Scientists Use Emerging Tools to Gather Evidence, Assist Human Rights Groups

More Research into Validity of Fingerprint Comparisons Needed, Forensic Report Says Courtroom testimony and reports stating that fingerprints collected from a crime scene belong to a single person lack scientific foundation.

A new education project from AAAS aims to prove that smart phones can be more than a classroom distraction. Instead, they can be a powerful tool for helping students and teachers collaborate on creative, hands-on science learning.

The battle over the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, widely used in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins in food cans, holds lessons for the assessment of a broad range of chemicals whose possible impact on human health remains elusive, speakers said at a recent AAAS panel discussion.

Some studies in animals suggest that BPA can disrupt the endocrine system, with potentially harmful effects on growth and development. Canada plans to ban plastic baby bottles made with BPA, and some groups in the United States and Europe are calling for the same action.