Hair, fibers, insects, fingerprints, handwriting, and teeth! Gunpowder, bite marks, bullets, and blood! What's the connection among all these things? They are all pieces of evidence.

Who committed the crime? When? Was she drinking? Was he using drugs? Is this really her signature? How long has he been dead? What was the cause? How fast were they going? Is this the gun? These kinds of questions come up in crimes like murders, drug cases, burglaries, and violent attacks. Evidence isn't just for solving crimes, though. Finding out when somebody died and why, whether a factory or an office is safe to work in, and what caused an accident are just a few of the everyday mysteries that need to be investigated.

The Real Deal

Finding the evidence and figuring out what it means is the work of a forensic science expert. (Forensic refers to debates and legal arguments. The science part is about coming up with facts and answers to settle the argument.) Many forensic experts work with police departments and lawyers to solve cases. Some work with victims and patients. Others work with the companies that make things or with the government agencies that deal with health and safety. Sometimes, forensic experts testify in court about what they found or how something works.

There are many kinds of forensic science jobs. Crime scene investigators spend a lot of their time going out to find evidence on the spot. Others, like toxicologists (experts in harmful substances), concentrate on lab work. Many of them focus on a specific part of forensic science. A ballistics expert deals with firearms and bullets. An entomologist knows all about insects and how to use them in solving mysteries, such as finding out when somebody died. New forensic methods open up new specialties. Using fingerprints to identify people was a big step forward in 1896. Now, DNA "fingerprinting" can be used to identify people based on each person's own specific genetic code. Other new areas include forensic accounting, nursing, and photography.

Experience and Education

To get into a forensic science career, you need at least a college degree. An advanced degree gives you a better chance to move up. Forensic science is a general term that covers a lot of jobs, so you have choices about what to study. Some colleges offer degrees in forensic science, forensic technology, or criminalistics. Others have a forensic specialty as part of health, science, chemistry, or criminal justice.

What You Can Do Now

Would forensic science be right for you? It might, if you're curious-and determined. A forensic expert doesn't just want to find an answer. She wants to prove it. Don't want to get bored? No problem-each case is different, so there's always a new challenge. To test your interest, read a few mysteries and play some crime-solving computer games. Think about everyday situations in which evidence could tell you something. Forensic science can be fascinating, but it also involves careful thinking and precise testing. You need to be willing to take the time to get it right. The skills you need come from math, chemistry, biology, and physics.

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