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Article: Hair detectives.(forensic research on human hair)
- Article from:
- Science News for Kids
- Article date:
- March 5, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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You can tell a lot about people by looking at their hair--and not just whether they brush, spray, or blow-dry.
Scientists have found a way to use hair to figure out where a person is from and where that person has been. The finding could help solve crimes, among other useful applications.
Water is central to the new technique. The liquid makes up more than half an adult human's body weight. Our bodies break water down into its parts--hydrogen and oxygen. Atoms of these two elements end up in our tissues, fingernails, and hair.
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But not all water is the same. Hydrogen and oxygen atoms can vary in how much they ...