stellameredith
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- Dec 7, 2006
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Hey everyone! I was listening to PRI's "The World" last week and I heard this segment on a new technique that Swedish scientists have developed to help ID bodies in advanced states of decomp:
If you're interested, you can download the broadcast here:
http://www.world-science.org/podcas...activity-remains-tentacled-snakes-stonehenge/
I don't know exactly when the segment is, but I do remember that it is near the end of the broadcast.
In brief: Scientists developed a technique to find out the exact year of birth of the unidentified remains by measuring the radio carbon in tooth enamel. Since 1945, the amount of radio carbon in earth's atmosphere has fluctuated because of nuclear weapons testing. This radio carbon can be found in human body parts, and teeth are a good way to measure it - as long as they were born after the testing started. The scientist who was interviewed said that she hopes to be able to use it to help ID the thousands of unidentified bodies in the U.S.
If you're interested, you can download the broadcast here:
http://www.world-science.org/podcas...activity-remains-tentacled-snakes-stonehenge/
I don't know exactly when the segment is, but I do remember that it is near the end of the broadcast.
In brief: Scientists developed a technique to find out the exact year of birth of the unidentified remains by measuring the radio carbon in tooth enamel. Since 1945, the amount of radio carbon in earth's atmosphere has fluctuated because of nuclear weapons testing. This radio carbon can be found in human body parts, and teeth are a good way to measure it - as long as they were born after the testing started. The scientist who was interviewed said that she hopes to be able to use it to help ID the thousands of unidentified bodies in the U.S.
