Day 1

Shodor Main Image Text that says the Shodor Foundation

February 18, 1999

The first day of the Forensic Science and Investigation workshop is a large success according to the students. The "forensic scientists" first began their day by selecting a mystery name from a bag. They placed this name on one of their fellow scientists. They then were then instructed to ask yes or no questions to help them discover their mystery person. The talented forensic scientists had no trouble conquering this feat. Next, Wendy Hunter, the instructor of this program, hands the scientists a box filled with unknown items. The scientist are to place their hand in the box and are to use all available resources except for the use of their eyes.

Next, they read a passage about a murder! The scientists soon discover the killer, and to their amazement the solution the computer gives as the murder in this case, is actually incorrect. Concluding this exercise they try to solve another case, the case of the cashmere sweater.

After a short break, the scientist are off to breaking codes. They discover codes ranging from famous quotes to hints to where sweet candies lay. The scientist are so pleased with their code breaking skills that they begin to make their own codes. "How do we apply these things in real life," one of the scientist exclaims. "That's easy, people use forensics everyday to catch criminals," explains Wendy. Wendy takes this question and applies it to the next topic, which is ink chromatography. The scientist all gather around a transparent glass bowl. Each of the explorers touch the bowl and try to look at the print that their finger makes. Unable to find any remnant of their fingerprint, Wendy lightly dust the bowl with a dark coal-like substance. Next, they take a piece of take and place it over the darken areas. When they removed the tape they discovered a replica of their fingerprint, awesome! Concluding the day, they get a brief lesson on MacSpartan® and how to use the program correctly. The scientist are in awe when they see just what they can actually do with MacSpartan®.