Studying Forensic Science On a Farm You see bodies lying in an otherwise pastoral paradise: some freshly dead, others decomposing. As you continue through the woods, you notice pieces of a human skeleton. If you want to become a forensic scientist, you should be prepared for some of the gruesome realities of the studies—and the work—before you begin. As a forensic science student, you'll find some of those realities on the Body Farm. At this "farm" near Knoxville, Tennessee, there are no crops planted, just bodies: unclaimed bodies from coroners and medical examiners, and others donated to the farm for research. What does grow at the Body Farm is forensic scientists' knowledge of how the human body decays.  Forensic Science On a Farm Like No Other The Body Farm is the Anthropological Research Facility at the University of Tennessee started by Dr. William Bass in 1971. It was the first research facility of its kind where students can scientifically study the decomposition of the human body. The Body Farm provides an ideal setting to scientifically document postmortem changes. At this outdoor field laboratory, forensic science students study body identification, cause of death, and the factors involved in time-since-death estimates. This research is central to the advancement of the field of forensic science and critically important to those working in the criminal justice system. And this type of research is often what drives students to the study of forensics. New students may at first be shocked by the sight and smell of decaying bodies, but they quickly get used to the many cadavers they see. If forensic science is their calling, students learn to objectively study the details of the dead. What Forensic Scientists Study On the Body Farm Forensic anthropologists, such as those at the Body Farm, learn to recover human remains and determine the age, sex, ancestry and stature of unknown victims. Identifying human remains requires some potentially unpleasant research: - Examining teeth and bones
- Studying rate of decomposition and insect development cycles
- Measuring odor and testing body leakage in the soil
- Documenting findings with photographs and note-taking
While this might seem distasteful to some, it's an important part of a student's forensic training. Studying rate of decay helps forensic scientists determine when a person died. At the Body Farm, students leave corpses out in the elements to study what happens as the body decomposes. Some bodies are left in the sun, some in the tall grass or under trees. Others are left in shallow graves, under water or in plastic bags. But the goal is always the same: to simulate crime scenes so that students can document decay, and learn to identify future victims (or the time and circumstances of their death). With so many forces influencing the decomposition of the human body, it is sometimes difficult—if not impossible—to determine time of death or identity. And that's why continued forensic research is so important. Thanks to groundbreaking work by researchers like Dr. Bass and the students on his Body Farm, both law enforcement and the field of forensic science have benefited enormously from the advancements in the study of human remains. So if you are intrigued by forensic science, do your research now. Decide what subfield of forensics is right for you, apply to the forensic science degree programs that best meet your needs, and start preparing for your forensic future today.  Sources: http://web.utk.edu, voanews.com Criminal Justice Home
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