5mk

I've always wondered about gel image fraud -- what's stopping fraudulent researchers from just running a dummy gel for each fake figure? If you just loaded some protein with a similar MW / migration / concentration as the one you're trying to spoof, the bands would look more or less indistinguishable. And because it's a real unique band (just with the wrong protein), you wouldn't be able to tell it's been faked using visual inspection.

Perhaps this is already happening, and we just don't know it... In this way I've always thought gel images were more susceptible to fraud vs. other commonly faked images (NMR / MS spectra etc, which are harder to spoof)

Yep! Even at the moment you don't even need GenAI, you can just run a dummy gel with X, Y, and Z proteins that will give you desired band patterns.

I'm an undergrad studying biochem, and my professors have also made their exams open-notes but timed. There are more short free-response questions than previous years. Also, the questions are focused on synthesizing the material rather than recalling minutiae. I think it's a good compromise, especially since you can't rely on Ctrl+F when you have to reason beyond the material in your own words.

I study biochemistry, so “phosphoenolpyruvate” was the first thing to come to mind, ha.

As an aside, I find it interesting how Harrison Bergeron is so commonly misinterpreted as a satire of the left. When one considers Vonnegut's personal beliefs and the strawman portrayal of communism in the story, it really should become clear that it is actually a critique of Cold War/anticommunist hysteria. A satire of anticommunist satire, if you will.

Yeah, I believe the line is “... judge my vow” for that reason. (Sphinx supplies the “I”)

I wouldn’t call a charity with an A- rating from CharityWatch a “travesty”.

Normally I would agree, but the lobbyist said that someone could "drink a whole quart of it" without any ill effect.