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Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

wsj.com

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Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#71

Post by dv_dt »

jonknee wrote: post #46
dv_dt wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So if it doesn't work at one drop, if the Theranos sensing/sampling hardware is still good, then the fix would be to mix a large enough sample to present to the sensing system...

The one drop tech is the only reason Theranos was ever talked about. We already have equipment that works very well with larger samples.

You're right, I guess there is the small matter of how much more than a drop is needed. If it's 3 drops, that's much better then 3 vials they they sometimes have to draw for covering a range of tests - but it sounds like it might be much larger then a few drops.

Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#72

Post by BurningFrog »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #48
wrong_variable wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

healthcare is a very hard problem. While we in the tech community may find it morbidly entertaining to watch Theranos burn to the ground. Someone out there needs to attack healthcare. The not dying motivation is fairly important.

> Someone out there needs to attack healthcare. All the attacking that needs to be done is political/social, not technical. Want to attack healthcare? Strip middlemen out so that the money flows to providers and researchers (Single payer + pouring additional money into the NIH/NSF, with the results being public domain). All of these YC startups I see "hacking" healthcare (Dr Chrono, HealthSherpa, etc) are just bandai…

Here is a good factual overview of why Single Payer won't make health care cheap in the US:

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-04-30/single-paye...

Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#74

Post by toomuchtodo »

BurningFrog wrote: post #72
toomuchtodo wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Someone out there needs to attack healthcare. All the attacking that needs to be done is political/social, not technical. Want to attack healthcare? Strip middlemen out so that the money flows to providers and researchers (Single payer + pouring additional money into the NIH/NSF, with the results being public domain). All of these YC startups I see "hacking" healthcare (Dr Chrono, HealthSherpa, etc) are just bandai…

Here is a good factual overview of why Single Payer won't make health care cheap in the US: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-04-30/single-paye...

My post never said it would be cheap. It would ensure 1) everyone was covered and 2) less funds were skimmed out by health insurance companies, leaving more funding to be used for health providers.

It would also help if a republican Congress didn't require Medicare to _not_ negotiate on drug pricing with for-profit drug companies. Way to leach off the public teat "small government party".

Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#75

Post by Mz »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #48
wrong_variable wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

healthcare is a very hard problem. While we in the tech community may find it morbidly entertaining to watch Theranos burn to the ground. Someone out there needs to attack healthcare. The not dying motivation is fairly important.

> Someone out there needs to attack healthcare. All the attacking that needs to be done is political/social, not technical. Want to attack healthcare? Strip middlemen out so that the money flows to providers and researchers (Single payer + pouring additional money into the NIH/NSF, with the results being public domain). All of these YC startups I see "hacking" healthcare (Dr Chrono, HealthSherpa, etc) are just bandai…

In the US, I think the current grass roots movement towards Direct Primary Care plus catastrophic coverage or a health savings account is more politically and logistically viable.

Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#76

Post by alsocasey »

lvs wrote: post #59
Fede_V wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you trying to model metabolites as perfectly diffusing molecules with D^2 proportional to an idealized Stokes radius?

No. I multiplied 1 nM by Avogadro's number. Do you have any reason to believe that free IgG is not uniformly distributed at steady-state in circulation? ... Because that's what they're testing for.

Many (most) of the things we're interested in measuring in blood are bound to some sort large macro-molecular assembly... be it cells, lipid vesicles, large protein agglomerates, etc.

Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#77

Post by GCA10 »

supernova87a wrote: post #63

I think the reason we (maybe secretly) take so much satisfaction / schadenfreude at this story is that someone who was so hyped and the darling of Silicon Valley got so much funding and attention. While others who toil away on good ideas, without nearly so many connections and silver spoons, struggle to even get 1 minute of air time with the kind of funders and backers that she got. That, plus seeing the cluelessness…

Add Theranos's governance issues to the list, too. Most Valley startups make do with non-famous directors who hold VC/angel stakes -- and are prone to riding management hard about real or imagined problems with the business. That tension is part of the deal; it's pretty inescapable.

Theranos created this alternative reality with globally famous directors in their 80s and 90s, who offered instant prestige, without being the types that would ever challenge the CEO's grasp of business details. Wow, it must a joy ride to have Dr. Kissinger on your board. Or maybe not.

When Theranos's governance proved unreal, that became sweet vindication for every Valley CEO/CFO who ever stayed up past 1 a.m. getting every last number in shape for a hectoring, detail-obsessed board meeting the next day.

Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#78

Post by blakeross »

mrdmnd wrote: post #67
blakeross wrote: post #21

Here's a television parody I wrote about Theranos that ends right where this story begins... http://pricks.com

I just read a 32 page script and now I want you to write major television shows. Is that your actual job? This is really good.

Thank you! Currently it's a hobby; my background is in tech. This is the second script I've written. The first was a fake premiere for S3 of Silicon Valley (http://bit.ly/1LOZZpT).

Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#79

Post by programmer1234 »

I am glad this is happening. Theranos lent credibility to the idea that Silicon Valley technology investors were and are in a position to improve society through funding legitimate scientific research, in contrast to say, Snapchat. Theranos lied, which might not have been a problem had it not been praised so much, and the board hadn't been stacked with major power brokers who are supposed to have integrity. The best we can do is figure out who was responsible and put them on a cross before the reputation of the whole venture community suffers from this scandal.

Re: Theranos Is Subject of Criminal Probe by U.S

#80

Post by wstrange »

BurningFrog wrote: post #72
toomuchtodo wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Someone out there needs to attack healthcare. All the attacking that needs to be done is political/social, not technical. Want to attack healthcare? Strip middlemen out so that the money flows to providers and researchers (Single payer + pouring additional money into the NIH/NSF, with the results being public domain). All of these YC startups I see "hacking" healthcare (Dr Chrono, HealthSherpa, etc) are just bandai…

Here is a good factual overview of why Single Payer won't make health care cheap in the US: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-04-30/single-paye...

Summary of the article: A single payer system works well everywhere else, but is politically impossible in the US.

That is a sad indictment of US politics.

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