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[–] Bigboned 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I can understand Dawkins position on this, Its ok to reassemble a clock good on you. But don't tell anyone that you Built it from scratch.

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[–] Tisias 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I am disappointed. If the kid had been from another country, he would have actually built something.

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[–] newoldwave 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

It looked like a bomb to me and I think the kid wanted his classmates to think it was. Better safe than sorry

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[–] guinness2 ago 

I suspect this kid was intending to terrorize his classmates with his mock bomb because the other kids blasphemed against Islam.

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[–] MDosRobbot 0 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago 

At first I felt for the kid, frustrated that a group of adults yelled "Bomb!" and arrested him over a 'clock', but after seeing the picture and hearing more about this story, i'm not even sure if Ahmed's actions are as benign as they are being represented. Now I am thinking that perhaps, there may have even been an ulterior motive and i'm even entertaining the outside possibility that he was put up to it by someone. I don't know.

But what I do know is that people that know much more about electronics than I do are telling me that this isn't something that was "invented" or built but rather just transplanted from a purchased digital clock. Even if that's the case, i'm ok with that, whatever, just a minor misrepresentation. but according to Marc Cuban, on Bill Maher's show, Ahmed went around and showed it to 6 different teachers, even after an early one told him to keep it put away. He then refuses to actually talk with police and explain things, being short and I'm guessing not saying much more than "It's a clock". If he was a bit more forthcoming he probably could have avoided being arrested. Not that I would ever blame him for exercising his right to silence. I don't think it was shyness or social awkwardness that kept him quiet, though.

In one of the early videos of him released he talks about how he didn't close up the case too much to avoid it looking too suspicious. So the fact that his "invention" could be mistaken for something dangerous was on his mind before the whole fiasco even began. Of course, he is referring to the case being closed and it looking suspicious.

Of course, all of this would just be garbage conjecture if it wasn't for what the 'clock' actually looked like. and if you are one of the people who seemingly can't fathom how a person could mistake that for a bomb, saying it looks nothing like one, well, i'm at a loss of words if that is your response to this.

Anyway, looking at the 'clock' in its current state and knowing that we know its simply a transplanted digital clock, its wires hanging all about the place, being able to tell the time only when its open with its circuit board exposed. and does it even have any functionality? I'm assuming it does and that you are able to change the time and set the alarm because it you couldn't that would be a major red flag. but anyway, if he was trying to impress his teachers with that, then he is a fraudulent little fellow at the least. I guess it then could become a question of how fraudulent he is depending on what you think about the situation. Was it simply an attempt to impress gone awry? or something much more insidious?

The fact that his father runs for president in Sudan is certainly a fun little coincidence at the least. Other than that though, there is still some things missing, i'm curious as to how he actually presented it to the teachers and why after being told not to show it to anyone he disregarded that.

Regardless of how I feel about it or what my opinion of it is, I think most anyone can agree that the response to it was rather disproportionate. There have been much worse transgressions resulting from Zero Tolerance than this without even the smallest peep from the MSM and Society as a whole. Though if as a result of this, the whole "Zero Tolerance" policy gets reevaluated in the slightest, then something positive came out of this. Even if it is just put into the spotlight then I'll take it. That thing is the absolute antithesis of common sense and intelligent though and needs to be abolished.

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[–] AtheistComic 1 point 2 points (+3|-1) ago 

This whole thing stinks of manipulation. Why else would a kid build a suitcase clock? He appears to be trying to trigger a systemic injustice. That is martyrdom, or something corrosive at best. He's then rewarded by society?? By the president and corporations? What message does this send? Sure there are science projects electronic in nature but why a suitcase clock. It's definitely not an innovation... Especially if he didn't solder it himself or design something useful. I think an adult put him up to it or he was looking for negative attention.

[–] [deleted] 1 point 1 point (+2|-1) ago 

[Deleted]

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[–] throwaway56789 ago 

Ooh, Hollywood Squares Crazy People Edition.

I'll take Charlie Weaver Manson for the block.

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[–] Crashmarik 1 point 4 points (+5|-1) ago  (edited ago)

Dawkins has broken with the hive and the hive is sparking a backlash. Watch them eat their own

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[–] dildonkers 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Or the hive has fallen so far down the branch he's trying to flee before it drops off entirely and is destroyed.

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[–] ObscureReference 3 points 0 points (+3|-3) ago  (edited ago)

If people are going to reframe this as a provocative act on the kid's part*, then I will respin this as an attempt to prove not all electronics that are not in standard commerical housings as bought off the shelf are an attempt to kill people with a bomb. Not everything with an exposed circuit board is a fricking bomb!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_Mooninite_panic *Not that I completely believe that but if this is your spin, then that is my spin. [Edit] - Anyone watch Narcos, what was the package of the bomb that blew up the airplane? What would a smart person do who wanted to cause harm do in this social environment?

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[–] Sydviciouz 1 point 2 points (+3|-1) ago 

We know it's not a bomb. It's the fact that he made this clock to look just like a bomb. It reeks of shady.

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[–] sreggin_llik 3 points 1 point (+4|-3) ago  (edited ago)

http://i.imgur.com/FABuuOP.jpg

Why the hell else would someone disassemble a clock and, of all the alternative housings available, decide to put it into a briefcase if not for the purpose of making it look like a movie bomb?

Edit: I've also seen the school & police are on one hand being mocked for thinking it was a real bomb while on the other being criticized for not acting like it was. Once I saw the goddamned thing, their actions made total sense. They knew it was fake but also knew it was created to look scary.

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[–] flimflamedthezimzam 1 point -1 points (+0|-1) ago 

God you're fucking dumb. Why would you key a bomb like that? Why would it even need a fucking motherboard? What the fuck would it possibly be computing? It has a goddamed cooling fan for fucksake!!! COMMON SENSE MOTHERFUCKER, DO YOU HAVE IT.

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[–] Kaizervonmaanen 1 point 4 points (+5|-1) ago 

Neither of those pictures are a bomb. One is the clock Ahmed made and the other one is a mobile button panel for a unix mainframe. (see the novell tag, that should be enough. And why would they have a solid button panel on a briefcase bomb? And there is no explosives in either of the pictures.)

Briefcase bombs have explosives in them, a bunch of electronics won't make anything go boom.

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[–] ObscureReference 2 points 1 point (+3|-2) ago  (edited ago)

Because he was an excited fourteen year old kid who wanted to show off how smart he was. This was not the first thing he had shown off.

If you want to consider him as a kid who is starting shit then you can. I can believe he is could be an enthuastic, possibly socially akward geek who didn't think his invention out. [Edit] And you are using a jpg making this a political thing about religion?

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