raschemmel:
...this idea of yours of using what you call a remote thermometer when the fruit flies lives are at stake is really scary.
Very honestly, I -did- consider suggesting a thermocouple. My intent was to get across the idea that the FF environment should be 1) not extreme, and (more importantly) 2) not -rising-, because it won't -stop- rising. I absolutely know it's a mostly inaccurate meter, but for ballpark reference good enough.
I -didn't- want to get into the topic of putting a thermocouple into -every- vial. That's a whole 'nother ton of $ and rack of meters. If the OP wants to control half a dozen lighting parameters, but doesn't know that temperature variations will affect the results, or what might cause temperature variations, then he's in over his head anyway.
It doesn't really matter though - only the UberController has final decision over whether the -forum- answers all the questions properly, which you certainly very positively have contributed to.
How long will the FF be in the vials - oxygen consumption? How long will the tests last? There are 4 vials. Each take x minutes to load, Went the actual test starts the -first- vials loaded will have 3Xx minutes more 'limited/enclosed oxygen environment' vs the ones loaded last, who were breathing room air. Yet another unmeasured variable. Or, interestingly, over a -hundred- runs of the tests, -is- there a measurable variation between the 'first' and 'last' vials? Thus, the next experiment, does air quality have an effect on the results they're looking at?