¶ … forensic science considered a historical science? In your opinion, does this make it inferior to non-historical sciences (i.e. experimental sciences)? Why or why not?
Forensic science is considered a historical science because the theories and assumptions it has constructed about criminal behaviors reflect the biases of the eras in which they were constructed to some extent and cannot be tested like a scientific hypothesis about a natural law like relativity. While the classical theory of crime was heavily influenced by Enlightenment theories of rationality, sociologically-influenced theories such as strain theory and social disorganization theory reflected the 20th century emphasis on the influence of outside social influences upon an individual's propensity for criminal behavior. This does not make forensic science inferior to the natural sciences. All social sciences are more subjective in their nature than physics, chemistry, and to a lesser extent biology because of researcher bias and the fact that they are studying human nature and society, which cannot be subjected to perfectly-controlled experimental conditions.
Q2. Post-Mortem Interval (PMI). In your opinion, which of the phenomena used to calculate the PMI is most reliable? Why?
There are some species of insect that grow on dead animals or carrion and the movement of the egg, larvae and pupa is extremely limited" ("Overseas research," 2014). If the entomologist determines the life cycle of the insect, he can determine the time of death. This is useful as well because "the distribution of eggs or larvae can indicate an area where there is a gunshot or stabbing wound" and provide further clues about the events ("Overseas research," 2014).
Q3. In the explosion that took place at the Murrah building in Oklahoma City, it was determined that ANFO was the explosive used. In your opinion, why would someone use this as an explosive? Why wouldn't the perpetrators have used dynamite or nitroglycerine? What could have been done to the truck containing the explosive to maximize the damage to the building?
ANFO is an industrial explosive most often used in mining and quarrying because it is relatively safe to handle until the time it is mixed. This may be one reason it was selected for the Oklahoma City bombing, along with the fact that it…
