Hsieh Forbes Column: 9 More Bizarre Consequences Of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

My latest Forbes piece is out: "9 More Bizarre Consequences Of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic".

My favorite:

A clever app developed by Japanese firm Yamaha allows fans to remotely cheer (or boo) players from home, played through the stadium speakers so that players can feel the energy of the online crowd.

The article wryly notes, “The app does not, as yet, allow fans to question the referee’s eyesight, or the eating habits of players who struggled to stay match-fit during the league’s virus-enforced break.”

Taste Simulator

"This Lickable Screen Can Recreate Almost Any Taste or Flavor Without Eating Food"

Spacecraft UI

Gary Parker notes the changes in spacecraft UI over time.

Plexiglass

"The Market For Plexiglass Is Booming"

Bionic Eye

"Scientists Have Made the Most Powerful Bionic Eye Ever"

The Eye Never Sleeps

"Inside the NSA's Secret Tool for Mapping Your Social Network"

Astronaut Hopefuls

Dr. Katherine Mack: "[T]he common term for people who are applying to become astronauts but haven't been selected (yet?) is 'astronaut hopefuls,' sometimes abbreviated ASHOs. #ProudASHO"

Good luck, Dr. Mack!

Also, the common term for people who are applying to become astronauts but haven’t been selected (yet?) is “astronaut hopefuls,” sometimes abbreviated ASHOs. #ProudASHO https://t.co/zMGKlxAwQw

— Katie Mack (@AstroKatie) May 27, 2020

Sneaky Ransomware

"Ransomware deploys virtual machines to hide itself from antivirus software"

France And Mac-N-Cheese

"Macaroni cheese is now an American staple. But it probably arrived there via France -- and Thomas Jefferson"

Perell's 50 Ideas

David Perell: "50 ideas that shape my worldview".

Some nice gems in there!

Dead Sea Scrolls Update

"Text Found on Supposedly Blank Dead Sea Scroll Fragments"

Timeline of SF Ideas

Cool! "Timeline of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions" sorted by publication date. (Via G.F.)

Ninja Squirrels

"Former NASA Engineer Builds a Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course to Stop Nut-Stealing Backyard Squirrels". (Via H.R.)

Grateful Dead Recordings Free

"14,566 Grateful Dead concert recordings made available online free"

Brief Holiday Hiatus

Admin note: I'm taking a brief holiday hiatus for US Memorial Day. Posting will resume tomorrow.

Star Wars "Danger Zone"

Clever video using Star Wars X-Wing fighter footage, set to "Danger Zone" from the Top Gun movie.

AI Stock Picker

"Can an artificial intelligence learn to beat the stock market?"

Virus Tracers

Wired: "I Enrolled in a Coronavirus Contact Tracing Academy"

Small Transistors

"Scientists unveil new concept for single-atom transistor"