How Much Halloween Candy Will Kill You?
It’s nearly Halloween! And the scariest thing, for this writer anyway, is all the candy that’s coming into my house. We learned long ago that shopping for Halloween is a delicate dance. If you buy the candy too early, you stand to eat it all before the big night. And then you have to buy more. But if you wait too long, the shelves will be wiped out at the store and your only choices will be granny-style peppermints.
But I’ve been doing a lot of research for science classes, specifically biology and chemistry, and I came across this Youtube.com video How Much Trick or Treat Candy Will Kill You.
Probably no one is really in danger of OD'ing on five pounds of candy corn, but the formula for figuring out how much of a harmless substance a human would need to ingest in order for that substance to be fatal is very interesting and could definitely be used in a fictional forensic investigation.
4N6FactFriday: Making of a Murderer turns investigation back on CRIME LAB.
The controversy continues to swirl around the conviction of Steven Avery and his young [alleged] accomplice Brendon Dassey.
Recently, Dassey’s conviction was overturned by a Federal Judge on the basis that his confession was tainted and extracted illegally by Detectives.
But there is also a pretty big question surrounding some key evidence that was used against Avery. Turns out that the smears of his blood found in the victim’s car may or may not have contained a preservative known as EDTA that is regularly used by crime labs. The test for that chemical has apparently only been used once before in a criminal trial: the O.J. Simpson trial in 1995. And we all know how that turned out!
“Kathleen Zellner, Avery’s attorney, tweeted a statement that the Dassey decision was only part of the ongoing reevaluation of the murder case.
“Brendan’s opinion shows cops made up crime story. Steven’s will show cops made up crime evidence,” Zellner wrote.”
Read the full details here in Forensic Magazine and stayed tuned for the update. One way or another the truth always manages to ooze out.
4N6Fact Friday: Are you watching your APPs or are they watching YOU?
New research shows that if you have an Android phone your APPs might actually be watching you without your knowledge or consent.
How do we know?
Because a research team at Northeastern University, led by Guevara Noubir, built an Android App and tested it. They found that Android Apps have access to key sensors inside the phone that do not require permissions and can infer specific information about where you live, where you’ve been and where you’re going. You can read about their test and results here.
Adding to this problem is the fact that for $25 anyone can load an app into the Google store and no one is screening them for malicious intentions.
Guevara Noubir advised Android users to only install Apps they trust and to monitor if Apps are still running in the background when you’re not using them.
My personal addition to this story is that last evening my husband and I went out to dinner. I left my iPhone at home, but he brought his Samsung Android with him. During dinner we talked about the movie Pulp Fiction, remarking on the wonderful dialog.
When we got home, my husband logged into Facebook and right there, at the top of his screen, was an ad for Pulp Fiction touting the dialog. Hmmmm.
[Insert raised eyebrows here] It was creepy to say the least.
Excuses every season
Winter:: It's snowing, i better stay inside and read.
Spring:: I have allergies, i better stay inside and read.
Summer:: It's too hot, i better stay inside and read.
Autumn:: It's so windy, i better stay inside and read.
Special Guest Post ~ The Reader (Traci Chee), Plus Giveaway!!
What does reading mean to you? What would it mean to you to have to give it up?
Check out THE READER by Traci Chee and enter to win!
4N6fact Friday: All we are is Palynology in the wind!
Palynology the study of dust or particles strewn.
In a forensics sense why do we care about dust? Don’t we really want to focus on the forensics rockstars like DNA and fingerprints, well-known identifiers which hold up so well in court? The answer is we care because sometimes DNA and fingerprints aren’t enough. Sometimes the clues or evidence that will unravel a gruesome crime is so microscopic that it’s nothing more than dust, pollen or spores. Sometimes it’s literally all you have to work with.
Take the case of Baby Doe whose tiny body was found in a black trash bag on the beach of Deer Island in the Boston Harbor. Baby Doe is one of the saddest stories ever. She had no fingerprints, her DNA didn’t match anyone in the database and no one came forward to claim or identify her.
All investigators had to go on were 39 different spores stuck to her clothes, her blanket and even in her hair. Read this article in Forensic Magazine that tells how Andrew Laurence, a forensic pollen expert – one of FIVE such experts worldwide – managed to analyze that pollen and come up with a locale that helped them restore Baby Doe’s identity as Bella Bond. Her parents are being held, accused of her murder. Hopefully, justice will be done. But at least, thanks to Andrew Laurence, Bella Bond can rest with dignity.
Just so you know, you can always watch the Earth live from the ISS. Its really relaxing to me (the music they play is soothing too)
This is awesome!
(via alwaysbuythebook)
4N6Fact FRIDAY: Inside Hidden APPS (writers/parents you want in on this!)
There was a time when spies hid things in their shoes. But in today’s world most people’s life stories can be found among the files on their smartphone. Found, being the operative word here. Most of us just go with a basic password or biometric lock to keep our phone data safe. And, if you’re not doing anything creepy or illegal, that’s probably all you need.
But, it turns out that for those with creepy and illegal inclinations, the smartphone is an exceptionally good hiding place. So good, in fact, that there are forensic investigators who specialize in cracking smartphones and finding hidden data.
So, what kind of things would one hide on a cell phone?
Obviously, teenagers want to hide everything. But forensic investigators are primarily concerned with data…photos…links…emails…manifestos…and any evidence of criminal activity. If it’s digital AND dangerous, someone has designed an app to keep it on the QT.
One common hidden app technique is for the user to install a bland, boring app like a calculator, which works perfectly as a calculator. Then, upon entering a designated password, boring calc app opens to reveal a hidden digital vault. That’s right, I said it. Vault!
Read this article on the Dangers of Hidden Apps from Forensicmag.com
As for finding hidden apps, I won’t offer up a link, per se. But a quick google search produced about 85 million results. Just saying.
(Now, if only the DNC had thought of something like this.)
4N6Fact Friday: Who builds a building just to burn it down?
The ATF, that’s who.
ATF which stands for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, is a US Law Enforcement Agency under the jurisdiction of the Justice Department. They specialize in crimes related to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives AND arson.
“The longer a burglary lasts, the longer a murder lasts, the more forensic evidence they’re going to leave behind them.That’s what makes it so hard to do fire investigations because it’s one of the only ones that destroys itself.” Chad Campanell, Special Agent, Certified Fire Investigator, ATF
When you consider that, in addition to just setting something on fire, criminals also believe they can burn away evidence linking them to a different, perhaps more serious crime, you can see how crucial an arson investigation can be. The key point here is that arson investigators are trained to know what to look for and to find the evidence that can’t be destroyed.
In many cases this training begins by building something for the sole purpose of setting it ablaze. Read about the ATF lab which houses “the largest forensic tool in the world” – a room where ATF investigators can build a two-story house, trick it out with data gathering devices, then burn it down while they record and study the process.
What’s also interesting is how investigators search find evidence of accelerants after a fire.
