I played the Map mode and got the same page several times, and then the game ended with half my "life" left. It was really fun but I passed a lot of rounds just on memory
This guy is a student. It's not like he has "chosen" money unlike myself
I used to be a junior software developer (hence username) earning £40k - far above median income.
Post tax, rent, bills I could save over the year to purchase the £5k electron microscope I mentioned quite easily.
But then I'd need to rent space for it. And purchase the rest of the equipment.
My points aren't some "look how bad I have it" gotcha. It's highlighting the perspective that this student is lucky to be supported with the resources to excel in his passion. Even if his use case is quite exceptional
Others have highlighted for Americans this probably represents a family in the top 5-10% of earners. A realm which American software developers can fall into
For myself, the chance to work in a lab of equipment costing the order of six figures required a career change and significant pay cut. But that's just me
To clarify. I am mind blown he has pulled this off. It's an extraordinary feat. All I can be is envious of his skills and privilege
My PhD is funded by a research council and my stipend is £12k. After rent, food and bills there is some room.
But it's laughable to think I could repair and run an electron microscope. Already mentioned, finding a broken microscope for £1k wouldn't happen here. And you're seriously underestimating the resource requirements to operate such a machine
As mentioned, getting that equipment would cost an order of magnitude higher in my part of the world.
However, there is no doubt the feat pulled off here is impressive and insanely difficult to do. I most likely couldn't replicate it, but I wouldn't be able to find that out.
In the UK the second hand market is non-existent with the likes of the US. You can't just pick up hardware off Craiglist for next to nothing. It simply doesn't happen
Space is another thing as well. But I'm sure there's plenty of Americans whole live more urban without such space as well.
My future prospects may be promising, but owning a large garage to tinker in, whether electronics or something like woodworking seems like an untenable goal.
I've followed this project for a while. And while it truly is an impressive feat, I just wonder how did he afford all this equipment.
I'm 24 and a physics PhD student, and just afforded my first soldering iron. I lack the space, let alone the equipment to attempt anything close to this.