How has your approach to the lab procedures changed from the first round of labs? Are you more or less confident in your results? Why?
In most of the Forensics labs we did we used some scientific tools to get to our final answer. In The Ink is Still Wet lab as well as the Killer Cup of Coffee lab we had to use the colorimeter to get a final conclusion for the problems. When we used the colorimeter we didn't have background information on tests and testing with colorimeters. During the Killer Cup of Coffee lab I found myself wanting background information on the "poison" and if it really was lethal, and the reality behind the whole lab. Throughout The Ink is Still Wet lab I realized how much simpler the lab would be if we had background information on the ending result of what happens when you put ink with alcohol. For the First Impressions lab, I was asking myself why did we put the non-stick spray on, other than to make it so the cast wouldn't stick. (Which it pretty much did.) I also found myself wondering what forensic specialists would do if they had something that the suspect had bitten, but not a mold of the teeth. What would they do if they had half of the clues, how would they figure out the rest?
My approach to the labs changed as I got more used to the types of labs even though the specifics in them changed each time. For instance each time we used the Logger Pro software we got more accustomed to it and understood it better, even if what we were doing was different each time. Also each time our knowledge of what type of stuff we were covering expanded so we had a better idea on what outcome was needed to get the final answer. For instance even between two of the most recent labs after you did one the other was easier. Those would be the two with the colorimeter. No matter which one you did first the next was a little bit easier because you didn't have to ask questions each time you had to do something new. Well, at least after you did one of them you could set up the colorimeter and start some of the tests before having to ask a ton of questions. For the results we got on each of the labs I don't feel like I got a lot more confident in my results. I don't think I got more confident because each times the vast majority of the labs were different. Even if the labs used the same equipment, the gist of the lab and the main point was different.
