In the early 1980s my dad brought home a 5mb hard drive. It connected to our Atari 800 through the Atari's four joystick ports, and cost $5000. A lot can change in 25 years.
According to Iran, scientists aren't working on a weapons system, they are part of a civilian program to produce nuclear power plants. Following your logic, the people who competed in the DARPA grand challenge are not civilians and are legitimate targets for assassination by another world power.
I don't know how reliable a source "DEBKAfile" is, but just in general, it makes me very uncomfortable that civilian scientists may possibly now be considered legitimate targets for assassination or kidnapping by the US, Israel or others.
It wasn't meant solely as a response to Alex3917, I just thought it might be useful to add something actually from a peer reviewed journal to the discussion :)
Errors and mishaps pose a substantial risk to hospitalized patients. Iatrogenic injuries affect as many as 18% of patients admitted to hospitals in the United States, at a cost estimated to exceed $100 billion per year.
Most universities have a physics sequence that does not require physics. A major reason this sequence exists, at least at the university that employs me, is pre-med students. Also, physics is not "covered heavily" on the MCAT.
Calculus is not taught to everyone in high school. Many students only make it as far as precalculus and many more, even if they take calculus in high school do not learn integration. At the college level, many biology students do not take calculus. As far as calculus being a requirement for entrance into med school, in many cases I am afraid you are incorrect.
Most pre-meds do not have the time in their undergraduate careers to take a two semester series in calculus, especially if they need to also take remedial courses such as precalculus first, and many do.
Ecuador is not known for its law abiding practices
I don't think that's a very accurate characterization. While Ecuador does currently have a volatile government, the country is democratic, with relatively fair elections and reasonably comprehensive civil rights. It's not the US, or even Costa Rica, but Ecuador is also not some corrupt banana republic.