Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017) • Hacker News Board

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#171

Post by LorenPechtel » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:43 PM UTC

NovemberWhiskey wrote: post #97

Alex3917 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that non-toxic does not mean edible, as the FDA recently clarified due to many people being severely poisoned from eating cakes decorated with luster dust meant for crafting. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7043a2.htm You would think that if something says non-toxic, licking it shouldn't kill you, but apparently not.

One of the basic principles of toxicology is "the dose makes the poison". From an OSHA perspective, "toxic" means (amongst other things) a mean-lethal-dose (LD50) of up to 500 mg per kilogram of bodyweight when ingested orally in lab rats. There's all kind of stuff that doesn't meet the standard of toxic that you still wouldn't want to eat.

And there's stuff that is toxic that you do want to eat. Check your multivitamin, there's stuff in there that would kill you at that level.

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#172

Post by divbzero » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:47 PM UTC

oddeyed wrote: post #98

When I had Covid in December, I briefly lost my sense of smell and taste (only for a few days, thankfully). I decided I would see if the Switch cartridges tasted as bad as I remembered - purely in the interests of science, of course. I couldn't taste it at first, but then the wave of toxic unpleasantness slowly built up, even after I had moved the cartridge away from my tongue. It was different than I remembered it b…

That is really interesting, especially because you could compare the taste with vs. without anosmia. Thank you for trying that for the sake of science and glad you recovered shortly thereafter.

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#173

Post by 99_00 » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:47 PM UTC

>Why do you think Play-Doh is so bitter and salty?

I didn't know that it was. Interesting that they assume this is common knowledge. Other people must be putting a lot more in their months than me.

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#174

Post by pampa » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:48 PM UTC

testplzignore wrote: post #157

xen0 wrote: post #50

If you own a Switch, I encourage you to drop whatever it is you're doing and go lick one of the cartridges. You need to experience this.

I just licked my $60 Super Mario Odyssey cart. I'm not tasting it :( I am so disappointed...

Just licked mario + rabbids I got yesterday. Tastes ok.

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#175

Post by xg15 » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:48 PM UTC

jessriedel wrote: post #70

tialaramex wrote: post #53

Yes. In the EU product "denatured alcohol" for most purposes is likewise treated with the same agent. This replaces the widespread use of methanol and similar products which are poisonous (yes even if you call the product "meths" it probably isn't methanol in the EU today). The rationale is that poisoning people is not an appropriate reaction to attempted tax avoidance. Alcohol is only "denatured" because booze is ta…

Whether it's reasonable to use poison as a disincentive needs to depend on how often people consume it, accidentally or purposefully. If it's extremely rare, then this is a reasonable use case, even if we don't think poisoning is a reasonable punishment for tax avoidance (because, indeed, the poison is not intended to be a punishment). Likewise, we put up physical barriers like metal posts and concrete walls to dissu…

> If it's extremely rare, then this is a reasonable use case

You never actually gave a reason for that assertion.

> Whether it's reasonable to use poison as a disincentive ... > (because, indeed, the poison is not intended to be a punishment)

What is the difference between "disincentive" and "punishment" here?

> "Likewise, we put up physical barriers*

So, would you be OK with replacing the physical barriers with, say, spikes that would tear up a car's tires and instantly cause an accident, should the car try to cross the line? Just to make the disincentive more effective?

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#176

Post by toast0 » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:50 PM UTC

easrng wrote: post #162

toast0 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's easy, UUIDs are unique, so it's easy to tell them apart, although it's hard to group them. Much better than deciding what the heck 'new iPad' means or if you want a new old 3ds or a used new 3ds, or if updating iOS means your phone or your router.

To be fair, Cisco IOS and Apple iOS are not from the same company and aren't really in the same field.

Sure, but Apple had to buy the rights to the trademark for iOS from the same company they had to buy the rights for the trademark for iPhone.

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#177

Post by NovemberWhiskey » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:53 PM UTC

LorenPechtel wrote: post #171

NovemberWhiskey wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the basic principles of toxicology is "the dose makes the poison". From an OSHA perspective, "toxic" means (amongst other things) a mean-lethal-dose (LD50) of up to 500 mg per kilogram of bodyweight when ingested orally in lab rats. There's all kind of stuff that doesn't meet the standard of toxic that you still wouldn't want to eat.

And there's stuff that is toxic that you do want to eat. Check your multivitamin, there's stuff in there that would kill you at that level.

Also, for example, aspirin.

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#178

Post by ajmurmann » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:55 PM UTC

jonny_eh wrote: post #124

flatiron wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My SD2Vita also doesn’t taste too bad ;)

What about the microSD?

Just the idea of it makes me nauseous

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#179

Post by ctf1er » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:57 PM UTC

If covid happened 30 years ago, I can imagine public safety ads about kids sharing and blowing on NES catridges to make them work, quite a vector.

Re: Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad (2017)

#180

Post by 3np » Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 10:59 PM UTC

tialaramex wrote: post #53

Yes. In the EU product "denatured alcohol" for most purposes is likewise treated with the same agent. This replaces the widespread use of methanol and similar products which are poisonous (yes even if you call the product "meths" it probably isn't methanol in the EU today). The rationale is that poisoning people is not an appropriate reaction to attempted tax avoidance. Alcohol is only "denatured" because booze is ta…

Well, for Sweden there's the national monopoly, so denaturing it means being able to sell it for private establishments like hardware shops... And also not requiring an ID check and being > 20yo to buy.

The reasoning is public health. You can argue that it's not a preferred solution but there's definitely more than tax to it.