The Science of Stephen King

There are two types of evidence found that prove Terry Maitland’s whereabouts on the day of the murder. What type of evidence is more reliable: eyewitness testimony or DNA evidence? Without a doubt, DNA evidence has proven to be more reliable than eyewitness testimony. Why can’t human memory necessarily be trusted? We all have short-term memory; similar to a Post-it Note, and long-term memory; akin to the hard drive of a computer. Eric Kandel, a neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York City, has shown that short-term memories involve relatively quick and simple chemical changes to the synapse that make it work more efficiently. He found that to build a memory that lasts hours, days, or years, neurons must manufacture new proteins to make the neurotransmitter traffic run more efficiently. Long-term memories must literally be built into the brain’s synapses. Kandel and other neuroscientists have generally assumed that once a memory is constructed, it can’t be undone.3 This viewpoint is changing, though.

We tend to remember things through our own cultural filters and these memories can be skewed by a number of factors including bias, our mood, our physical health, and context. Karim Nader, a neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal, believes that just the act of remembering can change the memories. In experiments, he has shown that our brains reconsolidate memories during the recall process and we can forget key aspects or even embellish them through conversations with others. Because of this, eyewitness testimony isn’t as trustworthy as was once thought.

The advent of DNA analysis in the late 1980s revolutionized forensic science. It provides an unprecedented level of accuracy about the identity of actual perpetrators versus innocent people falsely accused of a crime. DNA testing led to the review of many settled cases in the United States and according to the Innocence Project, more than 360 people who had been convicted and sentenced to death since 1989 have been exonerated through DNA evidence. Of these, 71 percent had been convicted through eyewitness misidentification.4

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the human hereditary material that looks like a long molecule and it contains the information that organisms need to develop and reproduce. It was first discovered in 1869 by the biochemist Friedrich Miescher, who was studying the composition of lymphoid cells. It wasn’t until the 1940s that genetic inheritance began to be researched and understood in regard to DNA. Human DNA is unique because it is made up of nearly three billion base pairs that are approximately 99 percent the same in every person. Through advanced research, scientists believe the diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases will continue to improve as well as the possibility of gene therapy. With personalized or precision medicine based on DNA, experts believe they will be able to pinpoint treatments for individuals much faster and more accurately.

The human genome contains three billion base pairs of DNA.

Fingerprints are used to identify Terry Maitland and others in The Outsider. How accurate is fingerprint science? Fingerprints have been used throughout history as a means for identification but it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that they were used to identify criminals. Since we all have unique ridges and patterns to our fingerprints, we are able to be identified if we touch a surface and leave a trace of sweat or other substances behind. Scientists are discovering that a lot more can be learned about a person through their fingerprints. In a new theory, scientists believe that fingerprints could leave a molecular signature behind. This could reveal aspects of an individual’s lifestyle and environment, such as their job, their eating habits, or even their medical problems.5 This is a fascinating new area of fingerprint science that will no doubt provide countless details about crime scenes and criminals in the future.

Another aspect of the detective work in The Outsider is comparing blood types found at the scene of a crime to the blood type of alleged perpetrators. How are blood types used in crime investigation? According to George Schiro, a forensic scientist at the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory, the most common applications of blood evidence are:

Finding blood with the victim’s genetic markers on the suspect, on something in the suspect’s possession, or something associated with the suspect; finding blood with the suspect’s genetic markers on the victim, on something in the victim’s possession, or something associated with the victim; or investigative information determined from blood spatter and/or blood location.7