the actual study states that presence of a stone was an exclusion criteria

in general the presence a stone (appendicolith) would no longer qualify as uncomplicated acute appendicitis. I did not see if that was specifically mentioned in this trial, but I have seen similar trials enrolling in the US where this was the case

I think he meant off-topic in a legal discussion because they are merely a lawmakers opinions and not actually law.

When we purchase a plane ticket, we aren't given an option for speed; only price. Therefore, we optimize that variable.

Actually trip duration is an option, and one which I regularly prioritize.

Yes but trip duration in terms of number of stops or speed of the jet that takes you there?

Total number of hours from start to finish is commonly displayed. If you want less time traveling, it's trivial to choose that when it's available.

That is the airline's fault. Their revenue optimization means that everyone on the plane gets essentially the same experience, but pays differing amounts through mechanisms that make car dealers seem delightful. Since the airlines made it all about the price, people responded.

Harvard's CS50 (cs50.net) is an introductory computer science course that teaches C. Full course (lecture videos + problem sets) is available free online.