Early Risers.

[Compound2632]

10 minutes ago, Barry O said:

My day is improving..an envelope has just arrived with a replacement nose cone for a battlespaceturbo car. Problem is..where did I put the car???

Baz

 

 

Mind is boggling as to what happened to the original nose cone...

[Kingzance]

Good morning everyone,

 

I was absent yesterday and so haven't wished Stewart 45156 and his companion happy anniversary for their latest complete rotation of our star. I stand admonished and hope I will be forgiven .

 

In the past week, I have been listening to a series of very interesting lectures regarding our global switch from a fossil (and particularly oil) based economy to renewable resources. I found it very thought provoking and it has taken time to listen and in some cases re-listen to the various speaskers' well-researched and well supported cases. These lectures have therefore cut a bit of my time that could otherwise have been wasted on unmentionable things or, more importantly, keeping abreast of happenings on ERs. Saturday night saw the weekly extended family quiz via Zoom where we came third, the questions were perhaps a little more leaning to a younger generation but no excuse for me putting Kentucky rather than Tennessee when asked in which state is Jack Daniels made! I was also advised that BBC2 was showing a documentary on Lee Miller later on Saturday night. This lady is/was famous for images shot when Dachau was liberated amongst other wartime images. Ignoring the "fine art" content, she certainly had the eye as a composer of striking images and I would recommend the programme to those interested in photography. Last week's unmentionable efforts included the assembly of two Mink Ds, a Bloater, a W5 and an O5 - all waiting to be painted but only after two have been weighted and roofs sealed on. This week, the round thing that turns kettles I started will hopefully progress now I have done some work on the gear aliignment / meshing issues in the reduction box and the last three metres of Kingzance track re-wiring will be resolved, knees and daily orders not withstanding.

 

All the previous talk of fry-ups meant also that I could no longer resist so bacon rashers x3, mushrooms x3 and fried pre-chickens x2 were cooked, consumed and I dutifully cleared up afterwards - the two pre-chickens were carefully cracked into the pan and the second turned out to be a double-yolker, the second from my current dozen fresh ones from up the road! That does of course mean I shall partake of nothing else until after 6pm and I must get out for a walk too. I resisted a bowl of baked beans that were sitting in the fridge, particularly as I am a Marmite lover and wouldn't mind trying a spoonful stirred in.

 

Otherwise, otherwise. We remain sort of locked down - only going out for the likes of medication, fresh milk and essentials from our local village shop or to the farm butchery and for exercise when the weather is clement. I hope all readers remain safe, as well as can be expected and recovering if afflicted. As one who spent years at sea in what was partial isolation and who is by nature a more solitary character, I do not find this too hard whereas SWMBO is stressed more and naturally tends to take it out on whoever is near - and that is only me. We are both over 70 and I think neither of us could cope with being forced to stay as we are until the end of the year. We would rather take our chance amidst sensible precautions.

 

With that, and with the morning gone, I need to take action to ensure the rest of Monday doesn't escape. Be good and/or be careful.

[Chris116]

2 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Mind is boggling as to what happened to the original nose cone...

Careful, you could damage your mind doing that! 

[Kingzance]

30 minutes ago, southern42 said:

.....Toot on the flute is progressing and after oiling the wooden fifes last week I am 'allowed' to play for 10 mins and 20 mins (once a day) next week.  In between, I play the brass whistle which will be substituted by my new plastic piccolo (trade term, but a fife at heart!) so that I am not switching from vertical to horizontal playing.  Because the instruments have their own sounds, I intend to play different pieces on them.  So, for instance, William Bird and Michael Praetorious, on the Renaissance fife and Danny Boy on the Sweetheart fife.  But as things develop I may well change my mind!

 

_________

Best wishes

Polly

 

 

One wouldn't wish to lower the tone but a plastic, one-eyed piccolo - well, really Polly 

[PeterBB]

Hi Guys,

 

All read but once again apparently it will not come into consideration until my 'paper contract' runs out.

 

This is my 4th attempt to day to get onto the web - the third did allow some comment then nothing apart from reading.  Frustrating as SWMBO says 'you are spending hours on that thing' and she is right.

 

Happy birthday etc. agree with Coombe Martin and others on 'idiots' Pleased to see that others have the same problems with Marmite, can give no comments on alcohol as allergic to it and never went to pubs because cigarette smoke also caused problems.  Like Andy Ps kettle on - that is the state in our home (as opposed to house).  Nearly midday now so better get off the computer and 'do something useful'.

 

Cheers, Peter

Edited May 4, 2020 by PeterBB
Spelling

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The Farcebook group had nearly 200 applications for membership in the last 24 hours. Some other groups that I am an ordinary member of are experiencing a similar rush including one called 'Disused Railways' whereas other similar groups are static where new members are concerned.

9 hours ago, pH said:

I tried to change the tires on the car yesterday. Snows aren't needed anywhere in BC after April 30 - I had kept them on in case we had gone to visit son and family in Nelson, in which case we should have had them on. First wheel - undid all the nuts, the wheel would not come off the car. Tried liberal use of a rubber mallet, but still no results. So I looked up the internet for cause and treatment.

 

Second attempt today, using advice from the net. Undid the nuts, put a couple back on, just a few turns. Lay on my side, partly under the car and booted the back of the tire - success! Apparently the problem is caused by the metal of the wheel seizing to the different metal of the hub. Any mild corrosion brushed off the hub, thin coating of 'anti seize' compound (bought yesterday) on the face of the hub, and summer tires mounted.

 

I like simple fixes. If they also involve some violence to release frustration, so much the better.

 

 

 

8 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

I've had that happen too. What I do is loosen the nuts on the offending wheel then wind them back in but no more than finger tight. Then drive the car for a few yards and stomp on the brakes. Reverse and stomp on the brakes again.

 

That's usually enough to crack the corrosion and it avoids getting under the car.

You should use copper grease applied generously to both wheel and hub every time you change a wheel. As has been said getting underneath a car supported by just a jack is extreamly dangerous. Hard braking with the wheels loosely attached is not recomended either. This will put an enormous strain on the studs and could cause them to fracture later.

[Happy Hippo]

31 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

WOTS DAT?

I have to scrape all the accumulated mud out of every crevice in my body until I am nearly pink.

 

It takes ages to build up a nice protective coat.

[PhilJ W]

9 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I have to scrape all the accumulated mud out of every crevice in my body until I am nearly pink.

 

It takes ages to build up a nice protective coat.

TMI!

Edited May 4, 2020 by PhilJ W

[Chris116]

31 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

Nearly midday now so better get off the computer and 'do something useful'.

 

Cheers, Peter

Writing on here is the most useful and entertaining thing you will do all day. 

[iL Dottore]

14 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The response to your Facebook post is unsurprising. The democratization of internet idiocy is the triumph of truthiness over fact. People believe what feels right to them, even more so when the traditional establishment demonstrates that it is not. Anti-intellectualism, dressed up as anti-elitism is the enemy of fact and the trump card of idiocy.

 

If I may paraphrase Karl M., the opiate of the masses is now internet anti-intellectualism.

 

And you can't argue with idiots, it only winds them up.

 

I couldn’t agree more. For example, I have spent nearly 35 years of my life developing drugs (mostly against cancer), yet on the ioi (Internet of Idiots) my opinion on the likelihood of having a vaccine against COVID-19 by Christmas, is worth no more than someone who “heard something from a mate down the pub” (in fact, on such matters, my views are often considered as less than worthless as I am part of the “Evil Pharma Industry” and on such matters the ioi’s view is “well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?”).

16 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

...Of course, there are also the cases where separation and divorce leads to homelessness. Rough sleepers can't take up an offer of accommodation in a hostel because they can't take their dog there.

Which, I think, reflects badly on the hostels in question. For many homeless people, their dog is their lifeline and, I would argue, vital for getting them back on an even keel. From what I’ve seen in documentaries and from what I’ve read, homeless people take really good care of their dogs and would rather sleep rough than be parted from their dog (I once talked with a young man with a lovely Jack Russell bitch, he definitely looked a bit worse for wear - poor s0d - but the dog  was healthy, happy and good natured and so well groomed, that she could’ve gone into the ring at Crufts without anyone remarking on her).

 

On the subject of homeless people, my view is “there for the grace of God, go I“ I have been lucky inasmuch as I have avoided all those problems, such as alcoholism or drug addiction, that plague so many. I also have been lucky, inasmuch as the really stupid mistakes that I have made in my life have not had major consequences, unlike for some of these poor bu99ers. Much has been written, said and opined about giving to the homeless, but when in London (there are very few homeless around where I live) I take the view that if someone asks me for some money in order to eat, I ask him/her “can I get you a sandwich or a cup of soup?” And, returning to the subject of the homeless and their dogs, when in London I carry a few packs of dog treats in my pocket. And when I stop to chat with someone on the street about their dog (as you may have guessed, I’m a bit dog-mad), I offer them some dog treats. The dogs may be loved and well taken care of, but I’m certain treats are few and far between.

(not that all this makes me feel particularly virtuous, it’s just the decent thing to do)

 

5 hours ago, chrisf said:

... His way of energising himself involves doing exercises at the gym and does not appeal to me one little bit!  My memories of the gym at school are not at all happy and I would rather not revisit it three-quarters of a lifetime later....

Your view of modern day gyms being based on school gym lessons, couldn’t be more misplaced. I’ve done both: “skool gym” and “modern gym” and you can’t compare. The key is to find the gym that does what you need. For many years, I was a member of a “Kieser Training Gym”. The gym did not have either bicycles or running machines for cardiovascular exercise, as the founder of the gym was of the opinion that Cardiovascular exercise is that something you can do by yourself and you don’t need a gym or special machines for it. What did Kieser Training does provide, and what I found very very useful, are machines that each exercise a different muscle group, building up muscle strength and muscle mass (something very, very important for us oldies, as we tend to lose muscle strength and muscle mass as we age). The whole setup was very focused and utilitarian: no disco lights, no disco music, no musclebound posers, just a set of machines and well-trained coaches who tailor your exercise program to your needs and your level of fitness. You go in, change, do your exercise routine, shower (and unlike school, the showers have abundant hot water), get dressed and leave. In all, 45 minutes to one hour, twice a week.
Going to Kieser Training did wonders for my back and hip problems. The only reason I don’t go to Kieser Training nowadays, is that the only one in Basel is about an hour away from me by public transport (and not much parking near it), so not really practical to attend (although I might restart if Mrs iD continues to work from home).

5 hours ago, chrisf said:

.....Let us hope that my right knee will actually let me stride purposefully, for it is sometimes rather painful of late.  The thought that it might need replacing fills me with sheer terror.  So, for that matter, does the prospect of trying to get a GP appointment.  For now I will rely on Ibuprofen....

Not a particularly good idea, Ibuprofen can only do so much.  I’ve had both knees replaced (and at the same time!). The left knee had pretty much had it when it was replaced, although there was some cartilage remaining. Whereas on the right side, the damage had progressed to the point that it was bone grinding on bone. Since my initial operation, my left knee - which was replaced just before failure - has done pretty well; my right knee - which was replaced after maximum damage had incurred - has been problematic (but is now fixed). So the moral of the story is: get your knee fixed before the damage progresses to the point where replacement may only partially solve the problem.

However, having said this, your knee problem may be such that a prosthesis is neither necessary or desirable - there are other corrective surgeries for knee problems that don’t involve replacing the joint. However, you won’t know that until you have seen a consultant orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in knees (I know a good one )

 

Have a great start to the week!

[TheQ]

The bad news .....I can't walk down to the MhRC as the shed delivery is imminent. 

 

The more bad news is my lockdown pays is being cut to 90%, because the American division is going on to week on week off on 90% pay. The fact that in the USA the company is paying the 90%, and in UK the company was paying 20% + 80% government furlough pay, Is quietly ignored. 

 

The good news is I still have another six weeks off at home... 

 

The more good news is that software spread sheet was accepted with minor changes,  that the boss did as it would have taken longer to contact me. 

 

Time I went on the tracker to see where the shed is.. 

 

 

[polybear]

4 hours ago, roundhouse said:

I have just doen the vacumming downstairs whilst my other half moved out of the way and made me a cup of tea.

 

 

Ever had the feeling that you got the sh1tty end of the stick?

 

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I couldn’t agree more. For example, I have spent nearly 35 years of my life developing drugs (mostly against cancer), yet on the ioi (Internet of Idiots) my opinion on the likelihood of having a vaccine against COVID-19 by Christmas, is worth no more than someone who “heard something from a mate down the pub” (in fact, on such matters, my views are often considered as less than worthless as I am part of the “Evil Pharma Industry” and on such matters the ioi’s view is “well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?”).

 

 

I'd really like to think that, whoever comes up with a vaccine first, they publish the recipe to anyone that wants it free of charge so they may manufacture their own vaccine accordingly.  And for those countries without the necessary manufacturing expertise/facilities, then the rest of the world provide vaccine for free/at minimal "no profit" cost accordingly.

 

However, call me cynical, but I've a feeling that some drug company somewhere may well get very, very rich.....

[45156]

Back for a second visit, and it will be my last today, but for me I'm doing pretty well at reading and rating.  Fodder run was achieved, and there was one person in front of us at Lidl this morning - well we were late, getting there at 7.50 instead of 7.45.  All comestibles needed were bought, and 30747 made a beeline for the heavily reduced (use by today) fridge, where she got today's lunch, some sort of Italian concotion of meatballs and pasts in tomato sauce with cheese topping (for her) and six little steak and ale pies, two of which are my dinner - the other four went in the freezer - a bargain at £1,90 the lot.

 

Then I decided that it was time to finally bottom the front door, and did the topcoat of the green, then painted all the door furniture matt black  Tomorrow, who knows, I may paint something else like the inner front door which is decidedly tatty now.

 

So with generic greetings being offered to all who are ailing, suffering the arrival of the black dog, or celebrating in their own way, here's another image of Lily at her favourite game of lying stock still behind the fence, totally quiet, until somebody comes past, then barking her head off.

 

[Tony_S]

Afternoon all.

Somehow I managed to defeat even the editor memory and lose an earlier post.

The days big excitement was leaving the house. Though if you consider the car an extension of the house and I didn’t get out after driving Aditi to the pharmacy. We needed to collect a couple of months worth of medication. There was no queue and Aditi was impressed by the staff’s visors, screens and floor marking. We decided it was less risky for Aditi to collect than other method of delivery. Benfleet was quite deserted. 
Not long after we got home we had a call on my mobile phone from SiL letting us know our land line was permanently engaged and that MiL was worried . I said I would sort out the problem and we would ring back. I had to turn the Dect base station off and on again. MiL annoyed Aditi by telling her off for also not answering her mobile. Aditi said it was upstairs and she was downstairs vacuuming (I suspect it may have been muted too). Aditi said she doesn’t feel the need to carry her phone about with her . This follows a couple of near neighbours also telling her that she hadn’t answered her phone earlier. 
One relative is a bit upset as quite a few of the people he interacts with via podcasts and Facebook groups turn out to be for want of a better word, deranged in their beliefs about Covid 19. He used to criticise me for not being open minded about the possibility of the stuff he believed (started with alien abductions, crop circles, developed into a range of conspiracy theories). 

I fitted a wing mirror to a Porsche yesterday.It was only a 1/32 scale model but changing the one on the Evoque earlier this year was less fiddly. 
Tony

Edited May 4, 2020 by Tony_S

[southern42]

4 hours ago, Kingzance said:

One wouldn't wish to lower the tone but a plastic, one-eyed piccolo - well, really Polly 

 

I would not dream of lowering the tone on here, KZ. 

It is all about using the right words!

 

Quote:

Tony Dixon DX008 Soprano high D Piccolo
The DX008 is a sturdy, warm sounding whistle, That is fun and easy to play, lightweight, and has excellent volume.  The DX008 is made of Polymer with an ABS mouthpiece.  This instrument is suitable for beginners and professionals alike. 

Unquote

 

I tried out the piccolo this morning expecting to just pick it up and play, as I did with my new wooden Renaissance fife.   They did say the piccolo was for beginners and professionals.  Now, there is no grumble about the pitch.  But it was darn hard, at first, getting a note out of it!  Then even harder to do a run of notes, especially in the lowest notes.  Harder still to get a tune going - so much more breath needed.  So, Plan A: work out how to make this little devil  shine before I go any further.  Just because it is plastic... er... Polymer... is no excuse for it not to sound angelic!   

 

Quite a few differences:

Lip plate, as on a flute, with larger tone hole than the fifes.

Smaller finger holes which are slightly closer together overall.

Narrower barrel.

 

A bit more toot on flute...

 

 

And a bit more...

 

...Yay! Got the little lass going...  

 

Sweetheart Rosewood fife D

 

Sweetheart Renaissance fife D

 

Tony Dixon piccolo D

 

 

Well that is some of my m*d*ll*ng time gone!  Oh, well!

 

Polly Mer

Edited May 4, 2020 by southern42

[TheQ]

Paket unterwegs.

Ihr Paket wurde für die Weiterleitung am nächsten Werktag vorbereitet

 

Package on the way. Your package has been prepared for next business day delivery.

 

Turns out the shed is in 3 parcels,  all I've got is the skin. 

 

Reading with Google Translate,  the other two were listed, via some very small tracking numbers hidden on a page,   in German, as problem with package at supplier... 

One is on route somewhere in DE, the other is as above.. 

 

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

 

However, call me cynical, but I've a feeling that some drug company somewhere may well get very, very rich.....

Especially if American and sponsoring the orange one. 

[Gwiwer]

4 hours ago, Kingzance said:

We remain sort of locked down

Boris and his government have been very careful to avoid using that word.  The UK is operating under government "advice" but it is advice with a sting in the tail of being enforceable by police and potentially costing infringers from £30 a pop.  

 

Today we anticipated, and got, a stronger return-to-work across the construction sector.  The early morning trains, which have consistently been the busiest, were somewhat more busy than before and there has been a sustained uptick (another current Government-favoured word) in off-peak traffic.  Still at a very low level over all but with some trains now carrying more-than-half-full loads despite the provision of 12 carriages where possible.  The bulk of the traffic continues to be inbound from the Sussex coast, Gatwick and especially Croydon plus outbound towards Richmond, Brentford, Wimbledon and inner Surrey.  SWR long-distance services continue to be empty or with just 2 - 3 passenger aboard in many cases.  

 

There are more people about generally and whilst there is wariness in some there is a growing sense of relaxation even if passing at a distance one would not otherwise have thought necessary.  

 

In other news SWMBO has had her furlough confirmed until 31st May meaning rumours of her imminent return to working-from-home have proved to be just that.  There is not a demonstrated need for her to work for the time being.  Kew Gardens remains under pressure to open the gates but cannot do so until either funding is secured from Government to permit free entry or social distancing is relaxed and the pay-gates can reopen.  

 

Sister has reported that she continues to exhibit no symptoms associated with the Dreadful Lurgy but feels she may have picked up a summer germ of some other kind.  It's her call but I suggested again that she seek a test just to put everyone's mind at rest.  In her words "Just because there's a new kid on the block doesn't mean the old ones have all gone away".  Fair enough.  

 

A little muddling, a little research to manage enquiries arriving by various channels and a little stroll in search of some unsweetened almond or (failing that) soya milk are all on the agenda.  I'll pop in later when I reach "Any Other Business" on that agenda   

 

Stay well. 

 

 

 

 

[southern42]

And now to the fife box.  This morning I trimmed the top insert to size and fitted it in place.

Just one problem: the lid is shallower than the box and the foam which protrudes causing too tight a fit when the lid is closed.

The foam in the box sits on a shallow base layer for the fifes to lie on which brings the foam inserts up to the top edge.

Today's solution, remove the base layer which lowers the foam inserts enough to take the foam in the lid.

Strips of base foam can then be placed under the fifes in their slots.

This all means that the inserts will have to be stuck to the box rather than the base foam.  Arrrrghhhh!

 

Waiting for glue test to dry.  I got out the Tacky Glue, hoping that if the time comes and the foam needs replacing, it will simply pull out without leaving a mess on the wood panels!  So the  saga continues!

 

And more time gone from m*d*ll*ng... Tomorrow?

 

Bike ride on the spot now.

 

Polly 

[Ian Abel]

May the fourth be with you... I always have enjoyed that oddity, and participate, often to the annoyance of other, too bad

 

Yesterday was very productive with the Mrs working hard on her garden projects

and me doing the same  ;

 

 

Not quite the extensive setup many of you have, but with a couple of extra points on the way and some additional track it'll have a reverse loop and passing track/siding to putz with at least.

 

Thanks to everyone, all suggestions dutifully noted re: wiring, however, having dark memories of the eternity (it really DID seem that long) wiring my indoor layout for DCC in the "recommended method", whilst I KNOW that's the way to go, I needed this immediate fix as I've literally been anticipating having a garden railway for over 30 years.

The loco and caboose seen were purchased almost 35 years ago!

I'll deal with the re-wiring/improvements later as I can now at least run trains and will amuse the kids in the neighborhood for sure - that INCLUDES ME!

 

Another grocery delivery yesterday also, seems most items are back to "normal" here, although there is new concern that various meats (chicken, pork mostly) may become in short supply temporarily as many of the processing plants have recently shut down due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

We'll see, so long as folks don't get stupid (ya right, THAT'S never going to happen!! ) it should be manageable or at least short term...

 

Today back working, although not heard from the Long Island client so far, calm before the storm...

 

6 first thing and partly cloudy, 17 for the high and possibly some rain starting overnight.

 

Be safe, we'll get through this...

[Gwiwer]

23 minutes ago, TheQ said:

in German

I love German.  My 0.5mm tungsten-vanadium bits turned up labelled "Micro-spiralbohrer"   Which is very descriptive and quite accurate.

[Ozexpatriate]

I have a genuine virus-related question.

 

Here in Oregon, K-12 school closures and a ban on gatherings >250 began on March 12, followed by the closure of bars / restaurants and a ban of gatherings of >25 on March 17. The full, official, "stay home, save lives" order began on March 23.

 

Generally speaking, people have been mostly well behaved.

 

Since then daily confirmed cases of CoViD-19 are essentially "flat" varying in a range from about 30-80 for four weeks or so. A small number of people die here every day - 109 in total so far.

 

Daily confirmed cases. Red line is a five-day average

 

We are told the incubation period of the virus is about 5 days ( ± ) - leading to a 14 day quarantine period. (CDC says incubation is 2-14 days.)

 

The biggest "lifestyle" change was the closure of bars and restaurants, now 48 days ago. If the 'standard quarantine' period for untested people entering an area is 14 days, how do we still see a significant rate of new infections?

 

Unless of course these infections are transmitted via people who are forced to work in a non-distanced environment why is the virus spread not dying out? With very little travel it seems that few new entrants are driving the infection rate.

 

Is there any data to indicate how long this virus lives in an asymptomatic host and how long an infected person sheds virus?

 

I make no observations about infection rates - our level of testing in Oregon is meaningless. There are no controlled experiments for statistical measurements available (though some are underway). We know that the virus was present on the US west coast in late January. A Santa Clara, CA woman died on February 6 - now three months ago. It took the PRC about four months to reopen Wuhan, depending on when you start counting.

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by Ozexpatriate
Added graph

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

I'd really like to think that, whoever comes up with a vaccine first, they publish the recipe to anyone that wants it free of charge so they may manufacture their own vaccine accordingly. 

Such corporate altruism would be nice. Perhaps the University of Oxford will do that?

 

2 hours ago, polybear said:

However, call me cynical, but I've a feeling that some drug company somewhere may well get very, very rich.....

Setting aside the complicated problem of fair pricing of pharmaceuticals to cover development and manufacturing costs but not be extortionate, why should a for-profit company, not benefit from selling a life-saving product they developed? This is what they do.

 

With the market potential of 14 billion doses per year (if it needs two doses) even a modest price will be lucrative.

[iL Dottore]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

...I'd really like to think that, whoever comes up with a vaccine first, they publish the recipe to anyone that wants it free of charge so they may manufacture their own vaccine accordingly.  And for those countries without the necessary manufacturing expertise/facilities, then the rest of the world provide vaccine for free/at minimal "no profit" cost accordingly.

 

However, call me cynical, but I've a feeling that some drug company somewhere may well get very, very rich.....

This is admirable, but unrealistic. What people don’t see are the very expensive failures - where drugs, initially promising, fail in the large scale (Phase III) studies. I have been involved in a number of large Phase III studies, each costing in excess of US $400 million, that have failed (reasons for failure can include unexpected toxicity that was not present in the animal models or the early stage clinical trials; the inability to replicate in a more general patient population the success seen in the highly selected small populations of the type you find in small Phase I/II studies and so on). Assuming that, as is likely, the majority of vaccine candidates fail for one reason or another, who will pay for the failed studies?

I can see, given the world wide significance of COVID-19 pandemic, that the company that develops a successful vaccine will licence it out “at cost” (I suspect that there will be considerable pressure - political, from the media and from the general public not to do otherwise), but setting up the production facilities, purchasing ingredients, producing and distributing the vaccine will cost - even on a cost of goods basis.

One final point, there are many of us in the Pharma and Biotech industries who don’t like it when the money men come in, buy up a company and increase prices just because they can! Apart from the ethical aspects (and yes, there are ethical Pharma companies out there), it also poisons regulatory and popular attitudes towards those treatments which really are very expensive (such as CAR-T therapy)

[Ozexpatriate]

4 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

What people don’t see are the very expensive failures - where drugs, initially promising, fail in the large scale (Phase III) studies.

Unless they are "lucky" enough to find alternative applications like the host of failed cancer treatments being now marketed for auto-immune conditions like psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis. Remdesivir (intended for ebola but failed) seems to be beneficial in COViD-19 recovery.