Sherlock Holmes is the most famous detective in the world for more than 100 years. Personally, I am a huge fan of crime fiction and recently I got curious about him.
For over a hundred years, Sherlock’s stories have been adapted to movies, tv/radio shows, and even other books.
His numerous stories are actually the introduction we had in forensic science. Hence his books are the first CSI insights we had ever on how to solve murder cases.
Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.
Sherlock Holmes
Yet the most impressive about Sherlock Holmes is his way he solves crimes: his scientific analysis. So he is able to discover what actually happened with observation and deduction like any scientist does.
And here is where my curiosity actually begins. The fact that Sherlock’s skills are quite similar to skills one develops in science, makes me wonder about the true story behind the fiction.
Indeed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of this fictional detective, was inspired by not one but two scientists.
Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn were two medical scientists in Edinburgh society, as well as, pioneers in forensic science. Moreover, they were the inspiration behind the creation of Sherlock.
In this episode, we are finding out their story: who they were and how they influenced the author to create Sherlock.
Finally, we should be thankful to these men that not only inspired crime fiction but their work also helped to solve the most disturbing crimes in the UK.
Certainly going back to Sherlock Holmes we have a tradition of forensic science featured in detective stories.
Jeffery Deaver
Do you like Sherlock? What do you think about Bell and Littlejohn? You can share your views below.
Important: share only your own story directly in the comments. Links to other posts, videos, websites, etc. will be removed.
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With love…for science,
Konstantia
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