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[Reelya]

They probably use some testing scripts that upload the build automatically if it passes the tests. Add in "check memory usage" to the barrage of tests I guess.

[martinuzz]

British team made a breakthrough in gene sequencing technology.
They managed to sequence the entire DNA of a human by putting a drop of fluid in an USB-sized device.
The procedure only costs 1000 euros per sequence read.

The team used an existing device called minION, which analyzes DNA sequences by squirting them through a very tiny hole. A senor measures changes in the electrical field in the hole, while the DNA sequence rushes through it, and the sequence of DNA base pairs can be derived from those measurements.

Up until now however, the minION could only handle pretty short strings of DNA.
The British team prepared the DNA in a special way, allowing them to read sequences of up to 1.2 million base pairs with a single minION run.
By using special software, they could then put the measured sequences back together like a jigsaw puzzle, and end up with the near complete, 3 billion base pair sequence of the human DNA.

The team even managed to decode hard to read parts of the genome, on which big laboratory equipment failed to deliver. The DNA catalog of the human genome still has about 700 'white spots', which are parts of the DNA that are hard to reach or to read. The Nottingham team managed to fill in 12 of those blanks, just with their first experiment.
Furthermore, they also gained some new insights into the 'packaging' of the DNA.
Such information is crucial in understanding how the DNA works. Compare it to a cookbook, in which the grease stains on pages tell you which pages are used most frequently.

Total costs for the reading of one entire genome were 50 thousand euros, because 50 strings of DNA had to be put through the minION.
Still, this is a fraction of previous costs.
Only 15 years ago, scientists managed for the very first time to map the human genome. Back then, that cost 2 billion euros, and took 13 years to complete.
https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.4060
https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/doorbraak-iemands-dna-aflezen-kan-nu-met-behulp-van-een-usb-stick-voor-nog-geen-1-000-euro~a4563443/

[Loud Whispers]

Soon it will cost 50p to bootleg DNA at home and create squid people

[wierd]

Hey, squid people have their place too!

Being cold blooded, providing their own ink, and possessing the ability to squeeze through tight cracks makes them especially good lawyers! ;P

[PTTG??]

Battery tech just leapt forward dramatically. All because previous versions needed a fragile ceramic membrane that we've just found out how to replace with a cheap steel mesh.

[Sheb]

British team made a breakthrough in gene sequencing technology.
They managed to sequence the entire DNA of a human by putting a drop of fluid in an USB-sized device.
The procedure only costs 1000 euros per sequence read.

The team used an existing device called minION, which analyzes DNA sequences by squirting them through a very tiny hole. A senor measures changes in the electrical field in the hole, while the DNA sequence rushes through it, and the sequence of DNA base pairs can be derived from those measurements.

Up until now however, the minION could only handle pretty short strings of DNA.
The British team prepared the DNA in a special way, allowing them to read sequences of up to 1.2 million base pairs with a single minION run.
By using special software, they could then put the measured sequences back together like a jigsaw puzzle, and end up with the near complete, 3 billion base pair sequence of the human DNA.

The team even managed to decode hard to read parts of the genome, on which big laboratory equipment failed to deliver. The DNA catalog of the human genome still has about 700 'white spots', which are parts of the DNA that are hard to reach or to read. The Nottingham team managed to fill in 12 of those blanks, just with their first experiment.
Furthermore, they also gained some new insights into the 'packaging' of the DNA.
Such information is crucial in understanding how the DNA works. Compare it to a cookbook, in which the grease stains on pages tell you which pages are used most frequently.

Total costs for the reading of one entire genome were 50 thousand euros, because 50 strings of DNA had to be put through the minION.
Still, this is a fraction of previous costs.
Only 15 years ago, scientists managed for the very first time to map the human genome. Back then, that cost 2 billion euros, and took 13 years to complete.
https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.4060
https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/doorbraak-iemands-dna-aflezen-kan-nu-met-behulp-van-een-usb-stick-voor-nog-geen-1-000-euro~a4563443/

Should be noted that while that's interesting, sequencing a complete human genome already cost about 1k dollar, so the MiniON doesn't offer much of an advantage in term of cost. It is nicer to have long, reliable reads for some applications though.

[wierd]

It is possible that the high cost associated with this process was related to the need to validate the reads with a known working sequencing approach. (It does not matter how fast or compact the system is, if it does not give valid results.)

EG, the cost of additional sequencing runs with this hardware might be significantly lower, now that it has been proven to give reliable data, since the older, and more expensive process does not need to be run in parallel.

Other sources of cost might be due to prototype hardware and non-economy-of-scale levels of consumable production/use. (EG, uses novel reagents that are not mass produced yet, but if the technology gains traction, would experience a precipitous drop in cost per kilobase sequenced compared to traditional methods, due to inexpensive supply of materials.)

It is too early to condemn this hardware on cost. This was a research trial.

[Sheb]

I'm not 100% sure where they got the cost from actually. The nature paper doesn't discuss it. I think they're just looking at the cost of the flow cells (Cells costs 300-475$ a piece, depending on how many you buy), but I'm not sure how many you need from the paper. The MiniON website does mention that each cell genered 10-20 Gb of data, and the paper mention 90 Gb of data generated total, so they probably used several cells.

So no, that number doesn't include the re-sequencing, or the use of specific hardware apart from the MiniON cells, which are a commercial product.

And I'm not condemning this technology on costs. Just mentioning that it doesn't offer a cost advantage compared to existing technology yet. (And sure, price may fall, but price of competing technology is also going down). The advantages come from the low capital expenditure (making it more affordable for a lab), its lightweight and portable aspect, and the length or read wich help read some repeated regiongs better. I mostly pointed that to correct the blurb martinuzz posted, which made it sounds as if the new technology was 50x cheaper that what was previous available.

[Reelya]

Here's an interesting concept:

http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/inventions/pay-someone-to-wear-your-face-and-do-all-the-boring-stuff/news-story/15881fd1ae04f201952f1292abc65d89



This is a prototype system where someone straps this to their head, with your face on the front, via webcam. They then go around and do person-stuff for you. The idea is that it's like Uber, except you're Ubering a person instead of a vehicle. BTW, i should mention, though it's probably not necessary, that it was invented in Japan.

[sluissa]

Here's an interesting concept:

http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/inventions/pay-someone-to-wear-your-face-and-do-all-the-boring-stuff/news-story/15881fd1ae04f201952f1292abc65d89



This is a prototype system where someone straps this to their head, with your face on the front, via webcam. They then go around and do person-stuff for you. The idea is that it's like Uber, except you're Ubering a person instead of a vehicle. BTW, i should mention, though it's probably not necessary, that it was invented in Japan.

I guess, "Hi, John asked me to pick up his dry cleaning, here's the ticket #" doesn't work anymore?

[MrRoboto75]

I don't think I could pay someone enough for them to wear my face.

[Reelya]

But their own face would be hidden, so for that time, they are you. Wearing someone else's face could in fact be liberating, since you could do things and go places you normally wouldn't have the confidence for. There would be enough takers, if there was pay involved, but the problem would be the initial costs of the unit.

[MrRoboto75]

But their own face would be hidden, so for that time, they are you. Wearing someone else's face could in fact be liberating, since you could do things and go places you normally wouldn't have the confidence for. There would be enough takers, if there was pay involved, but the problem would be the initial costs of the unit.

Surely you can find a better face to wear though.

[McTraveller]

Looks like an early step in the progress toward Joi from Blade Runner.

[Loud Whispers]

But their own face would be hidden, so for that time, they are you. Wearing someone else's face could in fact be liberating, since you could do things and go places you normally wouldn't have the confidence for. There would be enough takers, if there was pay involved, but the problem would be the initial costs of the unit.

This is different from running around in a ski mask dropping squats. This is wearing someone else's face because you lack confidence in your own face. What is marketed as liberation is truly the worst oppression, because it trains people to be imprisoned in their own face