io9
Yes, it's another dystopian morning filled with the smell of burning chemicals and scorched ideology. And nothing says dark future more than working as a car bomb forensics expert, the detective who gets called in when a car bomb like this one (set off in Thailand over the weekend) goes off. It turns out you can learn an awful lot about who set this bomb off from reading the debris it left behind.
Here you can see the car after the flames have been put out, and the injured and dead have been taken away. This particular bomb was set off in a hotel parking lot by Muslim insurgents, and claimed at least two lives.
Forensics experts gather three kinds of evidence: chemical, to see if the "signature" of the bomb's materials matches those of known terrorist groups; mechanical, which is to say how the bomb was set off (is it an IED or something made by professional military?); and finally, they look for DNA evidence to see whether they can identify the bombers by bits of skin or hair they may have left behind. The BBC has an interesting article on car bomb forensics. Car bomb forensics may not be a futuristic science, but car bomb forensics expert is a job that is (unfortunately) only going to become more common. Images by MUHAMMAD SABRI/AFP/Getty.
Comments
Grisly and Sad.
I thought this was another DOOMSDAY post for a sec.
You know, since it BOMBED and all...
@Plague: Nicely played sir, but the ALLCAPS were unnecessary. Only some of us are that stupid.
@danwaterhouse:
Over emphasis is a calling card of mine.
@Plague: Is there really any way to spell DOOMSDAY other than in all caps?
Yup, they certainly blowed it up real well. Isn't it a bit disturbing that two rapidly expanding career opportunities of the future are terrorist and car bomb forensic expert.
Is it just me or does that guy in the camo look like obama?
The silver lining is that soon we'll be out of oil, so think "horse bomb forensics expert."
@pkrieger: now you're just baiting...
@Jackson West: ewwww. how about 'unicycle bomb forensics expert'? or would that only apply to firebombing circuses? or we could go the steampunk route and create more airship bomb forensics jobs.
@bjarmson: Personally, I'm raising my children for careers like Sustenance Farmer and Despotic Warlord.
@Slatz_Grobnik: The careers of yesteryear make a comeback.
@geekgrrl: You think you are joking. The worst ship disaster in American history was a steamboat boiler explosion. 1,700 est. killed. Google Sultana Disaster.
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?