What if you could imprint every bullet with the unique signature of the gun which fired it? That's the goal of California's bullet microstamping law, which takes effect in 2010. But does microstamping work? Scientists studying the technology say it will produce more false hopes and high costs than evidence. Supporters say that victims, families, and investigators deserve all the help they can get.
Chelsey Juarez, a UC Santa Cruz doctoral candidate in forensic anthropology, has developed a novel technique to help identify the remains of migrants who die crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
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QUEST is a production of KQED. Major funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Foundation, and The Amgen Foundation. Additional support is provided by the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation, Ann S. Bowers - The Robert Noyce Trust, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, and the Vadasz Family Foundation.
