Very Valuable Mario

"Mint condition Super Mario 64 game sells for record $1.5m"

EV Design

"Why Do Electric Cars Look The Way They Do? Because They Can"

Doug Mataconis, RIP

Doug Mataconis, RIP.

I never met Doug in person, but I had many a lively and enjoyable exchange with him online. I loved his keen insight and delightfully sharp sense of humor.  

You had a lot of friends on the internet. We'll miss you, Doug.

Bendy Ice

"Scientists Have Created a New Bendy And Flexible Form of Ice".

Kahneman On AI

"Daniel Kahneman: 'Clearly AI is going to win. How people are going to adjust is a fascinating problem'"

Nanosheet Transistors

"The Nanosheet Transistor Is the Next (and Maybe Last) Step in Moore's Law"

Stossel On Roundabouts

John Stossel: "Travel would be faster if America’s slow politicians adopted 'roundabouts'"

Travel would be faster if America’s slow politicians adopted “roundabouts”: pic.twitter.com/ReSQzGfn5U

— John Stossel (@JohnStossel) July 5, 2021

New Form Of Carbon

"Not graphene: Researchers in Germany and Finland discover new type of atomically thin carbon material"

Ransomware Update

"'Apex predators': Why the Kaseya ransomware attack has experts worried"

Fax Fans

"Japanese fax fans rally to defence of much-maligned machine"

Sheep Herding From Above

"Sheep Herding Patterns from Above".  These are really hypnotic to watch!

Aerial Sheep Herding in Yokneam from Colossal on Vimeo.

Disinfecting Water

"Instant water disinfectant 'millions of times more effective' than commercial purification". (Via H.R.)

Flying Car Update

"Watch BMW's awesome flying car as it makes its first flight between cities". (Via H.R.)

Stoll Vs. Amazon

"Amazon won't help Klein bottle seller after another company hijacks his product listing with a blackhead remover"

Short Hiatus

Admin note: Taking a brief hiatus until after the US July 4 holiday weekend. We'll be back on July 6. Happy Independence Day!

Spreadsheets

"The tyranny of spreadsheets"

Fire Rainbows

I had never heard of "fire rainbows" before!

This very rare form of rainbow - sometimes called a fire rainbow - is caused by the angle of the sunlight hitting cirrus ice crystals in the atmosphere. The effect is fleeting, usually only lasting a few seconds before either disappearing or turning normal-cloud white. 

 

This was spotted June 5 in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. 

 

Some think fire rainbows are where the concept of dragons came from.

 

The fire rainbow is play of light weather phenomenon, a form of Circumhorizontal arc.

 

Revealing Mouse Movements

"Mouse movements reveal your behavior"

Personal Flying Hoverboard

"Omni Hoverboard takes a super-simple approach to personal flight".

Video: 

 

The "Other" Map

Great map from xkcd. (Via H.R.)

 

Excel Art

"Meet Tatsuo Horiuchi, the 77-Year-Old Artist Who 'Paints' Japanese Landscapes With Excel"

Slowing Milky Way Rotation

"The Milky Way rotates at a whopping 130 miles (210 kilometers) per second, but a new study has found that dark matter has slowed the rotation of its bar by at least 24% since its formation nearly 14 billion years ago. "

Science Headline Of The Day

NYT science headline of the day.

I imagine science writers can wait decades for an opportunity to publish something like this.

Not Dead Cat

"Family's shock as cat they thought they had cremated comes home".

Cue Monty Python line, "I'm not dead yet!" 

New Ocean

"Hydrography: The world's 'new' ocean"

The 30m-year-old Southern Ocean, from Antarctica to a latitude of 60° south, will now be given the same status, and typeface in maps, as the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Mapmakers often use land to mark the boundaries of oceans and seas. But where two waters converge, science is needed. The waters of the Southern Ocean are kept cold by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, for example, which has allowed a distinct ecosystem to develop.

Image via Wikipedia.

 

 

Awesome Math Professor

"Math Professor Fixes Projector Screen"

LEGO Typewriter

LEGO is selling a 2,000+ piece set that makes a mechanical typewriter:

Designed to mirror the function and style of a classic typewriter, the set features a center typebar that rises each time a key is pressed. This links to the carriage, which moves across as you type, and it also features a platen roller into which real paper can be fed. 

According to the company website, the set costs $200 and goes on sale July 2021. 

Black Hole Living

"A guide to living at a black hole"

Galactic Empires Without FTL Drive

"Aliens Wouldn't Need Warp Drives to Take Over an Entire Galaxy, Simulation Suggests"

Kodak Arc

"The Rise and Fall of an American Tech Giant"

Submariners On USOs

"What U.S. Submariners Actually Say About Detection Of So-Called Unidentified Submerged Objects"

Sleep Science Update

"The new science of sleep: Everything we know about how it affects your health and brain"

Grand Elbow Compromise

A fight broke out on a flight over whose elbow got which armrest, forcing the plane back to the gate for law enforcement to sort out. This is so easily avoidable by following the rules of the Grand Elbow Compromise. (Click on image to see full size version).

 

Bowie Art Find

Painting by David Bowie purchased for $5 at thrift store likely to fetch more than $12,000 at art auction.

NFT Sale Record

"Iconic 'Doge' meme NFT breaks record, selling for $4 million"

Cat Thief

"Woman posts 'My Cat Is A Thief' sign next to her pet's stolen items". (Via H.R.)

Oxford University Press Ends Print Division

"Oxford University Press to end centuries of tradition by closing its printing arm". (Via S.L.)

The Most Irrational Number

"The golden ratio is even more astonishing than Dan Brown and Pepsi thought."

Real Lord Of The Flies

"The real Lord of the Flies: what happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months"

Robot Storytellers

"Storytelling robots send parents of young children into AI's 'uncanny valley'"

Loki Review

"Loki Review: A Good Start To A Possibly Great MCU Series"

Slow Motion Simone Biles

"Simone Biles, Mesmerizing in Slow Motion":

In her floor exercise routine on the first day of the competition, Biles absolutely nailed a triple double — that’s three twists while doing two backflips. Timothy Burke took the footage and slowed it down so that we can see exactly what’s going on in the air. 

And, Jesus, I was NOT prepared for what I saw. The two handsprings that set up the final move are beautiful slowed down, leisurely even. 

But then Biles launches herself impossibly high into the air — like absurdly and spectacularly high — and starts twisting and flipping at a speed that seems fast even for slow motion. 

And the landing — it’s like she was standing there all along, waiting for the rest of her spirit to join her. Watching the routine at regular speed makes you appreciate the move even more.

More Monterey Features

"Buried features: There's more to macOS Monterey than the keynote let on"

Meteor Vs. Volcano

"Photographer Captures Shooting Star Falling ‘Into’ Volcano"

While the photo may look like the shooting star fell right into the volcano’s crater, it’s unclear whether that actually happened or whether it fell somewhere behind the mountain. From what’s seen in the security camera footage, however, it does appear that the meteor fell at a very close distance.

 

Spy Gap

USA Today: "The real issue with the COVID-19 lab leak theory? The US isn't spying on China like it used to"

Found Wallet

"Woman recovers wallet lost 46 years ago in California"

“I’m shaking,” Distin told KCAL-TV as she looked through the wallet. It contained poetry and notes, photographs of high school friends, the $5 ticket to a Grateful Dead concert at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and photos of Distin’s mother, who died several years ago.

Direct link to video:

Trojan Shield Sting

"Global sting: FBI-run messaging app tricks organized crime"

More On Ransomware Recovery

Ars Technica: "US seizes $2.3 million Colonial Pipeline paid to ransomware attackers". (Via A.B.)

It's possible that Colonial Pipeline chose to pay the higher ransom at the behest of law enforcement because bitcoin could be tracked and monero—the other currency accepted by DarkSide—is completely untraceable. Even if that is the case, it's not clear how law enforcement gained possession of the cryptographic key needed to empty the wallet.

Skipping Stones And Airplanes

"What the physics of skipping stones can tell us about aircraft water landings". (Via H.R.)

Ransomware Recovered

CNN: "US recovers millions in cryptocurrency paid to Colonial Pipeline ransomware hackers"

Invisible Art

"An Italian Artist Auctioned Off an 'Invisible Sculpture' for $18,300. It's Made Literally of Nothing"

Wow -- I feel fortunate that I only paid $10,000 for one of those!

 

Self-Creating AI

"AI is learning how to create itself". I see no possible way this could go wrong.

AI Trucker

"A Self-Driving Truck Got a Shipment Cross-Country 10 Hours Faster Than a Human Driver"

Changing Team Names

"Why Does Changing A Team's Name Take So Long?"

Venus Missions

"NASA will launch 2 new missions to Venus by 2030 to return to Earth's hellish twin"

You know someone spent a while devising acronyms that would be good for a press release: 

The two missions, called DAVINCI+ and VERITAS were selected from NASA's shortlist...

 

DAVINCI+ (short for Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble Gases, Chemistry and Imaging) will plunge through the thick Venus atmosphere to learn more about it changes over time.

 

Meanwhile, VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography and Spectroscopy) mission will use radar to map Venus' surface in detail from orbit.

 

Rogue Killer Drone

"A rogue killer drone 'hunted down' a human target without being instructed to, UN report says"

Future Of Zoom

"Zoom will stay relevant despite the economy’s massive reopening, two traders suggest". (Via D.M.)

Brave Woman

California woman shoves bear off her fence to protect her dogs. (Via Boing Boing.)

This is crazy af omg pic.twitter.com/Sh14yVD9Eu

— Bria Celest (@55mmbae) June 1, 2021

Hsieh Forbes Column: Perks And Incentives For Covid-19 Vaccination May Backfire

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Perks And Incentives For Covid-19 Vaccination May Backfire".

I discuss the proliferation of prizes and incentives being offered to get people vaccinated, and how this can sometimes create the opposite effect of making people more suspicious of the vaccine.

Radio Stations Around The World

"The green dots on this Google Earth map represent radio stations all over the world. 

"Turn up the volume and click on any one of the dots and you will immediately hear that station with very good reception. For example, halfway up Ireland's east coast, there is a station playing Irish pub music." (Via H.R.)

Shoddy Research

"Questionable Research Practices I’ve Taken Part In"

Human Vs. AI Chess Understanding

"10 Positions Chess Engines Just Don't Understand"

Raindrop Fate

"When a Raindrop Falls in the US, Where Does It End Up?"

Deepfake Tom Cruise

"This deepfake of Tom Cruise discussing industrial cleaning is too good to be called uncanny"

More Vaccine Targets

"COVID-19 Vaccine Makers Are Looking Beyond the Spike Protein"

Mac OS Update

Forbes: "Update Your Mac Now: Nasty Hack Breaks Apple Security To Take Sneaky Photos"

How Advertisers Track You

Fascinating (and eye-opening) Twitter thread on how advertisers track you.

I highly recommend reading the full thread.  There's also an unrolled version if that's easier.

I'm back from a week at my mom's house and now I'm getting ads for her toothpaste brand, the brand I've been putting in my mouth for a week. We never talked about this brand or googled it or anything like that.

As a privacy tech worker, let me explain why this is happening. 🧵

— Robert G. Reeve (@RobertGReeve) May 25, 2021

Become The Typo

"Why Am I Sp Bad At Typign?"

Mean Board Games

Video: "10 Meanest Board Games Ever Made"

"We accept no responsibility for any friendships ruined after watching this video. "

0:00 #Intro

0:54 #10. Munchkin

2:00 #9. The Estates

3:12 #8. City of Horror

4:16 #7. Survive - Escape From Atlantis

5:12 #6. Citadels

6:22 #5. Spartacus - A Game of Blood & Treachery

7:31 #4. Nemesis

8:48 #3. Lifeboats

10:02 #2. Intrigue

11:29 #1. Diplomacy

Perfect Nap

"How to Take the Perfect Nap"

RSA Hack

"The Full Story of the Stunning RSA Hack Can Finally Be Told"

Fake Meat Taste Test

"Fake Meat Taste Test: Can Trader Joe's Beat Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger?"

Trick Photography

"Snap Judgment: A brief history of trick photography"

Prescription Only Apps?

Alex Tabarrok: "Prescription Only Apps????"

Remote Hacking Of Tesla

"Tesla Car Hacked Remotely From Drone via Zero-Click Exploit"

A hacker who exploits the vulnerabilities can perform any task that a regular user could from the infotainment system. That includes opening doors, changing seat positions, playing music, controlling the air conditioning, and modifying steering and acceleration modes. However, the researchers explained, “This attack does not yield drive control of the car though.”

Beekeeper Challenge

"Watch a beekeeper remove a beehive from a toilet"

Good Reporter, Good Doggie

Sharp-eyed TV reporter spots missing dog while shooting segment about missing dog. 

Update: Person spotted walking the dog charged with theft, he claims it was misunderstanding:

Disguised Cell Phone Towers

"Fauxliage -- Disguised Cell Phone Towers"

Quantum Drums

"Vibrating aluminium membranes provide the first direct evidence of quantum entanglement in macroscopic objects"

Skyborg Flies

"The Air Force's AI Brain Just Flew for the First Time".

The name -- Skyborg -- is perfect. (Via A.B.)

Mind-To-Text

"Using Just His Thoughts, Paralyzed Man Texts at a Record-Breaking 16 Words a Minute". (Via H.R.)

New Propulsion Tech

"A new era of spaceflight? Promising advances in rocket propulsion". (Via D.M.)

Monster Chip

"Cerebras' New Monster AI Chip Adds 1.4 Trillion Transistors"

Anesthesia And Brains

"This Is Your Brain Under Anesthesia"

Alarming Sirens

"Which country's Emergency Alert System siren is the most alarming?"

Morphing Pasta

"Scientists Create 'Flat-Pack' Pasta That Morphs Into Shape Like Moving Organisms". (Via H.R.)

Cats And Boxes

"What cats' love of boxes and squares can tell us about their visual perception"

Powerful Laser

"Scientists Create Record-Breaking Laser With Mind Blowing Power". (Via H.R.)

Advice From Technium

"99 Additional Bits of Unsolicited Advice"

Zcash Bull

"My bull case for ZEC: Follow the brains. Follow the institutions. Follow the economics. If you're reading this, congratulations. You are lucky to have a chance to buy ZEC, because mainstream investors have not caught on yet."

(Disclaimer: I'm sharing this out of general interest. This is not financial advice on my part.)

Old Guardian

"How the Guardian website might have looked 200 years ago"

Zooming While Driving

Ohio politician attends government Zoom meeting while driving, using fake background of his home office to attempt to disguise the fact he's in a moving car.

Free Will Revisited

"The clockwork universe: Is free will an illusion?"

I never knew that philosophers who take that position have received death threats. I might not agree with that view, but death threats seem a bit extreme.

Tetris Innovation

"A Revolutionary NES Tetris Technique Gaining Steam":

The NES version of Tetris has been out in the world for more than 30 years now. Somehow, using the same controllers and human hands that have been in use all this time, a new technique has been invented that’s resulting in scores and maneuvers that no one using The Old Ways could have dreamed of.

 

Amazing Optical Illusion

"Nothing is moving in this illusion by @jagarikin".  

(Except the grey arrow in the center, of course.)  Via Rand Simberg.

Nothing is moving in this illusion by @jagarikin
pic.twitter.com/oN049SpE8S

— World of Engineering (@engineers_feed) May 1, 2021

Best Pizza

"The Best Pizza in Every State"

Jet Pack Update

"Jet packin' Royal Marines board a ship like Iron Man"

Fastest Probe

"NASA solar probe becomes fastest object ever built as it 'touches the sun'".

 Speed is reportedly 330,000 mph (532,000 km/h)! (Via D.M.)

Granny Knots

"Granny Knot Info"

Big Bridge

"Stomach-churning pedestrian bridge opens in Portugal". (Via H.R.)