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Comment Equipment (Score 1) 174

I'm in a hackerspace.

I find the oscilloscopes, and multimeters useful. Include a solder iron, some prototyping board, hot glue gun, various screwdrivers, wrenches, bubble level, measuring tape, battery charger and some electricians pliers and you'll have a very useful space.

Also a bench with a vice and some helping hands.

Comment Re:protecting from what? (Score 1) 335

Maybe, maybe.
I'm lucky enough to have found a dumpster with a full range of porn when I was a kid, but I worry for those who grow up thinking women look like the cartoons in Playboy. I had to get used to spots and scars and imperfect bodies; they're probably going to throw up when they get a real woman in bed.

Comment Re:Scary (Score 1) 206

Viruses and hosts co-evolve toward NOT killing the hosts. Many peoples and species have been ravaged by viruses toward which they have no immunity
A human being has access to huge amounts information about the target, and is not operating by selective pressure. They can copy and paste large segments of human DNA and have access to modern immunosuppression knowledge.
A biocracker is also not limited to natural processes. Normally, specialty DNA (targeting, tracking proteins, toxins) might be sufficiently disadvantageous to prevent spread, but the release of a large culture of modified influenza in a shopping centre fountain or neubilised in near air outlets, for instance, could be disastrous.

Comment I do a little of this (Score 2, Insightful) 206

I get loads of old lab equipment from the 80s that's being thrown out now, but still work pretty well or require minor repair. Many are more of a hassle than modern equipment, but some of it what I was using when I was in college.
I don't GM organisms, but selectively breed fungi.

I believe that it is only a matter of little time until someone releases a harmless virus into the population that contains the first 13 primes or an ASCII message. When this is discovered, the population will correctly be concerned about home-made bioweapons.
Even if the Biocracker isn't smart enough to engineer a new, virulent plague (and they will eventually, hopefully after targeted anti-virals are practically synthesized quickly) they could impair an old deadly virus to only be effective on specific immunodeficiencies in a cell line of an enermy.
The Biotech world of the future will be a world of wonders and horrors.

Comment Re:Fair enough (Score 2, Interesting) 257

It's just too unpredictable.
The above-mention "a2m" could easily be a part of a serial code I'm entering, and I appreciate google's assuming that, if I want potentially embarrassing content, I can be bothered to press enter.

I also don't want to become sexually aroused during work, and appreciate this rare display of understanding of human nature.

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