything."

With information from the FUNDENL collective and support from the American Jewish World Service, CentroGeo created "Huellas de vida", a platform that crosses the information of unfound persons and unidentified bodies with data from objects found in clandestine burial sites in Nuevo León. The intention is to detect coincidences that will help solve cases.

The geographer points out that the investigation is advancing, while the forms and numbers of disappearances are multiplying. Other countries, he says, are installing ground penetration radars on drones, or are planning to use electronic noses as indicators of methane, an element that corpses release at a certain stage of decomposition. To search for missing persons from the Spanish Civil War, for example, patterns in geographic data were tracked to narrow down search sites.

The big pending issue is to evaluate the real contribution that geographic information has had in uncovering crime scenes. "It is complicated to have feedback, even with the National Commission, because they are not obliged to tell us where they have findings." It will be until they have the new reports when they will be able to collate the results and measure the impact of their contributions. For now, "it is complicated to attribute the findings to our tools and information".

For his part, the member of United for our Disappeared assures that the search groups are the ones who have found most of the clandestine graves currently located. The usual thing, he says, is that the governments do not have departments for this work and only search when they have declarations that oblige them to do so. With the collectives it is different, because "we receive anonymous information, and even if we have no information, we still schedule searches and go out".

Finding graves is the beginning of another loss. When they have reason to excavate, they use picks and shovels and, if they find human remains, the authorities (who usually accompany them) cordon off the area and proceed with their work. If they are not present, they call them. "From there, many times we don't know what's going on, we don't get feedback from the authorities. We say that the person we found is lost again." The problem is general, "the collectives complain that people get lost in the bureaucratic process". In few cases, they say, the Prosecutor's Office restores the identity of the disappeared.

While technology is integrated into the systematic searches, collectives such as United for our Disappeared ask society to share the information they have on missing persons. "We only want to find them, all the information that reaches the collectives is anonymous," says the interviewee whose identity we reserve. The authorities have accepted this, he assures.

For his part, José Silván comments that, as a result of the collaboration with COBUPEJ and other institutions, they are about to publish a book to disseminate techniques for the detection of graves that they tested during their work.n de fosas que probaron durante un año en dos sitios de inhumación controlados en Jalisco, así como otras experiencias recogidas a nivel nacional a través de la ciencia ciudadana que hacen las madres buscadoras. The book is entitled Interpreting Nature to Find Them and is coordinated by Tunuari Chavez, head of the COBUPEJ context unit, and Jose Silvan under the direction of commissioner Victor Avila.