Forensic Science podcasts

Melissa and Jam are joined by Nicki Stewart for the second part of their forensic-chemistry series. They discuss the material left behind in a fingerprint and compare physical and chemical approaches to revealing latent prints, including powder adhesion, iodine, ninhydrin and cyanoacrylate fuming. The episode explains why the choice of method depends on the surface and the chemical composition of the trace, and why preserving and interpreting real evidence is more complicated than television depictions suggest.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Ida Gravensteen discusses forensic examinations and how specialists investigate causes and circumstances of death. Conversation in Norwegian.

Donna Blackmond discusses why biological molecules favour a single handedness and how that asymmetry might have emerged. The homochirality discussion begins at 6:18. The episode also covers antiparasitic medicines recognised by the 2015 medicine Nobel prize, blood-based estimates of time since death, Matt Gunther’s interview with chemistry laureate Tomas Lindahl about DNA repair, polymer additives designed to reduce aviation-fuel fires, and carbon quantum dots produced from urine.