History of Modern Forensics

When was Modern Forensics Born?

"Forensic" (adjective), according to my compact Oxford English Dictionary, relates to or denotes the application of scientific methods to the investigation of crime. Nowadays, with the sad and scary proliferation of crimes anywhere in our world, forensic science (or forensics, in short), is as active as ever - calling for the application of broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system.

History tells us that during the Roman times, a criminal charge meant presenting the case before a group of public individuals in the forum. Basing on both sides of the story, both the person accused of the crime and the accuser would give speeches. And of course, the individual with the best argument and delivery would determine the outcome of the case. That was then.

Richard Strauss

Classical Music Dateline:  June 11

Richard Strauss, German composer and conductor
Born in Munich on June 11, 1865.

He has no relation to the "Waltz" Strauss family of Vienna. A composer and conductor of the Romantic era, Richard Strauss is best known for his symphonic poems, eg., Also Sprach Zarathustra.

Also sprach zarathustra, Op.30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra), a tone poem by Richard Strauss, was composed in 1896, inspired by the philosophical novel of Friedrich Nietzsche.  It was first performed in Frankfurt on November 27, 1896, conducted by the composer himself. 

 

Edison, Nobel, and Leonardo da Vinci

3 Great Inventors: Thomas Alva Edison, Alfred Nobel, and Leonardo Da Vinci

Through time, inventors and innovators have seized opportunities at the expense of their personal lives to create what the world is benefiting now. Often, these men and women are so capable of innovative thoughts that they don’t make just one contribution to the world but many.

Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931)

American inventor who invented the light bulb and motion pictures among many of his patents. He is considered the most productive inventor in his day, receiving over 1,000 patents for practical applications pertaining to scientific principles. Aside from all his numerous inventions, Edison discovered the Edison Effect in 1883, which later formed the basis of the electron tube. Six years later, in 1889, he formed the Edison Electric Light Company, which through mergers General electric (GE), in 1892.

Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833-1896)

Swedisth chemist, industrialist and engineer. He is famous for his invention of the explosive or dynamite, a more powerful form of blasting gelatin, and Nobel Prize awards. Nobel also produced ballistite, one of the first nitroglycerin smokeless powders. His immense fortune acquired from the manufacture of explosives and other interests he bequeathed to establish the prestigious Nobel Prizes, first awarded in 1901.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Florentine painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, and engineer. He is regarded the "Renaissance Man" himself, most famous for Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and St. Anne with the Madonna and Child painting, among others. And of course his sketches and priceless ideas in his notebook. He founder the Classic style of painting of the High Renaissance, and among the first to use the chiaroscuro technique. In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci moved to Milan to become civil and military engineer to Duke Lodovico Sforza, where he painted "Madonna of the rocks," and numerous other works, including the "Last Supper."