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It wasn't just "something", it was a case with a timer inside and wires and circuits. His "invention" was not anything useful. The only useful function I can t

by exodust 11y ago

It wasn't just "something", it was a case with a timer inside and wires and circuits. His "invention" was not anything useful. The only useful function I can think of for such a device, is actually a hoax bomb for drama class. What good is a clock inside a case? I'm getting down-voted to all hell, but that's what one gets for backing one's argument in a den of trigger-happy bigot-hunters. He showed it to his engineering teacher. If he'd left it there, everything would have been okay. But he took it to English class. His mother blamed racial profiling, but does that mean his ethnicity or his religion or both? Does he practice Islam? 14 year old kids studying Islam on the side, then bringing cases packed with electronics to school, then being coy when asked about it? It adds up to trouble in anyone's language.

kaitai 11y ago
I have spent a lot of time making non-useful things, including every project I've ever made with an Arduino. And what's with the "practicing Islam" thing? I was in this group where I memorized the Sermon on the Mount in junior high, in addition to going to church and doing choir. We got cookies every week. Seriously, no one thought I was getting radicalized when I "practiced" the religion of a radical Middle Easterner three times a week. Joke's on them: I got so radicalized I refused to join the church because of the hypocrisy I perceived (as a self-righteous mildly aspie junior highschooler). And we made actual explosives at school in my day.... good times.
mikeash 11y ago
How is a timer with wires and circuits "not just something"? Are you implying that the fear of this device was somehow justified? The kid is 14 years old. So what if his invention isn't useful? He was enthusiastic about it and he probably learned something from it. Maybe some of his classmates could have learned that electronics aren't magical mysterious black boxes. He took the object of his enthusiasm to English class. Yes, if he had left it at showing it to the engineering teacher this whole thing wouldn't have happened, but that doesn't mean he was wrong to show it to his English class. What exactly about his behavior do you see as "asking for trouble"? Because I don't see anything that even remotely qualifies.
ajross 11y ago
> bringing cases packed with electronics [...] adds up to trouble Yeah, seriously. Gotta watch those non-ROHS solder compounds hobbyists like to use. Also, through-hole pins can be sharp and scratchy. This is part of the ridiculous ignorance that has a lot of us upset. At what point did a printed circuit board outside an enclosure become a "weapon"? Are the decision makers in our society (and exodust here) really so divorced from the techical world that they're informing their opinions based on the blinking gadgets in cartoons? It's a circuit board!
- exodust 11y ago
  It wasn't just a circuit board. The whole issue is around it looking like a 'hoax suitcase bomb'. Check google images for the endless list of suitcase bombs. I don't think at any point anyone actually thought it was a threat. The school over-reacted, but they though he deliberately was making something look like a suitcase bomb. Of course, he's not going to admit that is he. Just an innocent 14yo, who would never make something that looked like a suitbase bomb. Reminder: he's 14. When you're 14, fake suitcase bombs are cool. Here's a picture of it: http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/10BF6/production/_85589586_16e23342-6ce7-4c4f-b176-88d94cf667b3.jpg http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/10BF6/production/... Obama says "it's a cool clock". But it runs off mains power, it's enclosed in a small suitcase (hobbyists don't use such enclosures). If you ask me, the kid was going for something that looked "secretive" or "spy games" at the very least.
  - mikeash 11y ago
    This "suitcase" is about 17cm wide. You can measure it from your picture using the conveniently-located power plug, whose prongs will be 12.7mm apart. If this kid wanted to make something that looked like a suitcase, surely he would use something big enough to actually hold at least one suit?
efa 11y ago
>> den of trigger-happy bigot-hunters Yep, that's the US today. And of course Obama doesn't waste a second to exacerbate the situation by vilifying the school/policeman/whatever. It's amazing how in 5 minutes everyone knows all the facts and concludes these school officials are racist xenophobic knuckle-draggers.
- mikeash 11y ago
  Where did Obama do that? The only comment from him I've seen was his tweet that just said, "Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great."
  - efa 11y ago
    As a leader who is supposed to be about bringing people together and not being divisive, he had an opportunity here. Fine to complement the kid. But he could also have thrown in a "in this time we know school administrators have to be vigilant, they have a tough job, we're all in this together, whatever". Something like that. But his tweet indirectly says this kid is great and the school admins are the bad guys. I just wish for once he could do something to calm a situation instead of throwing gasoline on a fire.
    - mikeash 11y ago
      So saying nothing at all about the administrations and police, not even mentioning that they exist, is "vilifying the school/policeman/whatever"?
      - efa 11y ago
        Yep. This is like two parents. One is scolding a child for doing something wrong. The other parent goes to the child and says, "come on, lets go to Chuck E Cheese". It's undermining the authority figure. How much do you think this kid will respect the administration/teachers at this schools after his visit to the White House where Obama reinforced how they were all horribly wrong? All I'm really saying is he could have easily cooled the situation.
selimthegrim 11y ago
I must have missed the chapter in my Koran where it gives instructions for bomb assembly starting with a clock.

by exodust 11y ago

kaitai 11y ago

I have spent a lot of time making non-useful things, including every project I've ever made with an Arduino. And what's with the "practicing Islam" thing? I was in this group where I memorized the Sermon on the Mount in junior high, in addition to going to church and doing choir. We got cookies every week. Seriously, no one thought I was getting radicalized when I "practiced" the religion of a radical Middle Easterner three times a week. Joke's on them: I got so radicalized I refused to join the church because of the hypocrisy I perceived (as a self-righteous mildly aspie junior highschooler). And we made actual explosives at school in my day.... good times.

mikeash 11y ago

How is a timer with wires and circuits "not just something"? Are you implying that the fear of this device was somehow justified? The kid is 14 years old. So what if his invention isn't useful? He was enthusiastic about it and he probably learned something from it. Maybe some of his classmates could have learned that electronics aren't magical mysterious black boxes. He took the object of his enthusiasm to English class. Yes, if he had left it at showing it to the engineering teacher this whole thing wouldn't have happened, but that doesn't mean he was wrong to show it to his English class. What exactly about his behavior do you see as "asking for trouble"? Because I don't see anything that even remotely qualifies.

ajross 11y ago

> bringing cases packed with electronics [...] adds up to trouble Yeah, seriously. Gotta watch those non-ROHS solder compounds hobbyists like to use. Also, through-hole pins can be sharp and scratchy. This is part of the ridiculous ignorance that has a lot of us upset. At what point did a printed circuit board outside an enclosure become a "weapon"? Are the decision makers in our society (and exodust here) really so divorced from the techical world that they're informing their opinions based on the blinking gadgets in cartoons? It's a circuit board!

exodust 11y ago
It wasn't just a circuit board. The whole issue is around it looking like a 'hoax suitcase bomb'. Check google images for the endless list of suitcase bombs. I don't think at any point anyone actually thought it was a threat. The school over-reacted, but they though he deliberately was making something look like a suitcase bomb. Of course, he's not going to admit that is he. Just an innocent 14yo, who would never make something that looked like a suitbase bomb. Reminder: he's 14. When you're 14, fake suitcase bombs are cool. Here's a picture of it: http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/10BF6/production/_85589586_16e23342-6ce7-4c4f-b176-88d94cf667b3.jpg http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/10BF6/production/... Obama says "it's a cool clock". But it runs off mains power, it's enclosed in a small suitcase (hobbyists don't use such enclosures). If you ask me, the kid was going for something that looked "secretive" or "spy games" at the very least.
- mikeash 11y ago
  This "suitcase" is about 17cm wide. You can measure it from your picture using the conveniently-located power plug, whose prongs will be 12.7mm apart. If this kid wanted to make something that looked like a suitcase, surely he would use something big enough to actually hold at least one suit?

efa 11y ago

>> den of trigger-happy bigot-hunters Yep, that's the US today. And of course Obama doesn't waste a second to exacerbate the situation by vilifying the school/policeman/whatever. It's amazing how in 5 minutes everyone knows all the facts and concludes these school officials are racist xenophobic knuckle-draggers.

mikeash 11y ago
Where did Obama do that? The only comment from him I've seen was his tweet that just said, "Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great."
- efa 11y ago
  As a leader who is supposed to be about bringing people together and not being divisive, he had an opportunity here. Fine to complement the kid. But he could also have thrown in a "in this time we know school administrators have to be vigilant, they have a tough job, we're all in this together, whatever". Something like that. But his tweet indirectly says this kid is great and the school admins are the bad guys. I just wish for once he could do something to calm a situation instead of throwing gasoline on a fire.
  - mikeash 11y ago
    So saying nothing at all about the administrations and police, not even mentioning that they exist, is "vilifying the school/policeman/whatever"?
    - efa 11y ago
      Yep. This is like two parents. One is scolding a child for doing something wrong. The other parent goes to the child and says, "come on, lets go to Chuck E Cheese". It's undermining the authority figure. How much do you think this kid will respect the administration/teachers at this schools after his visit to the White House where Obama reinforced how they were all horribly wrong? All I'm really saying is he could have easily cooled the situation.

selimthegrim 11y ago

I must have missed the chapter in my Koran where it gives instructions for bomb assembly starting with a clock.