Introducing Now: THE MISERY MACHINE!

Bonjour! Nous sommes The Misery Machine!

We originally formed part of an elite mystery-solving organization whose name we cannot mention, however we knew we deserved more difficult tasks of crime.

Considering the strongest abilities of each one, we decided to task ourselves with the following roles:

Raul Alvarez: The Media Expert

Damaris Villegas: The Journalist

Alberto Ruiz: The Math Expert

Francisco Camacho: The Math Expert

Elizabeth Muez: The forensic Scientist

We are pretty sure that we can solve this case as fast as we arrive the place where it happened. At least, we hope that our vehicle arrives before breaking down into pieces. I must say, that after being introduced to the case, we have some conclusions about the first concepts we must understand about it:

1. What is forensic science?

The original meaning is: "Any aspect of science as it relates to law" but according to what I read it involves much more, and can be named as a science which determines the causes of the death of people and which has a justice side which tries to unmask crime.

The forensic science nowadays covers:

Modern computer/clay facial reconstruction, DNA fingerprinting, Autopsy techniques, Forensic anthropology, Toxicology, etc.

2. What kind of evidence can be collected in a murder case?

There are many kinds of evidence. We can consider the dates, the positions of the involved characters after and before the murder, the temperature of the environment and the temperature of the body, etc.

3. Why is important to determine the time of death?

Because with it we can determine if the person who is thought as the murderer was in the room at the time of death. Also this can help us as a powerful evidence of how he might died.

4. What methods are commonly used to find the time of death?

The rate method which is done by measuring the change produced by a process which takes place at a known rate which was either initiated or stopped by the event under investigation.

The concurrence method, which is done by comparing the occurrence of events which took place at known times with the time of occurrence of the event under investigation.

5. What factors are considered in Algor Mortis?

In general, the temperature of the body as well as the physical details as the size, the clothes. Also, the characteristics of the environment, for example, the temperature and humidity.

6. How does the environment affect the time of death?

The temperature of the environment and the temperature of the body try to reach a balance, and according to the Newton's Law of Cooling, a body can lose heat faster if the temperature drops.

7. What can you tell about the different methods of temperature reading of the body? Do they make a difference in the results?

Yes, because they focus on different aspects. We may not be sure of only one result because many factors may interfer in our research, for example the environment conditions and the physical and physiological factors.

As my personal conclusion, after all of this I think that the purpose of the activity is to introduce us to modern applications of math as well as how to use all those abilities relating to observation, research, and comparing, I think that after this activity I am going to see the side of math which can apply to my life and how it can be helpful for real. It is like math coming out from the books and appearing around us only visible for those who know how to search for it and its answers.