MIT has a Darwin candidate

[Dr Mordrid]

Link....

MIT student arrested at Logan airport with fake bomb

DAILY NEWS STAFF

Friday, September 21st 2007, 10:57 AM

A sophomore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was surrounded by troopers carrying submachine guns and arrested after showing up at Boston's Logan Airport wearing a phony bomb, made partly from Play-Doh, strapped to her chest.

"She's extremely lucky she followed the instructions or deadly force would have been used," State Police Maj. Scott Pare told a reporter. "And she's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue."

Star Simpson, a nineteen-year-old from Hawaii, cobbled together a computer circuit board, wires, and the Play-Doh into a contraption that she wore in plain view over a black hooded sweatshirt, Pare said.

"In this day and age, the threat continues to be there," he said. "She certainly jeopardized her own safety by bringing this to the airport, as well as the safety of everybody around her."

Simpson was allegedly at the airport to pick someone up. No motive for the fake bomb has been determined.

Simpson was arrested around 8 a.m. at Logan International Airport's Terminal C, home to United Airlines and JetBlue, and was charged with disturbing the peace and possessing a hoax device. She was scheduled to be arraigned later today.

[cjolley]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

From the cnn story:

Police said Simpson answered questions rationally and was upset to be in custody, but did not appear to understand the seriousness of what she had done.

[Technoid]

this would be filed under honorable mention

[lowlifecat]

i didn't know they made suicide vests with LEDs

[Gurm]

Sure does look like a little LED flashy device that makes a star-shaped pattern. What the play-doh is for ... is beyond me.

Probably so the person she was picking up would notice her.

[Tjalfe]

I don't even thing those LED's would flash, unless there is more than a few wires under the tape.

[Gurm]

Yeah is it just me or did they just arrest, at gunpoint, someone wearing a light-up green star?

[Tjalfe]

so where is the playdough, or are they thinking the prototyping "breadboard" is some form of explosive?.. so yeah.. a home made light up star gets you almost shot at.

[Gurm]

I'd argue that it was in no way a "hoax device". It was a very real device. A device that lights up little LED's.

Frankly, my laptop is FAR more dangerous, and they didn't even ask me to turn it on this last time.

[Evildead666]

Oh come on...How many of these officers have seen a REAL 'Home-Made' device/bomb ?

On EVERY TV show or film, we are taught to believe that every home made bomb has little flashy lights..
it should beep loudly also, in time with the lights (Red LED's if possible).

AFAIK this one didn't beep, so they might have been confused...

[az]

Attention: The quotes below are not real. This is satirical. Please do not sue me. Also, please don't kill me. I assure you, I am no terrorist, even though I possess a blinking LED bike light.

Ugly brooch almost causes blood bath

Idiots with guns threaten MIT Student with death

Friday, September 21st 2007, 10:57 AM

A sophomore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was surrounded by troopers carrying submachine guns and arrested because she wore a brooch in the form of a blinking star at Boston's Logan Airport.

"She's extremely lucky she followed the instructions or we would have killed her," State Police Maj. Scott Pare told a reporter. "And she's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue."

Star Simpson, a nineteen-year-old from Hawaii, built a flashing star - a play on her name - out of LEDs and a 9 V battery.

"In this day and age, the threat of homemade brooches continues to be there," he said. "She certainly jeopardized her own safety by bringing this to the airport, as well as the safety of everybody around her. Because the blinking LEDs almost provoked us to start shooting people."

Simpson was allegedly at the airport to pick someone up. No motive for the DYI jewelry has been determined.

"I'm shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport," Pare said.

It was really hard to make this sound any more ridiculous than it already is. Life really writes the greatest, saddest, most sarcastic stories. Please note that I haven't changed any facts, just the wording.

[TransformX]

Attention: The quotes below are not real. This is satirical. Please do not sue me. Also, please don't kill me. I assure you, I am no terrorist, even though I possess a blinking LED bike light.

It was really hard to make this sound any more ridiculous than it already is. Life really writes the greatest, saddest, most sarcastic stories. Please note that I haven't changed any facts, just the wording.

HE POSESSES blinking LED bike light, I BET HE OWNS A BICYCLE AS WELL, KILL HIM !!!

[Technoid]

this reminds me that I have to buy bicycle lights again.

They used to get stolen so I bought removable ones, after that they just stole my bikes...