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Have you ever wondered WHY you have fingerprints? For years, experts thought fingerprints provide traction when gripping, but a recent study by a team of British scientists proved that theory wrong. They used a machine invented specifically to measure friction between a human finger and a sheet of acrylic and proved fingerprints actually decrease friction.

So why do we have fingerprints? Some suggest prints improve sensitivity in our fingers and the ridges allow nerves to “feel” surfaces more accurately. Another theory is they help wick water from our skin. And of course, fingerprints often play a great role in crime solving, although I doubt that’s why they exist!

In fact, if it weren’t for fingerprints, literally hundreds of thousands of cases around the world would have gone unsolved. Today, forensic investigators are so good, they’re able to lift prints from some VERY unusual places. In the episode, “In the Bag,” scientists lifted a print from inside a rubber glove that has been under water for an entire week. They’ve lifted prints from a victim’s skin and even from cloth. Amazing.

But what happens when investigators find no prints in a victim’s home? It might be because of climate. When the air is dry, the body doesn’t produce the oils necessary to swell the fingerprint ridges. The lack of prints might also be the result of the perpetrator wiping away the prints. This, too, would tell investigators a lot about the perpetrator. So remember, solving crime isn’t always about what’s at the scene, it’s also about what’s not, and why.

There are several NEW EPISODES this month.

“Family Ties” premieres July 17 at 9:30 p.m., Eastern/Pacific. A man and his wife were brutally attacked in bed by an axe-wielding perpetrator. Investigators had so little evidence; they had to try unconventional thinking. They started looking at EVERY possible item the perpetrator might have touched. You cannot possibly imagine where they discovered the killer’s skin cells.

“Trouble Brewing” premieres July 24 at 9:30 p.m., Eastern/Pacific. Two crimes linked by four empty beer bottles. Surprisingly, there are no usable prints on any of them, but a code stamped on the bottles provided more evidence than police could have imagined.

For a “behind the scenes” look at Forensic Files check out the new videos we’ve added.

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Paul Dowling

Executive Producer