I want to see the internal documents from the Life Savers candy company that explain why they keep the pineapple one in the five-flavor roll. Nobody likes it. I suspect they’re being paid off by Big Pineapple.
You must be mistaken as Pineapple is the best flavor.
How much source code could there be?
- Drunk?
- If no then start
- If yes then do not start
exception handling for “VIPs”?
User interface handling, sensor handling, communication interfacing… even a simple thing can have quite some code.
Ever did any embedded coding?
Dude. It was a joke. And no, last time I was an engineer, computers ran on steam and hydraulics, and pseudo code was written in alchemical signs.
Fluiditronics? 
Sounds like APL.
I am conflicted here. I am against shitty technology being used to convict innocent people (and all the crappiness associated with black box technology for law enforcement, etc). But I also really hate drunk drivers, and would hate to see this information used by habitual drunk drivers to bypass their ignition locks when drunk. Hrmm.
Would breathing through a tube with activated charcoal work? (Probably yes.) No electronics nor software knowledge needed there.
Or if you want to go hightech, sniff the unlock signal from the car’s CAN bus and make a fake unlocker with an Arduino.
This might not necessarily be true in every state, but in mine and at least a few others I know of a breathalyzer alone is only probably cause for arrest. It has to be followed up with a more accurate test, typically a blood test. I think they’re still admissible at court but only in combination with that more accurate test (because BAC typically drops in the time it takes to make that test happen, so the breathalyzer helps establish a pattern if you drop below the limit in the meantime). They’re too prone to inaccuracies to be accepted as evidence on their own, and can only detect alcohol which isn’t necessarily the only intoxicant in play. Which is why you should always refuse the breathalyzer. Refusing the test is also probable cause for arrest. But if you’re sober you lose the risk of a false positive. If you do happen to have had a drink your BAC will drop in the meantime, and sans anything to establish that it was higher at point of arrest it becomes easier to beat the charge. If your levels drop below the legal limit you’re likely in the clear, if you’re still over its just easier to beat the charge or argue it down to something less serious.
Huh, I have a BacTrack around here somewhere, and a tub of activated charcoal. I also know that a 22oz bottle of Arrogant bastard ale will raise my BAC to 0.06 after thirty five minutes.
Maybe I should do an experiment.
You gotta do it. For science.
But how will I calibrate it, man!? How!? Where will I come up with funding for this multiyear study??
(Oh, right, my change jar)
Presumably you’ve got a dog or a child or something around to zero the BACTrack. Actually, I’ve never even bothered recalibrating mine.
A balloon of clean air. Or perhaps blow in before the test commences.
So we get values for
- before drinking (should be zero)
- after drinking, “naked”
- after drinking, through charcoal tube
This itself should provide enough data to see the viability of the approach.
It should work, beds with activated charcoal are used in the industry to remove VOCs from process streams. And, as the heat of adsorption can be considerable, these beds can even catch fire.
They are useful. If I have a strong beer, then another an hour later, I may feel just fine. But that doesn’t mean I should drive.
The model I have seems to be pretty accurate when it comes to my body weight, the described abv, and time. But that sure as hell doesn’t mean I’ll trust a cops breathalyzer
My rule is that if I haven’t gone to bed since the last time I drank, then I don’t drive. Seems to work pretty well. There were a couple of close scrapes that set me straight about drinking any amount then driving. I have poor hand-eye coordination as it is, just a beer or two is enough to take me from barely proficient to reckless endangerment even if I can put away a couple of six packs and walk home without tripping once.
IE, know thyself.
a taxi or a stout pair of shoes is my preferred method. fuck the danger and recklessness even a 0.05 gets you. (but i am still curious if carbon would filter ethanol)
