Pathology professor will demonstrate how to identify a crocodile's victim

A lively presentation of how forensic scientists solve crimes and catch criminals is the subject of the next Irish Times/RDS Science Today lecture for students, at the RDS on Wednesday, November 3rd.

The speaker will be Prof David Lowe, professor of surgical pathology in the Department of Histopathology at St Bartholemew's Hospital, London. The talk is entitled "Hello, who have we here?" and looks at the various ways of identifying a person, from the study of bones and X-rays to the latest in genetic fingerprinting.

Forensic scientists use an array of technologies as they attempt to piece together what happened during a crime. They might study cells to find signs of damage that could identify weapons or cause of injury, biochemistry to identify specific proteins inside the cells, or molecular biology to capture a DNA profile.

Prof Lowe will demonstrate no fewer than six ways of defining a person's sex and will challenge students to identify the sex of subjects when the clues presented by clothing or appearance are confused. They will also be asked to help establish the identity of a victim of a crocodile attack, using what they have learned during the lecture.

As vice-president of the London International Youth Science Forum, he has a great deal of experience in presenting science to a young audience in an engaging and entertaining way. His own area of specialisation is gynaecological pathology and he is editor of the Journal of Clinical Pathology.

The student lecture is one of two major public lectures organised each year by The Irish Times and the Royal Dublin Society. The demonstration lecture for students takes place each autumn, and each spring The Irish Times and the RDS bring a noted international speaker to Dublin to make a formal public presentation on some aspect of science.

The lecture is particularly suited to transition-, fifth- and sixth-year students. Prof Lowe will give two lectures on Wednesday, November 3rd, to facilitate the greatest number of students who wish to attend. These will be at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The entrance fee is £1 per student. Groups must be accompanied by a teacher, who is admitted free. Members of the public are also invited.

All places must be booked in advance. Teachers wishing to organise student groups and individuals should contact Ms Carol Power, development executive for science and industry, at the RDS. She can be reached by phone at (01) 668-0866, ext 217, by post at the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, or by e-mail at carol.power@rds.ie