How Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Works

Was it Miss Scarlett in the conservatory with a wrench? A bloodstain pattern analyst might be able to tell you. The blood from a crime scene has a story to tell.

How Breathalyzers Work

Drivers who can pass roadside sobriety tests -- by touching their noses or walking a straight line -- may still be over the legal limit for blood alcohol and be a hazard on the road. Breathalyzers help police find out who's really driving drunk.

How Crime Scene Investigation Works

Learn what really goes on when a CSI "processes a crime scene" and get a real-world view of crime scene investigation from a primary scene responder with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

How Crime-scene Clean-up Works

Crime-scene clean-up is a niche market within the cleaning industry and those who do it get paid on average of $600 an hour. It's a hazardous job, but someone's got to do it.

How Fingerprinting Works

Detectives arrive at a crime scene and lift fingerprints from the murder weapon. They'll use these oily markings to catch their criminal. But how do they match the print to the killer?

How Handwriting Analysis Works

When there's a suspect in a crime and the evidence includes a handwritten note, investigators may call in handwriting experts to see if there's a match. Learn all about forensic handwriting analysis.

How Mummies Work

Mummification -– the preservation of a dead body -- has been practiced for thousands of years. Mummies of Ancient Egypt and Peru are still being discovered today, and the practice extends well into the present. Learn how and why mummies are made.

Can you explain the diameter measurements used in bullets, wire and nails?

Bullets, wires and nails are all measured with unusual measurement systems and units -- and they all show just how interesting measurement systems can be!

How does a lie detector (polygraph) work?

You may know a bit about polygraphs, but do you know which physical reactions it actually monitors? Get the scoop in this article.

Could someone really find a mummy in his backyard?

I was watching a movie the other night and the main character found a mummy in his backyard. Does this really happen? Could someone find a mummy in his backyard?

How do investigators determine if a wildfire was caused by arson?

Investigators quickly determined that the wildfire that killed five firefighters and burned more than 40,000 acres in Esperanza, CA, was the result of arson.