And you have obviously never dealt with large spreadsheets that are unsuitable for a database or data for which it would not make any sense to make a database.

At least people like you don't get to make important decisions like keeping an idiotic low fixed row/column limit.

Because doing things "the company way" (read: The BOFH IT administrator way) is not always the fastest or most efficient way to do things - if the company want value for money/paycheck, they won't lock my software down so hard I can barely breathe.

Can you tell I've just been hit with the totally locked down Exchange-server virus at my workplace? ;-)

.... complete control of their employees computers. More lockdown features present in the OS = more power to the IT department = easier for BOFH IT administrators to take away any and all "freedoms" you may think you have when using equipment provided by your workplace.

In other words: What a waste of time sending letters to these companies!

I think someone seriously underestimated the hazardous nature of building materials. R

azing a building containing asbestos or Ammonium bromide which a lot of older buildings contain (fireproofing) and just leaving it there is quite stupid!

I earn a living (well, if you can call it that) doing biochemical research, but frankly I don't care if you believe me (RTFA, it pretty much speaks for itself).

Sorry, not bored enough to give examples, but using google scholar will most definitely help you (if you are that bored ;-).

Possible vector of contamination? Are you serious? Try just about everything they may have come into contact with.... removal of "all things resembling RNA" is much easier than it sounds... destruction of RNA strands, yes... quite easy (however that may introduce yet more contamination ;-). Removal of all nucleotides... good luck.

Contamination is actally quite a good shot as to what may have brought on at least the start of the process...

Did I mention I'm not that worried if you don't believe me? :-)

From what I know plenty of previous attempts or rather "succesful" attemps have been shown to be due to contamination.

Now, I'm not saying these people don't know what they are doing, I'm saying the chance of contamination with discrete amounts of RNA / RNA bases / whatever in my eyes are probably far greater than the chance of actually making RNA.

(and no, I'm not some sort of creationist bastard heh)

So in other words: Even more chance of contamination.

Contamination.

'Nuff said.

I've never heard of the other ones, but Google Notebook have come in handy plenty of times.

Sad that Google feel the need to close down these services, I mean... how much man power could it really cost just to keep them running?