Question

On popular crime drama series like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the latest scientific methods are used to collect and analyse physical evidence and solve horrible crimes in record time. But ju st how realistic is all this? We interviewed 26-year-old Ben Langdon to find out what the jo b o f a forensic 5 scientist is really like. So, Ben ... is your job anything like what we see on CSI? W ell... mostly no! On the show, investigators seem to end every work day with a dramatic arrest, but sometimes our cases aren’t solved for months. Also, on CSI you see that everything is being ю done by one or two people. They go to the crime scene, do DNA analysis, then go and arrest the suspect. In reality, a lot of different specialised technicians, forensic scientists and detectives are involved in each case. I specialise in fibres and blood analysis, but others look at fingerprints, footwear and many other things. 15 So what’s a typical day like for you, Ben? There’s no typical day because every case is different. A few days ago, I examined some evidence that had been collected from a crime scene. A ski mask had been found after an armed robbery at a pizzeria, so I had to search it for hair, blood and saliva. When 20 a stain was found, I used chemicals to remove the DNA from it and then i had the DNA compared to samples from the suspects. Another time recently, I spent two whole days searching for fibres in a car. Sometimes, I might even be asked to present my evidence in court in front of a judge. 25 Can you tell us a little about the equipment and scientific methods you use? Sure. As well as ordinary microscopes, we use powerful electron microscopes. We also use ultraviolet light to see traces of evidence like tiny fibres and spectrometers which identify 30 chemicals. Our techniques are becoming more high-tech all the time. Soon, we will have a kind of ‘lab on a chip’. DNA will be identified simply by putting a tiny amount of fluid on a silicon chip. Finally, what are the best and the worst parts of your job? Well, this job definitely isn’t for everyone. Some crime scenes can 35 be very distressing. On the other hand, it’s wonderful when a case has been solved and your evidence played a role in that. You get to help the community, and that’s a great feeling. выписать предложения с конструкцией