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Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

bloomberg.com

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Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#11

Post by duncanawoods »

ukulele wrote: post #5
Areading314 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ambivalent (and its the same in German)

I've always thought of ambivalent as meaning no strong feelings either way, but I see that it can also mean mixed feelings (even strong ones). Is there a word that doesn't also include the first part, where it means solely having strong mixed feelings?

"Conflicted" seems to capture it but isn't very poetic.

There is more interesting language available if you are oscillating between views e.g. "vacillate" but not really the same as ambivalence.

Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#12

Post by [deleted] »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #7
wyldfire wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seemed to me as if the author semi-sheepishly is admitting being caught up in the fervor surrounding Theranos: > I used to refer to it pretty regularly as the Blood Unicorn, Elasmotherium haimatos, because it was a Silicon Valley unicorn with a peak valuation of $9 billion that managed to raise $700 million from investors. I suppose if "unicorn" is meant to describe fundraising activities, it's accurate. They real…

At one time, it was valued at $10 billion and being called a dekacorn based on valuation.

[deleted]

Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#13

Post by osteele »

wyldfire wrote: post #3
ukulele wrote: post #2

Part of me dislikes the title "Blood Unicorn" for being sensationalist, but part of me really likes it for being completely accurate and even a little bit poetic. It kind of feels like all titles should strive for this balance, but I also kind of hate it. I'm sure there's a German word for what I'm feeling!

It seemed to me as if the author semi-sheepishly is admitting being caught up in the fervor surrounding Theranos: > I used to refer to it pretty regularly as the Blood Unicorn, Elasmotherium haimatos, because it was a Silicon Valley unicorn with a peak valuation of $9 billion that managed to raise $700 million from investors. I suppose if "unicorn" is meant to describe fundraising activities, it's accurate. They real…

I believe this[1] is the article in which the author, Matt Levine, introduced the phrase “blood unicorn”. That article continues with a quote about Theranos's “bait and switch”; the author concludes the section with “‘There will be an appropriate time and place to talk about the past,’ said Theranos; my guess is that the place might be court.”

EDIT: This article[2] (also by Matt Levine) predates [1]. “And here is a unicorn being barbecued in what looks like a medieval manuscript that I will just assume prophesies the coming of Theranos. ‘And lo, a Unicorne shall come among ye, and ye shall call it by the name Theranos, or in the Old Tongues, Elasmotherium Haimatos. And it shall take your Bloode, but only a lyttle bit of your Bloode, and it shall do strange Magick upon said Bloode, and tell ye many Things. But then it shall come to pass that its Magick was [makes 'so-so' hand gesture], and that those Things were mostly not true. And ye shall barbecue that Unicorne.’”

[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-02/mergers-u...

[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-05-26/libor-cha...

Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#14

Post by hprotagonist »

I have been a voice in the wilderness since about 2007 on this one, so this is shadenfraude on a level that makes me kind of embarrassed about myself.

My background is biomedical engineering, and I just never, ever understood how the sampling rate could ever work. If you're looking for a low-energy signal and your sampling rate is really low, you're just going to miss it and this should've been screamingly obvious to everyone since the beginning.

It's like going to the beach, drawing a 5 gallon pail of seawater, looking into it, and then declaring that the beach is shark-free today and it's safe to swim.

Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#15

Post by HarryHirsch »

ukulele wrote: post #5
Areading314 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ambivalent (and its the same in German)

I've always thought of ambivalent as meaning no strong feelings either way, but I see that it can also mean mixed feelings (even strong ones). Is there a word that doesn't also include the first part, where it means solely having strong mixed feelings?

"Zwiespältig"

Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#16

Post by notananthem »

rglovejoy wrote: post #8
ukulele wrote: post #2

Part of me dislikes the title "Blood Unicorn" for being sensationalist, but part of me really likes it for being completely accurate and even a little bit poetic. It kind of feels like all titles should strive for this balance, but I also kind of hate it. I'm sure there's a German word for what I'm feeling!

"Blood Unicorn" is a great name for a metal band, though.

Came here to laugh and and celebrate a really silly name. BLLOOOOOOODDDD UNIIICORNNNN.

Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#17

Post by IAmEveryone »

Areading314 wrote: post #4
ukulele wrote: post #2

Part of me dislikes the title "Blood Unicorn" for being sensationalist, but part of me really likes it for being completely accurate and even a little bit poetic. It kind of feels like all titles should strive for this balance, but I also kind of hate it. I'm sure there's a German word for what I'm feeling!

Ambivalent (and its the same in German)

They are ambivalent, but the headline isn’t.

Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#18

Post by subpixel »

I haven't found an article or comment that gives me any insight into what Ms. Holmes might have been thinking. Did she earnestly believe she was on the cusp of some breakthrough, or that one was inevitable with enough brute-force application of investor money? Or was she shrewd and cunning to the core, calculating that she could siphon off enough money to make it worthwhile and spend enough money to spin the facts? I'm totally perplexed trying to put myself in her shoes and understand her motivation.

Re: Theranos Misled Investors and Consumers Who Used Its Blood Test

#20

Post by pavlov »

ukulele wrote: post #5
Areading314 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ambivalent (and its the same in German)

I've always thought of ambivalent as meaning no strong feelings either way, but I see that it can also mean mixed feelings (even strong ones). Is there a word that doesn't also include the first part, where it means solely having strong mixed feelings?

Torn?

"I'm all out of faith / This is how I feel, I'm cold and I am shamed / Lying naked on the floor ..."

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