The new fingerprint analysis doesn't only monitor the body's internal environment. It also reveals external information. If a person fires a gun or has handled explosive material, trace amounts of those chemicals are left on the hand, which can then be detected if the person leaves a fingerprint. "I think this is quite important," said Graham Cooks, a professor of chemistry at Purdue University who does similar work. "Now you get the connection between the identity of the individual, through the physical fingerprint, and particular compounds, which are associated with the virtual fingerprint." The technique will certainly help police gain more information about criminals, but there are privacy concerns for law abiding citizens, said Cooks. "If I come to your office and leave a fingerprint on your desk, you now have a biomedical sample of me," said Cooks. "You can then proceed to find out as much information about me as you want," from what lotion you used that morning to what drugs you did last night. Researches won't speculate on when the new fingerprint analysis will be commercially available to police departments or how expensive a commercial version will be. But they do say it will have to pass several tests to ensure the system doesn't produce false positives, or that a person who, for instance, didn't do drugs comes across as testing positive for cocaine. "It'll be pretty cheap, but still more expensive than using normal magnetic powder," said Russell. "We envision that this would first be used for serious or high profile crimes like rape or murder."
Related Links: How Stuff Works: Crime Scene Investigation |
advertisement
Put Discovery News on Your Site!
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
