Forensics is a science that is a lot like a game.  It involves clues, mysteries and puzzles and helps to solve those mysteries and puzzles with the clues left behind after an event has taken place.  Forensic science also includes the preservation or reconstruction of things after time has passed.  You might have seen some of the shows on TV about forensics, like the show CSI, but forensics science is working in the real world and you can see it all around you.

One of the oldest forensic science tools is fingerprinting.  In fact, did you know that every person has a unique set of fingerprints?  No two are alike which makes it possible to prove that someone was in a location, even long after they left.  After a crime, forensic scientists search the crime scene for fingerprints, lift those fingerprints and then compare them to fingerprints of suspects.  Learn about the history of fingerprinting by reading this article.

More recently, forensic scientists have been given a new tool - DNA.  Even better than fingerprints, DNA is easier to find because we can get it from almost anything a person might leave behind.  Examples are hair, saliva, even tears!  Learn more about DNA by reading this article.

Computers are also a great place to find clues.  Not all crimes happen in the physical world, some happen in the virtual world.  If a computer is used to steel or harm another computer, forensic scientists can examine the computer and find evidence to help solve the crime and bring criminals to justice.

We have collected articles to teach you more about forensics.  We also have some fun projects you can do.  And there are some places you can go to see forensics at work.