Like fingerprints, vein patterns are unique to each person, and the forensic scientist has been mapping suspects' hands to help nab child predators for 17 years.
Prof Black first explored this novel idea in 2004, when the British police came to her for help on a sexual abuse case.
They sent her footage of a young girl being abused. Only the perpetrator's hand and forearm were caught on camera. The girl, who took the video for evidence, had alleged that it was her father abusing her.
"The police came to us and said how identifiable is a hand or a forearm? We said we have no idea... but what I know is that veins are very variable. And when you look at the back of your right hand and compare it to your left hand, it's different," said Prof Black.
Fortunately, the veins on the arm became more marked and visible on the video, thanks to near-infrared light from the camera.
When Prof Black compared the hand in the video with a picture of the father's hand, it was a match.
But there was an element of doubt then because there were no statistics showing how distinct or unique the vein pattern is.
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Denne historien er fra January 15, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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VERDY'S APPROACH AN EYE-OPENER
Former Lions turned coaches Alam Shah and Isa inspired by stint with Japanese club
Lions' morale-boosting win comes at a price
The Lions got a much-needed morale booster ahead of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship as they beat Tokyo Verdy 2-1 on Oct 11 in the second of three friendlies against J1 League opponents in their Japan training tour.
Conditions to blame for 'ugly' draw, says Messi
Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela on Lionel Messi's return, as Brazil got their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Chile on Oct 10.
Belgium punish Italy at set pieces in 2-2 draw
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti blamed bad luck, as Belgium bounced back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with his 10-man side in Rome on Oct 10 to boost their hopes of reaching the Nations League quarter-finals.
CARSLEY'S MIDFIELD OVERLOAD BACKFIRES
England temp boss dismayed by mistakes as Three Lions lose to Greece for first time
Player strike in England unlikely: Sports law expert
The chorus of frustrated players and managers speaking out against football's gruelling fixture schedule continues to grow, with Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate the latest to say he would support players' right to strike.
SOCCEROOS HAVE NO FEAR
They head to Japan with confidence despite never having beaten the Samurai Blue there
Toyota back in F1 with Haas tie-up
The United States-owned Haas Formula One team and Toyota announced a multi-year technical partnership on Oct 11, in a move bringing Japan's biggest carmaker back to grand prix racing for the first time since 2009.
SABALENKA TO STICK TO HER BRAVE PLAN
World No. 2 will be aggressive in Wuhan semi against Gauff; Fritz takes on Djokovic
Nadal's beauty lay in his purity as a competitor
To appreciate the retiring Rafael Nadal we can flip through record books, hunt down Uncle Toni, sift the clay for archaeological clues, speak to Roger Federer's therapist, delve into the physics of spin, but really it's best if we start with a dictionary.
