9th Grader Arrested in Houston for making ... a clock.

[apis]

"jihadwatch" sounds like an unbiased and credible source Even if any of that conspiracy stuff is real, it's just all the more reason to criticize the school for their stupid reaction. At least the White House has some sense, I wonder if it's enough to contain the damage. Hopefully the kid will realize that most grownups aren't morons.

And it's not an isolated incident. The increasing fear of technology is a long term trend and it has taken a downright ridiculous turn this millennium.

[hammy]

Ahmed's father is [...]

We are talking about a boy, 14yo. We are not talking about his father. We are talking about a boy who was handcuffed and interrogated for hours.
You saw his face on this photo? With the hands on his back. Does it look like a boy following a politic agenda? Or do you imply his father wrote the whole plot to get his boy handcuffed?

Sorry, but I remember when I was 14, it isn't far from adulthood (you can join the army or get married at 16).

Do you have kids? Do you know how different kids in the same age are?
Between a 14 years and a 16 years old boy is a huge difference!

However ... Maybe the boy shows up here in the forum some day. And maybe he tells us what happened.
And I hope for him everyone calms down and he gets the chance for a proper education.

[EEVblog]

Hopefully the kid will realize that most grownups aren't morons.

That's the world I'm trying to promote, and the message I was trying to get across by calling him a "hobbyist" and trying to encourage him.
Yet is seems that in the last few days, anyone who isn't now buying into the whole conspiracy/religion/father debate is branded an idiot moron, a sucker that's been media manipulated etc

[zapta]

That's the world I'm trying to promote, and the message I was trying to get across by calling him a "hobbyist" and trying to encourage him.
Yet is seems that in the last few days, anyone who isn't now buying into the whole conspiracy/religion/father debate is branded an idiot moron, a sucker that's been media manipulated etc

Dave, you keep dodging the question. Was there a room for a valid suspicion of a bomb or a hoax bomb?

Nobody is saying that he should stop tinkering at home.

[EEVblog]

Dave, you keep dodging the question. Was there a room for a valid suspicion of a bomb or a hoax bomb?

Depends entirely upon the actual circumstances.
Given that I know as much about wan actually went down as anyone else (which is almost jack-all):
For an actual bomb, at first glance, sure, why not. At 2nd glance, of course not to any semi-intelligent educated adult, as there is clearly no explosive material.
As for a hoax bomb, the kid reportedly only ever said it was a clock, and he deliberately showed it to his teachers and said it's clock, you don't do that with a hoax bomb. You do, you know, suspicious shit with it, sneak around, place it somewhere etc. You don't take it to class and go (guessing the conversation) "Excuse me Miss, what do you think of this clock I built?"
As I've said, it's an embarrassing dumb-arse over-reaction either way.
It should have ended with a good laugh at a misunderstanding at worst, not the kid being hauled away by the cops.

But go ahead and make a mountain out of that molehill, I'm done.

Nobody is saying that he should stop tinkering at home.

Want a bet. Seems every man and his dog is either dissing the kid for being a fraud, of saying he's in on some conspiracy with his father.
The fraud thing hit the fan the split second that blog post came out "exposing" it's not his own invention, it went viral.

[Zero999]

Taking apart a clock and shoving it in a case, not even removing the mains lead (apparently he said he didn't lock the case and had the mains lead on show as he didn't want it to look suspicious - so he new it looked exactly like something that breaks all the zero-tol. rules)

Not necessarily. Perhaps he didn't want any one to suspect he really didn't build it himself?

[AF6LJ]

I think Dave touched on the crux of the whole issue we don't know any more than what has made it into the news inclucing his father's involvement with CAIR.

Plenty of room to speculate till the cows come home.

[EEVblog]

Someone on the blog comments posted a quote from Victorian (Australia) police commisioner:

However, Acting Chief Commissioner Tim Cartwright said it was important the community remained alert.
"If you do see anything suspicious, if you see young people taking an unusual interest in what would normally be household devices, electrical batteries, chemicals, then you need to be concerned," he said.
"You need to tell us, you need to ring the terrorist hotline [1800-123-400], you need to ring triple-0, or Crime Stoppers."

That kids playing with an Arduino, better ring the terrorist hotline! 

from:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/'household-devices-electrical-batteries-chemicals'/

[AF6LJ]

Welcome to the Fear Centered Society Dave.
Nothing matters but fear.

[zapta]

That kids playing with an Arduino, better ring the terrorist hotline! 

from:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/'household-devices-electrical-batteries-chemicals'/

http://www.logicallyfallacious.com/index.php/logical-fallacies/30-appeal-to-extremes

[cimmo]

Hanlon's razor:
 
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

[mtdoc]

It truly amazing to watch the extent to which the haters and islamophobes go to put a different spin on this story.

It's always easier to perpetuate the climate of fear of the other - which is why that tactic has worked so well throughout history to serve the war mongers.

[zapta]

It's always easier to perpetuate the climate of fear of the other - which is why that tactic has worked so well throughout history to serve the war mongers.

Yep, people that disagree with your opinion must be haters, islamophobes and war mongers.

We are trying to conduct a civil discussion here.

[mtdoc]

Yep, people that disagree with your opinion must be haters, islamophobes and war mongers.

??

I was referring to the various websites, stories, etc that continue to focus on whether it looked like bomb or not, that suggest - without a shred of evidence - that Ahmed did this intentionally, involved his father, etc. 

None of that is relevant to the underlying issue IMHO.  So what if Rosa Parks intentionally sat on the front of the bus to make a point?

We are trying to conduct a civil discussion here.

 
And yet there you go making personal attacks...

[zapta]

I was referring to the various websites, stories, etc that continue to focus on whether it looked like bomb or not, that suggest - without a shred of evidence - that Ahmed did this intentionally, involved his father, etc. 

None of that is relevant to the underlying issue IMHO.  So what if Rosa Parks intentionally sat on the front of the bus to make a point?

Following your Rosa Park analogy, he intentionally brought to school a bomb looking thing to protest against the non bomb/hoax-bomb policy. And one paragraph earlier you complain about people that say the same.

I don't think we have enough details to determine if it was intentional or not. Can go both ways. People brings their biases and come to strong opinions about the intent and the racial aspect.

We are trying to conduct a civil discussion here.

 
And yet there you go making personal attacks...

I apologize if my call for civility is interpreted as an attack on you.

[mtdoc]

I was referring to the various websites, stories, etc that continue to focus on whether it looked like bomb or not, that suggest - without a shred of evidence - that Ahmed did this intentionally, involved his father, etc. 

None of that is relevant to the underlying issue IMHO.  So what if Rosa Parks intentionally sat on the front of the bus to make a point?

Following your Rosa Park analogy, he intentionally brought to school a bomb looking thing to protest against the non bomb/hoax-bomb policy. And one paragraph earlier you complain about people that say the same.

No, I am calling out those who make those claims without proof and create videos and fake journalism websites to promote those ideas - all in an effort to divert the discussion away from the underlying issues (and promote their agenda). 

We are trying to conduct a civil discussion here.

 
And yet there you go making personal attacks...

I apologize if my call for civility is interpreted as an attack on you.

No, you were not calling for civility - it was a veiled attempt to accuse me of not being civil because I expressed an opinion you disagreed with.

[zapta]

No, I am calling out those who make those claims without proof and create videos and fake journalism websites to promote those ideas - all in an effort to divert the discussion away from the underlying issues (and promote their agenda).

Do you also call out those that without proof blame the school and police with racism in this case?

No, you were not calling for civility - it was a veiled attempt to accuse me of not being civil because I expressed an opinion you disagreed with.

What opinion?  I was referring to the name calling in your post.

[Galenbo]

It truly amazing to watch the extent to which the haters and islamophobes go to put a different spin on this story.

What do they say? That the kid's father is a religious activist?
That he was running for president in his ex-country?

[mtdoc]

There are 2 main issues that this event and the reaction to it brings to light IMO:

1) The pervasive islamophobia and associated fear mongering - clearly apparent to most objective observers.

2) The police state mentality that has developed in this country and which is fed and nurtured by #1

Apis summed it up nicely:

There's no way of disproving a conspiracy but I can tell you for certain that if the father did plan all this it was an islamophobic and fear mongering response he was hoping for, and it's sad and scary to see how many deliver.

In the end it really doesn't matter. A 14 year old kid brings electronics to his school and shows his science teacher. The sane response would have been to encourage the kid and help him learn more about electronics.

What did the school do? They called the cops.

[zapta]

1. The pervasive islamophobia and associated fear mongering - clearly apparent to most objective observers.

That's a subjective opinion. Don't try to present it as a fact.

[mtdoc]

News flash:  IMO = In my opinion.

Then again, I think it's one of the mysteries of internet forums why it's even necessary to use that since it should go without saying...

[jarwulf]

Even electronics experts and experienced hobbyists can struggle to match a fragment of the wisdom radiating off luminaries such as Ahmed Mohamed. Now, a ray of his brilliance has finally been captured. Follow this step by step video, and perhaps you too can be hailed as a genius world wide and get interview requests admission offers, job offers, invites, and free goodies from the white house, silicon valley, MIT, and the ivy league etc.



the original invention

[Macbeth]

Actually this amazing invention, which should have been seen by teachers as a work of genius by a promising young engineer looks to have been hard work...



 

[alexanderbrevig]

Come on! This guy didn't even screw it to the carry case! 

[donotdespisethesnake]

Should be titled "Video shows how to reproduce racist bigotry."