> there's more value in publishing it, than sitting on it until you just blow it all away on one exploit anonymously

Value is a subjective thing. Some people want money and fame, and for them it would be better to publish. But if you want to get rid of Iran's nuclear program because, well, you don't like nukes, or you don't like Iran, or you Just Want To Watch The World Burn, then well...

> At least, you would _hope_ criminal enterprises don't actually have the means to fund and recruit their own secret, cutting-edge math research labs/networks :)

Why not? Big business is big business.

What value exists in publishing a breakthrough crypto technique? The best value exists in selling it on the black market to the highest bidder

drug cartels can recruit people to build their own submarines and cell phone networks, so ...

Those submarines are crude, has you seen pictures? And submarines and cell phone networks are pretty standard technologies, well understood, that any competent engineer can build off of off the shelve components.

It's not like drug cartels are Dr. No like enterprises...

Hmm I'll just interject that I don't think drug cartel submarines are crude, and I've seen lots of pictures.

Its non-trivial building these submarines and most competent engineers would balk at being asked to, explaining they were not competent enough.

Don't mistake a lack of polish, fanfare and machined parts for primitive as in easy to make work.

> And submarines and cell phone networks are pretty standard technologies, well understood,...

But what about, well, drugs? Don't drug cartels employ chemists to refine old drugs and develop "better" ones?

Are you comparing developing Flame to cooking meth or freebasing coke?

> Are you comparing developing Flame to cooking meth or freebasing coke?

No, of course not :). The point was about crime organizations hiring elite specialists to do high-tech research for them.

Well understood also. It's not like they're doing cutting edge pharmaceutical drug research that takes mega scientists and billions in funding and very precise enzyme targeting, etc.

They mostly iterate on known drugs to make their making cheaper / more addictive. And they can easily test on junkies (I presume).

The "research chemical" community, out of China, SE Asia, Israel, and Europe, is pretty much doing cutting edge pharmaceutical drug research -- the point being to produce "interesting" club drugs while staying ahead of regulation. Not spending billions, but doing fairly reasonable drug discovery, synthesis, and testing.

Of course, sometimes they get it wrong, and you end up with face flesh eating humans in Florida.

> flesh eating humans in florida

Citation?

Seriously?

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/29/2822971/new-video-show...

Thanks. Just to be clear, toxicology is pending. My gut says this is mental illness, not drugs, based on the perp's record.

Also, I don't own a TV, don't watch TV, and get my news from friends and NPR. So I don't generally see much of this news-of-the-wierd. Thankfully, it appears.

I supplement my lack of TV news with a once-or-twice-daily visit to Drudge. It compresses all the utter lunacy down to one appropriately-ugly page and keeps me a couple days ahead of the GOP talking points at the same time.

I learned about this specific issue from people selling the Hornady Z-max anti-zombie ammunition, actually.

(http://www.hornady.com/store/Z-MAX-Bullets)

I disagree. You're focusing on recreational drugs, but the performance drug market might be smaller but significantly richer.

During years EPO wasn't detectable by anti-doping testing. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it requires cutting edge pharmaceutical drug research to avoid detection.

Ok, fair enough.