LIsa Black
Cape Coral, FL
Female, 49
I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.
Having to testify in court, which is the most awful kind of public speaking ever because there are people there trying to make you look incompetent. You deal with it by practicing and preparing and training yourself not to take it personally. The other challenge is learning to communicate, in different ways with different groups. With victims and family/friends of victims, you have to be empathetic without talking to them about the investigation, because that's the detective's job. With co-workers, detectives and cops, you have to give them all the information they need or want without bruising their egos. This takes practice and focus.
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I very much doubt anything self-ignites, but I'm not an expert on explosives. But where oil is concerned I'm fairly sure you would need a spark to ignite it.
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Okay, I emailed you.
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I'm afraid you'd have to ask a doctor. I'm not an expert in that area, but I could make a guess that it depends a great deal on what he lands on when he falls. Also, has anything in the loft changed recently? Maybe he rearranged the furniture so his bed is closer to the edge?
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Veterinarian
Do you think keeping monkeys as pets is a bad idea?
Birthday Party Clown
What's the meanest thing a kid ever said to you during a party?
Dating Website Employee
What are the most common mistakes guys make on out their profiles?
You can't go wrong with science classes. When I was in college they didn't have courses specifically in forensic science, so that wasn't an option. Look especially for classes where you can do hands-on work in the lab or field. And different agencies will have different requirements, so you might want to go online and check out the different vacancies to get some idea of what requirements are out there.
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I am so sorry I didn't get back to you earlier! I can be reached through my website at www.lisa-black.com.
Though if you look through previous questions and answers, you might find that someone has already asked what you would like to know.
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I'm sure you are, since most positions are civilian positions without those kinds of restrictions.
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