4 ms·

Seems like a case of hasn't cracked yet, not can't crack.

thom 6y ago
Reminds me of the old adage that if you want to find out how to do something in Linux, it's quicker to make a post saying "Linux can't do X!" and watch the rebuttals roll in than ask the question "How do I do X?"
- 1-more 6y ago
  haha very particular form of Cunningham's Law! Thank's I'd never heard that one before. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Cunningham#Cunningham's_Law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Cunningham#Cunningham's_L...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
pixl97 6y ago
DNA is our best bet, but as we see it's the missing part of the story. With this said, it makes for a decent fictional writing prompt. It's 2045, the cold case on Mostly Harmless has been reopened after 24 years. Advances in DNA matching technology beyond what we imagined possible in 2020 have occurred. Detective Williams submits the preserved DNA to the US National DNA Registry (DNAR). Within minutes an exceptionally high probability grandparent match is returned. The record had been added just 8 days previous, but was a sealed record. Inquisitive about the circumstances that would lead to the improbable events that a match existed, was only in the system for 8 days, and was sealed he put in a formal request for unsealing to DNAR. DNARs response was "Pursuant to USNADR Act 11A all juvenile records are sealed until the date of the records documented 18th birthday. A warrant must be issued by a judge for unsealing. Per subsection 15 of the act on permissible information release, the requested records year of birth is: 2045."
- jariel 6y ago
  "DNA is our best bet" No, social networks are. More than likely there are people who absolutely know who he is, they just need to see the photo. DNA databases are not necessarily comprehensive, if there aren't people in his lineage who are both registered and who know about/of him, then it won't work.
  - wolco2 6y ago
    Put his dna into 23andme and a detailed family chart will emerge. This is the future of crime fighting, or if someone has lost memories.
    - giantg2 6y ago
      Sounds like a future rife for violation of people's rights in my opinion.
      - pixl97 6y ago
        Doesn't sound much different from right now, and at our current rate we have no protections against it happening here in the US.
        giantg2 6y ago
        Yeah, there's a lot that needs to change in the system. Frankly, it's a terrifying joke at the moment.
  - lastofthemojito 6y ago
    It's possible that his family recognized him and just hasn't bothered to say anything publicly. Maybe he burned bridges in his previous life and folks would rather let it go than deal with interviews, etc.
- microtherion 6y ago
  > It makes for a decent fictional writing prompt. Or maybe make it a prompt for GPT3. People impute all kinds of smarts to it, let's see whether it can deduct MH's identity.
forinti 6y ago
I guess the chances have gone way up now that there's a picture of him on Wired given that he said he had worked in IT.

thom 6y ago

Reminds me of the old adage that if you want to find out how to do something in Linux, it's quicker to make a post saying "Linux can't do X!" and watch the rebuttals roll in than ask the question "How do I do X?"

1-more 6y ago
haha very particular form of Cunningham's Law! Thank's I'd never heard that one before. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Cunningham#Cunningham's_Law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Cunningham#Cunningham's_L...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

pixl97 6y ago

DNA is our best bet, but as we see it's the missing part of the story. With this said, it makes for a decent fictional writing prompt. It's 2045, the cold case on Mostly Harmless has been reopened after 24 years. Advances in DNA matching technology beyond what we imagined possible in 2020 have occurred. Detective Williams submits the preserved DNA to the US National DNA Registry (DNAR). Within minutes an exceptionally high probability grandparent match is returned. The record had been added just 8 days previous, but was a sealed record. Inquisitive about the circumstances that would lead to the improbable events that a match existed, was only in the system for 8 days, and was sealed he put in a formal request for unsealing to DNAR. DNARs response was "Pursuant to USNADR Act 11A all juvenile records are sealed until the date of the records documented 18th birthday. A warrant must be issued by a judge for unsealing. Per subsection 15 of the act on permissible information release, the requested records year of birth is: 2045."

jariel 6y ago
"DNA is our best bet" No, social networks are. More than likely there are people who absolutely know who he is, they just need to see the photo. DNA databases are not necessarily comprehensive, if there aren't people in his lineage who are both registered and who know about/of him, then it won't work.
- wolco2 6y ago
  Put his dna into 23andme and a detailed family chart will emerge. This is the future of crime fighting, or if someone has lost memories.
  - giantg2 6y ago
    Sounds like a future rife for violation of people's rights in my opinion.
    - pixl97 6y ago
      Doesn't sound much different from right now, and at our current rate we have no protections against it happening here in the US.
      - giantg2 6y ago
        Yeah, there's a lot that needs to change in the system. Frankly, it's a terrifying joke at the moment.
- lastofthemojito 6y ago
  It's possible that his family recognized him and just hasn't bothered to say anything publicly. Maybe he burned bridges in his previous life and folks would rather let it go than deal with interviews, etc.
microtherion 6y ago
> It makes for a decent fictional writing prompt. Or maybe make it a prompt for GPT3. People impute all kinds of smarts to it, let's see whether it can deduct MH's identity.

forinti 6y ago

I guess the chances have gone way up now that there's a picture of him on Wired given that he said he had worked in IT.