ReHacked #113: Rattlesnakes trick humans into thinking they’re closer than they are, Experimental depression treatment is nearly 80% effective and ... Happy New Year!
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Rattlesnakes trick humans into thinking they’re closer than they are #nature
By analyzing the warning vibrations of western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox), scientists learned that the serpents rattle at lower frequencies of up to 40 hertz, or more slowly, when a threat is far away. But when an intruder gets too close for comfort—a distance that differs depending on the individual snake—the rattlers abruptly shifted to a faster, higher-frequency warning signal of between 60 and 100 hertz.
When test subjects were asked to listen and estimate how far away a rattlesnake in a virtual-reality grassland was, they guessed fairly accurately when the rattles were slower, or lower-frequency. When the rattles got faster, however, the humans were tricked into thinking the snakes were much closer than they actually were.
In a double-blind controlled study, high doses of magnetic brain stimulation, given on an accelerated timeline and individually targeted, caused remission in 79% of trial participants with severe depression.
Tokyo police lose 2 floppy disks containing personal info on 38 public housing applicants - The Mainichi #technology #japan
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has lost two floppy disks containing personal information on 38 people, the department announced on Dec. 27
The MPD said the floppy disks contained personal data on 38 people who had applied for public housing in Tokyo's Meguro Ward. The ward office had provided the personal information to the MPD to check if the applicants were affiliated with organized crime groups.
FBI agent said the state’s database was “misconfigured,” which “allowed open source tools to be used to query data that should not be public.”
“These documents show there was no network intrusion,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch President and Publisher Ian Caso said this month. “As DESE initially acknowledged, the reporter should have been thanked for the responsible way he handled the matter and not chastised or investigated as a hacker.”
Northvolt Ett assembles first lithium-ion battery cell #technology #economy #hardware
Skellefteå, Sweden. Last night, the commissioning of the Northvolt Ett gigafactory in northern Sweden led to the assembly of the first battery cell.
Marking a new chapter in European industrial history, the cell is the first to have been fully designed, developed and assembled at a gigafactory by a homegrown European battery company.
The first cell of Northvolt Ett represents a milestone which Northvolt has been working towards since the gigafactory was announced in 2017. The cell is of a prismatic cell format and came off the cell assembly line on the 28th of December. Commissioning and upscaling of the factory will continue through into 2022, when the first commercial customer deliveries will be made.
Are we living in the age of stupid? The era of the idiot? The answer of course is yes, with examples of monstrous moronicism everywhere – from climate deniers to the “plandemic” crowd who believe Covid-19 was cooked up in Bill Gates’ basement. On the other hand, human beings have always been illogical creatures. A better question is whether we are, as a species, becoming dumberer. If this is already the era of the idiot, what comes next?
An “Idiocracy”, according to film-maker Mike Judge. The Beavis and Butt-head, King of the Hill and Silicon Valley creator’s dystopian 2006 comedy (which he directed and co-wrote with Etan Cohen) arrived with its own terminology to help us prepare for the upcoming reality TV special that we may call The Collapse of Reality Itself.
When writer Benjamin Hoff published the Tao of Pooh in 1982, using A.A. Milne’s famous stories of adventurous stuffed animals to illustrate the principles of Taoism, he agreed to pay the Milne estate a third of hardcover and 40 percent of paperback profits. As of the start of 2022, any other writer wishing to reuse some of the original Pooh stories would have no need to reach that kind of deal. Like many other works first published in 1926, the original Winnie-the-Pooh enters the U.S. public domain on January 1.
Tesla recalls nearly half a million Model 3 and Model S cars - The Verge #technology #security
According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are 475,318 vehicles subject to the recall, comprising 356,309 Model 3 vehicles and 119,109 Model S vehicles. Tesla estimates that only 1 percent of the Model 3 vehicles will actually display the defect, compared to 14 percent of the recalled Model S vehicles.
SEGA Europe Thoroughly Scrutinizes its Cloud Security #security #internet #software
Security researcher Aaron Phillips worked with SEGA Europe to secure sensitive files that were inadvertently stored in a publicly accessible Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 bucket. There were lapses in SEGA’s cloud security that could have potentially exposed SEGA’s users and workers to adverse effects. Luckily, the joint efforts of SEGA’s own cybersecurity team and external white hat security researchers ensured no harm was done and all SEGA’s security measures were updated to today’s best practice standards. Users can safely access official SEGA websites and forums.
This report serves as a summary of the coordinated security efforts undertaken by the researchers. Cybercrime is rampant, unfortunately. Companies are encouraged to continuously scrutinize their security measures and protocols, and work with professionals to improve their cybersecurity strategy preemptively, as every company is exposed to certain vulnerabilities.
The bizarre Monowheel seen through vintage photographs, 1930-1940 - Rare Historical Photos #history
Between the 1860s and 1930s, the monowheel (also referred to as a monocycle) was frequently suggested as a serious new form of transportation.
Numerous inventors came up with their own versions of the monowheel, some human-powered, some electric, some with gas motors, all working the same basic principle: the driver sits within a smaller inner ring, which presses against the main outer wheel, allowing the vehicle to roll forward while the driver remains level.
Belgian scientific base in Antarctica engulfed by Covid-19 despite strict measures #world
Two-thirds of the staff currently based in the Princess Elisabeth Polar Station in Antarctica have been infected with Covid-19, even though very strict health measures were put in place.
Despite being located in one of the most remote places in the world, two-thirds of the station’s total 25 staff members have been infected. No severe symptoms have been reported as of yet, the Belgian Polar Secretariat confirmed to Le Soir Mag.
EU drafts plan to label gas and nuclear investments as green | Reuters #economy #energy
The European Union has drawn up plans to label some natural gas and nuclear energy projects as "green" investments after a year-long battle between governments over which investments are truly climate-friendly.
The European Commission is expected to propose rules in January deciding whether gas and nuclear projects will be included in the EU "sustainable finance taxonomy".
This is a list of economic activities and the environmental criteria they must meet to be labelled as green investments.
Chindogu: Japan’s Art of Useless Inventions | Equilibrium Fans #culture #art
We’re made to believe that every creation has a purpose. Nothing’s created just for the sole purpose of existing. The Japanese, however, believe otherwise. There are just some things that need to be invented even when people don’t really need it.
Finding it difficult to spread butter on your morning toast? There’s an invention for that. Have a terrible cold and constantly need tissue to blow your nose? The Japanese have exactly what you need.
Real time Tokyo subway map #fun
Your attention didn’t collapse. It was stolen | Psychology | The Guardian #media
When he was nine years old, my godson Adam developed a brief but freakishly intense obsession with Elvis Presley. He took to singing Jailhouse Rock at the top of his voice with all the low crooning and pelvis-jiggling of the King himself. One day, as I tucked him in, he looked at me very earnestly and asked: “Johann, will you take me to Graceland one day?” Without really thinking, I agreed. I never gave it another thought, until everything had gone wrong.
Microsoft confirms Exchange Year 2022 problem that FIP-FS Scan Engine failed to load (Jan. 1, 2022) | Born's Tech and Windows World #software #security
The year 2022 started for administrators of Exchange servers (on-premises) with a fat Year 2022 problem, because mails can no longer be transported due to a "date error". The Microsoft Scan Engine FIP-FS cannot be loaded – and in the logs the event can be found:
The FIP-FS "Microsoft" Scan Engine failed to load. PID: 39268, Error Code: 0x80004005. Error Description: Can't convert "2201010003" to long. / Event ID 5300
Preliminary analysis of the Hayabusa2 samples returned from C-type asteroid Ryugu | Nature Astronomy #nature #space
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