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Unit 2: Science and Detection:

In Puerto Rico there are many mysteries about how people get murdered and who might be the suspect. We can use one example from March 9, 2010, when a young boy’s death was the whole country’s mystery, a mystery so big now a day no one stills know what truly happened. This unit will teach us how Science and Detection help us find mystery related with health, death and history.

 On this specific unit, it talks about how they can use different methods to find clues about the past or any type of event. Three of these methods are: CT Scanning, Fingerprinting and the DNA tracking. The CT scanner is a medical imaging device that can see anything from the inside, with this method they can search tumors, infections, and other things without having to cut the patient open. The fingerprinting method is a way in which they use the person’s fingerprint patterns. These patterns are unique to every person making it easier to identify any individual, making it these days useful for helping police solve crimes. And finally, the DNA tracking system. DNA is found in almost every part of the body and it is almost unique on every individual, except with identical twins. Also, like fingertips, since DNA is so distinctive, it is a valuable tool for identification used to solve many types of crimes and tracing back into history.

            These following cases are a few examples of how these methods can be used. One of them being the leech that solved an eight-year-old robbery case. When the detectives were investigating the crime scene they found a leech filled with blood, extracting some of it and keeping it in their database. Eight years later while exanimating and analyzing a suspect’s DNA from another unrelated case, they ended up discovering that both DNA from the blood found inside the leech and the suspect’s DNA matched, finally finding one of the criminals from this old robbery case. Another of these cases is the one using the DNA of a plant, which helped to not only fully identify the suspect, but also to identify him as the murderer by discovering he was indeed part of this crime. The seed pods found in his truck were the exact same ones from the tree that was part of the scene of the crime, his truck not only been there but also collided with this specific tree. One of the many history cases solved thanks to these methods is the one of the Europe’s oldest mummy known as the Iceman. The wounds on his body have made it clear to scientists for some time that he died a violent death, but thanks to new DNA analysis along with X-Ray and CT imagining technology scientists have piece together even more clues of this ancient Neolithic human. Not only he was violently murdered but also, they discovered how and when, throwing away the lack of information theory that they once made.

These science and detection methods have helped us solve some many mysteries about the past, no matter how far from our present it is as we already mentioned. Another good example is the scientific research and investigation of King Tutankhamun’s mummy. When the pharaoh’s tomb was rediscovered in 1922, among of all his treasures and artifacts that were still inside, they found small but still important clues that years later helped scientific investigations while trying to figure out about his life and death. Obviously by that time it wasn’t enough, they needed modern technology to be able to answer all the mystery behind this young dead pharaoh. In 2005 they finally did a more concrete investigation using a CT scan. They were finally able to tell his ages and the physical damages he suffered during and after his life without having to damage his mummified body, but still couldn’t go deeper than that. In 2008 the scientists decided to analyze samples of DNA extracted from the mummy’s bone tissues, making new discoveries, one of them being the fact he had a clubbed foot and necrosis. They also tested the mummy for any evidence of infectious diseases, discovering Tutankhamun indeed suffered of malaria, but doubting this was the only cause of his death. They determined that his health was endangered since he was born, especially after discovering more about his past and ancestors, concluding his parents were brother and sister. This was enough information to determinate the reasons of his deformities and that his health most have been a fragile one, causing his premature death. Therefore, there’s still a lot to discover and analyze from the pharaoh’s corps, his treasures and mummies found in his tomb.

In conclusion; CT scanning, fingerprinting, DNA tracking and many other science and detection methods are useful instruments when it comes to solve mysteries from the past and identifying criminals or victims. Even though there’s still a lot of mysteries to solve, we have taken a big step with these methods. Not only being able to make justice against crimes and criminals, but also being able to learn about and from our ancestors and past. As technology continues to advance, the easier it will be for us to understand and uncover the mystery behind our past.