It’s December already, have you done your shopping? Nor me… So what do you buy the forensic science geek in your life? Here’s some top tips…
csi kit
A junior crime scene investigator’s dream – the ‘New Scotland Yard Forensic Set’, pictured above. A kit with all that is needed to tell who has been sneaking off with your advent calendar chocolate, or for students to tell which house mate has been swigging from your spirit bottle! Available from the science museum shop and others, priced £30.00.
books
For the cycling/sports drug testing fan, the new book by David Walsh (to be released on 13th December) looks like a must read. Called ‘Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong‘ the book reveals Walsh’s realisation that something more sinister lay behind the Tour de France victories of Lance Armstrong, and his dogged determination to bring those to the fore (including court cases and threats). See my summary of the evidence presented so far here.
Picture: Amazon.co.uk
‘Body of Evidence’ by Patricia Cornwell is one of the early forensic blockbusters. This book bought Dr Kay Scarpetta to the publics attention in a big way!
jewellery
How about being able to carry your own, or a loved ones, fingerprints around with you at all times? The fingerprint company sends you a kit to take an impression of a fingerprint, send it off to them and they make it into bespoke silver jewellery!
A ready comparison print in case you get caught in a crime scene! Or a constant reminder of a loved one.
art
Fancy having a very personalised piece of art comissioned for your home? How about your own DNA, sequenced and printed onto canvas and framed on your wall? DNA-art produce some fantastic images to hang in your own home. You can even get your whole family done and have the DNA on display in your dining room. Hopefully nothing suspicious shows up if you have that done… The pic below is a photo taken from their blog showing a family arrangement. Prices seem to start at just under £300 for a single image.
music
Anything by ‘the xx‘ (DNA, XX, genetics, geddit?). Either 2009’s excellent album ‘xx‘ or 2012’s equally suberb ‘Coexist‘- available at all good record shops and online retailers (tax paying or not).
Here’s a clip of the single VCR from 2010.
stocking filler singles
Little Mix – DNA single (2012)
Stiff Little Fingers – Forensic Evidence (off the Get a Life album released in 2004)
dvd boxset
There can be only one – Dexter series 1-5 available now.
Any requests before Santa stops taking orders?
PS, I’ll have the books, the boxset and the art please Santa. Hint hint. Please share it with others so they know what to buy you!
Your wish list dr B ?
Thanks Karen. I wouldn’t be disappointed with most of those, although I have both the xx albums. I would also like a new bike and Aston Martin DB5 but couldn’t work out the forensic link to those.
Cheers!
Excellent wish list, Dr B. I’d also recommend a Breaking Bad DVD boxset. If only DNA kits had been around in 1984 we could have conclusively proved who ate the marzipan off the Christmas cake… 😉
Thank you geeky one, I will investigate Breaking Bad also.
Was the cake fingerprinted? A sloppy marzipan thief may have left their fingermarks in the remaining. Was the evidence properly preserved for a cold case review?
Sadly only traces of the marzipan remained… not enough for a small male fingerprint…
Shame. You could have saved the imprinted finger mark and sent it off to be cast in silver!
Next time, l’ll have my DNA kit ready… and then I’ll turn the (male) thumbprint into a giant work of art. You have been warned…