9781422275160

Chapter 1

WHAT DO FORENSIC SCIENTISTS DO? THE WORLD OF FORENSIC SCIENCE If the terms DNA profiling , blood splatter, and rigor mortis fascinate you rather than gross you out, then a career as a forensic scientist solving crimes might be in your future. But forensic science is a lot more than just crime scene investigation. Forensic scientists work in many other areas, including fire investigation, computer crime, anthropology, engineering, and nursing. Although there are many forensic science specialties, a few things are certain: Careers in forensic science are exciting, rewarding, and well paying. WHAT IS FORENSIC SCIENCE? To understand the meaning of the phrase forensic science, let’s define both words. The term forensic comes from the Latin (an ancient language) word forensis , which means “for public discussion or debate.” A modern definition of the word forensic translates into “for use in a court of law.” We all know what science is, so the meaning of forensic science is “scientific findings that are used in a court of law.”

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