Links für 2023 KW 44
Zusammengefasst von LlongOrca.
Fruit Flies Are Invading Los Angeles. The Solution? More Fruit Flies.:
The Mediterranean fruit fly has been causing problems in Los Angeles by laying eggs inside fruit and vegetables that later hatch into maggots. To halt the growth of this invasive species, officials are implementing a plan to release millions of sterile male flies over the affected region. The three wild Mediterranean fruit flies discovered were prompting quarantine measures in an attempt to stop their spread.
In a surprising finding, light can make water evaporate without heat:
Researchers at MIT have discovered that light can directly cause evaporation without the need for heat. They found this effect while studying water held in a hydrogel material, which is more efficient than the traditional process involving heat. This phenomenon could play a role in fog and cloud formation and improve solar-powered desalination processes by potentially tripling or quadrupling the amount of water produced.
Little Bobby Tables has a baby sister. Meet Sally Ignore Previous Instructions.:
This article discusses the problem of prompt injection while using large language models (LLMs) as tools in a programmer's tool belt. The author shares their experience with accidentally discovering prompt injection in an LLM-based multiplayer, text adventure game and how they were able to exploit it. They emphasize the need for protection from prompt injection attacks, comparing them to SQL injection attacks. The article also mentions the use of large language models to filter out inappropriate content as an example that could be suitable for LLMs over traditional algorithms.
Hebrew prayer book fills gap in Italian earthquake history:
A 15th century Hebrew prayer book from the Apostolic Vatican Library has revealed a previously unknown earthquake in Camerino, Italy. The note found in the book describes an event that struck the Marche region and affected nearby settlements in 1446. This discovery fills a gap in Italian seismic history, as there are only around 450 documented observations of earthquakes from this period.
The study conducted by Professor Dagmar Divjak and Professor Petar Milin at the University of Birmingham revealed that our bodies respond to stress when exposed to grammatical mistakes. The research found a direct connection between bad grammar and Heart Rate Variability (HRV), with subjects experiencing a reduction in HRV when hearing grammatical errors, indicating increased stress levels. This highlights an intricate relationship between physiology and cognition. HRV can be used as an indicator of implicit linguistic knowledge, making it useful for assessing language abilities across various demographics.
The git-filter-repo(1) manual page provides an overview of how to use filter-repo for rewriting repository history, including various filtering options and caveats related to this process. It also discusses potential issues that may arise from using this tool and offers examples on how to apply different filters.
Git filter-repo is a versatile tool for rewriting history, which includes capabilities not found in other tools like git filter-branch. It has far more features and a design that scales usability-wise beyond trivial rewriting cases. Git filter-repo is now recommended by the git project over git filter-branch due to its improved performance and increased capability. The tool offers users with specialized needs the ability to quickly create entirely new history rewriting tools, as it contains a library for creating such tools at its core. In basic usage, git filter-repo can be simply used as a command line tool; however, its more advanced features and capabilities make it a powerful and versatile tool for managing Git repositories.
Jean-Claude Juncker - Wikiquote:
Jean-Claude Juncker, born on December 9, 1954, is a Luxembourgish politician and the leader of the Christian Social People's Party. He was Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 20 January 1995 to 4 December 2013. Juncker has also served as the country's Minister for Finances from 1989 to 2009 and President of the Euro Group since its creation in 2005. Additionally, he was twice President of the European Council in his capacity as Prime Minister in 1997 and 2005. Juncker became the President of the European Commission on November 1, 2014, ending his term in 2019.
EU Digital Identity framework (eIDAS) another kind of chat control? - Blog | Mullvad VPN:
The EU Digital Identity framework (eIDAS) seeks to alter the internet certificate process, raising concerns about its potential impact on website security and trust. eIDAS Articles 45 and 45a mandate that web browsers must recognize certificates issued by any EU state, which could compromise encryption, security, and user trust. This proposal is similar to the controversial chat control issue and has drawn opposition from entities like Mullvad. The timeline for a final decision on this matter includes votes at various stages in December.
whisper.cpp/examples/talk-llama at master · ggerganov/whisper.cpp:
This article appears to be a source code file titled „whisper.cpp“ related to notifications and possibly a software development project hosted on GitHub, with 24,300 stars and 2,300 forks as of the date listed. However, the current message states that „You can't perform that action at this time,“ which indicates that certain actions may be temporarily unavailable or restricted.
My rude-ass car — Never be clever.:
The article discusses the author's frustration with their recently manufactured car. They find that the car software is rude and overly intrusive, constantly demanding attention and making noises at every turn. From unlocking doors to starting the engine, using turn signals to coming to a full stop, the car constantly interferes with the driving experience. The author finds it bothersome and wonders if it can be that bad.
Open data began with a promise, but faced challenges as platforms sought monetization and the advent of LLMs took away control over their data. For open data to remain viable, it must create value for either a group or business through tools like a product catalog, error detection, validation support, or network improvements. There's hope for the future with more open-data supportive tools and business cases.
What causes fainting? Scientists finally have an answer:
Researchers have discovered a neural pathway involving previously undiscovered sensory neurons that connect the heart to the brainstem, which could help explain why some people faint. The study, published in Nature on November 1st, showed that activating these neurons made mice immobile and displayed symptoms similar to human syncope. This discovery could lead to new treatment approaches for cardiac causes of fainting.
Lemming Suicide Myth - Disney Film Faked Bogus Behavior:
Lemmings do not commit mass suicide as it has been widely believed due to the Disney documentary „White Wilderness“. This myth was created by staging a scene where lemmings were thrown off a cliff and made to appear like they jumped into the ocean. In reality, lemming populations fluctuate based on various factors such as predators, food availability, climate, etc., leading them to disperse in search of better conditions.
As child care costs soar, more parents may have to exit the workforce:
In recent years, child care costs have increased significantly, with the average household spending over $700 a month on child care as of September 2021. This 32% rise from 2019 can force some parents to leave the workforce to take care of their children. With families having to withdraw savings and reduce spending, this may hinder economic growth. The expiration of federal funding on September 30 has further contributed to higher childcare costs, leading the country towards a „child care cliff.“ This could result in working parents leaving work or reducing hours due to unaffordable child care prices. Democratic lawmakers aim to restore some of the lost ARPA funds under the Child Care Stabilization Act, but face opposition from Republicans in Congress.
harry-potter-gen-z/book_1/chapter_1.md at main · typoes/harry-potter-gen-z:
The article discusses the new generation of Harry Potter fans, referred to as „Harry Potter Gen Z.“ It highlights their affinity for remixing and adapting existing content, such as fanfiction and artwork, while also exploring new aspects of the wizarding world. The community thrives on social media platforms like Tumblr and Twitter, where they engage with each other's creations and discuss their favorite characters and storylines. This generation is characterized by its innovative interpretations and a drive to create a more inclusive and diverse Harry Potter universe.
1. Start with understanding that weight loss is ultimately about consuming fewer calories than you expend, which can be achieved by eating a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 2. Track your daily intake of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) as well as the total calories consumed to help you understand how your energy balance affects weight loss. 3. Consider tracking your daily activities and exercises to monitor how much physical activity contributes to your overall calorie expenditure. 4. Make adjustments based on your findings: increase the duration or intensity of your exercise routines, reduce portion sizes in meals, or change your dietary habits accordingly. 5. Remember that weight loss is a long-term process and requires consistency, patience, and persistence to achieve your goals.
youtube-premium-google-dreht-an-der-preisschraube:
Google has increased the prices for individual, family, and student subscriptions of YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium starting from November 1st, 2023. The adjustment now affects users in Germany, Austria, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Poland, and Turkey. Existing subscribers will see the new monthly prices starting from their next billing cycle.
How to (and how not to) design REST APIs:
This article provides a list of best practices for designing REST APIs, including using plural nouns for collections, avoiding unnecessary path segments, not returning arrays as top-level responses, and more. It also discusses the importance of consistency in API design and providing idempotence mechanisms to ensure that duplicate requests do not create multiple resources or errors.
Here’s a rare look at Google’s most lucrative search queries:
During the US v. Google antitrust trial, a rare insight was provided into Google's search query revenue. The list revealed that the top 20 queries for the week of September 22nd, 2018, were ordered by revenue. This information has never been publicly disclosed before, making this rare glimpse into Google's operations significant. Of the 20 queries, three were related to iPhones, five were insurance-related, and several other searches were for brands such as AT&T, Hulu, Xfinity, Comcast, Uber, DirectTV, and Spectrum. These high-revenue queries typically have high customer acquisition costs but offer long-term value to the advertisers.
Bussed out: how America moves thousands of homeless people around the country:
This article presents an in-depth report on American cities with homeless bus programs. It discusses the methodology used to gather data, which involved contacting relevant departments and submitting public records requests. The resulting data set contained information on 34,000 individuals taking journeys, which were analyzed for trends in age, gender, race, and destinations. Data visualizations included a US map depicting per-capita homelessness rates and a flight comparison from New York using Google Maps APIs. The article also examined San Francisco's bus program and its correlation with homeless counts reported to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
10 reasons to fight cashless contagion:
The article discusses various concerns related to the trend of cashless societies, which are becoming increasingly popular due to the rise of digital payment methods such as credit and debit cards, smartphones, and contactless systems. The author argues that a cashless society can lead to a range of issues such as economic oligopolization, political capture, exclusion, surveillance and manipulation, financial instability, excessive spending, and the loss of vibe or character in local economies.
Some points raised by the author include: 1. Cashless societies can lead to a lack of competition among big fintech companies as they gain control over payment systems, resulting in increased concentration of power. 2. The reliance on digital payment methods leaves individuals vulnerable to data surveillance and manipulation by both governments and private corporations. 3. A cashless society can exacerbate economic inequality, as those without access to digital infrastructure are left out of the economy. 4. Cashless societies may enable economic censorship, where financial institutions can freeze accounts or withhold payments for political reasons or as a form of social control. 5. A complete reliance on digital payment systems leaves individuals and businesses at risk in emergencies, natural disasters, or other crises that could disrupt the availability of electricity or internet connections. 6. A focus on spending through cashless methods may contribute to excessive debt levels, as people often spend more when using credit cards than they would with cash. 7. Cashless systems can lead to a loss of local character and vibe in economies, as small businesses become increasingly dependent on large corporations for their payment processing needs. 8. The trend towards digital payments may result in increased political capture by the finance sector, which wields significant power over governments due to its importance in facilitating economic activity. 9. A shift towards cashless societies may impede financial stability, as individuals and businesses become increasingly dependent on banking institutions for their transactions. 10. Cashless systems can undermine financial freedom by making individuals reliant on banks and payment service providers to access their funds.
Why doctors in America earn so much:
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) predicts that by 2033, America will have a shortage of up to 124,000 doctors. This is despite a high demand for medical careers and an average salary of $350,000. The reasons behind the doctor shortage include the lengthy and expensive training process in America, compared to other wealthy countries, as well as a cap on federal funding for residencies which has limited available spots. Additionally, many potential doctors are being left behind due to the artificially held-down number of places in the profession.
Aus Kryptowallets: Angreifer stiehlt durch Lastpass-Hack an einem Tag Millionen:
An attacker stole approximately $4.4 million worth of cryptocurrency from over 80 crypto wallets belonging to more than 25 victims, including lastpass users, on October 25th. The majority of the targets were long-time LastPass users who had stored their seed phrases or keys with LastPass. A cryptocurrency expert named ZachXBT and Metamask developer Taylor Monahan alerted the public about the attack. It is recommended that lastpass users transfer their crypto assets to another wallet if they had saved their seed phrases or private keys on LastPass.
Alles für die Sicherheit: Russland sperrt 167 VPN- und über 200 E-Mail-Dienste:
Russia has recently blocked a total of 167 VPN services in response to perceived threats to the stability, security and integrity of its communication network. The Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications watchdog, announced this decision in reaction to „threats to the stability, security and integrity“ of the country's telecommunications infrastructure. In addition to VPN services, more than 200 email services were also blocked. Over half a million information resources, over 2,000 phishing sites, more than 84 applications, and over 20 malware distribution systems have been affected by the latest restrictions. However, there is an exception list of over 17,500 IP addresses that are excluded from filtering. The VPN service blockade has not only been based on specific IP addresses; instead, Russian authorities have started blocking popular VPN protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Wireguard. This could affect companies that use VPN services to communicate with remote employees or international partner companies. In March 2024, all VPN services are set to be banned in Russia, aiming mainly to prevent access to restricted resources. Earlier this month, Russian President Putin signed a legislative amendment requiring all online platforms operating in Russia to verify the identity of their Russian users through state-approved verification processes. Hosting providers are also required to enforce content removal measures and report their results to authorities. Companies that fail to comply with these regulations face business bans.
Observability vendor lock-in is in the small details:
The article discusses the issue of vendor lock-in in the observability space and how it hinders progress and drives up costs. OpenTelemetry has made some strides in breaking free from such issues, but there is still room for improvement. Keep is introduced as a platform that offers flexibility, interoperability, cost optimization, community-driven support, and an escape from vendor lock-in traps. The article suggests that if one maintains more than one observability/monitoring system and wishes to avoid the risks associated with vendor lock-in, they should consider using Keep.
The World Happiness Report indicates that Finnish happiness is based on values such as social support and freedom created by trust. High-trust societies like Finland prioritize trust in their institutions, workplaces, and relationships between employees and leaders. Framery, a global company headquartered in Tampere, Finland, has maintained low turnover and market leadership through its emphasis on trust across all levels of the organization. Five critical ways to foster trust include enforcing vacation time and working hours, sharing open information, empowering teams to decide their working styles, respecting employee data privacy, and avoiding layoffs whenever possible. Trust in an organization can be fragile but also has great benefits for long-term well-being and overall success.
What The Goddamn Hell Is Going On In The Tech Industry? — Ludicity:
This article discusses the author's experiences with inefficiencies and poor management practices at large companies. They share stories from email submissions from other engineers who have encountered similar situations, and explore the idea that a significant portion of human potential is being squandered due to corporate dysfunction. The author also highlights three types of responses they received in relation to their post, suggesting that there are different levels of awareness and understanding among readers regarding these issues.
In 1952, a group of three 'stars' vanished—astronomers still can't find them:
The article discusses a mysterious event from July 19, 1952, when three stars vanished within less than an hour during a photographic survey at the Palomar Observatory. The observed brightness of the stars dropped significantly, and no explanation has been found so far for this phenomenon. Three theories have been proposed to explain the event: a single star with gravitational lensing, objects in the Oort Cloud with a common trigger, or radioactive dust from nuclear weapons testing contaminating the photographic plates. Further research is needed to determine the cause of this mysterious vanishing of three stars.
The genetic heritage of the Denisovans may have left its mark on our mental health:
A research team led by the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) has identified the most widespread genetic contribution from Denisovans in modern humans to date. The study reveals that a specific genetic variant, which affects zinc regulation and could have signified an evolutionary advantage in adaptation to cold climates, also predisposes individuals to neuropsychiatric disorders. This genetic exchange took place during the „Out-of-Africa“ migration event around 60,000 years ago when modern humans encountered Denisovans in Asia. The researchers believe that this study may offer insights into the evolutionary factors shaping human populations and how they influenced mental health.
Virtual meetings tire people because we're doing them wrong, says new research:
New research suggests that sleepiness during virtual meetings is not caused by mental overload, but rather by mental underload and boredom. The study found that individuals who were disengaged from their work quickly became drowsy during remote meetings. Researchers measured heart rate variability during virtual meetings and face-to-face meetings, observing different types of fatigue experiences among 44 knowledge workers across nearly 400 meetings. The study concluded that maintaining focus in virtual meetings is more challenging than in face-to-face meetings due to limited cognitive cues and sensory input.
This article is a powerful and distressing account of how the United Kingdom conspired with the United States to expel a thriving community from the Chagos Archipelago in order to establish a military base on Diego Garcia, one of the islands. Despite international condemnation and multiple legal rulings that found Britain's actions illegal, the Chagossian people continue to be denied their right to return to their homeland. The author calls for an end to the purchase and renewal of .io domains in a bid to divert funds from the British government to the Chagossians.
Return To Office is all about power:
Expensify's attempt to lure employees back to the office with craft coffee and a free cocktail bar failed spectacularly, suggesting that the „work from anywhere“ model has permanently altered business dynamics. While some large tech companies demand a return to the office, there is a growing realization that workers' productivity is not necessarily tied to their physical location. To attract and retain talent in this new landscape, employers must rethink company culture, offering employee benefits such as free daycare, extended parental leave, and flexible working hours. Additionally, communication tools and informal spaces for reflection should be provided, fostering an inclusive work environment that values the needs and wellbeing of all employees. Ultimately, adapting to remote work requires a focus on trust in employees, devolved power, transparency, and effective communication.
Should you use a Lambda Monolith, aka Lambdalith, for your API?:
This article presents arguments for and against using a monolith Lambda API function (Lambdalith) versus single-purpose Lambda functions per API route. It suggests that a Lambdalith may be more advantageous in many cases when it comes to an API, as it offers benefits such as fewer resources provisioned, reduced resource count and stack size growth, less cold starts, and shared code between routes for easier maintenance. However, single-purpose functions have their own merits including optimized package sizes, better enforcement of least privilege permissions, and easier updates and upgrades. Ultimately, the choice depends on the specific requirements and constraints of the API in question.
The ne bis in idem principle, meaning „not twice for the same thing,“ is a Latin legal maxim that prohibits the prosecution or punishment of an individual more than once for the same offense. It is based on the idea of material justice and ensures that after a final judgment has been rendered, a person cannot be tried again for the same issue. This principle applies to all areas of law and can sometimes be limited for the sake of formal justice in specific cases. Many countries have restricted this rule under certain conditions, like allowing the possibility of retrial if there is new evidence or circumstances change after a guilty plea. In Germany, the concept of double jeopardy is regulated by the Strafprozessordnung (Criminal Procedure Code), but it does not apply to foreign verdicts outside of EU treaties unless international agreements exist between involved countries.
Gericht untersagt Datenschutzverstöße von LinkedIn:
The regional court in Berlin has ruled that social networking site LinkedIn is no longer permitted to claim on its website that it doesn't react to „Do Not Track“ signals. These are browser settings used by users who wish to prevent their browsing behavior from being tracked for advertising or other purposes. The court also prohibited the company from pre-setting profiles so they are visible on other websites and apps without explicit consent. In a previous ruling, the court had already banned LinkedIn from sending unsolicited emails to non-members.
27. Context Managers — Python Tips 0.1 documentation:
Context managers are a programming construct in Python that allow programmers to allocate and release resources precisely when they want to, simplifying code by eliminating boilerplate actions such as opening and closing files or locking and unlocking resources. The most common example of context managers is the „with“ statement in Python. Implementing a context manager can be done with a class or as a generator function using decorators and generators, although the latter method requires additional knowledge about generators and yield statements.
The „married introvert“ is a stereotype describing an individual who has few friends, prefers solitude over community activities, and enjoys spending time alone with their partner. These individuals may have only had one or two serious relationships throughout their lives. This lifestyle choice can be attributed to the desire for companionship without the need for a large social circle. As introverts, they focus on finding a long-term romantic partner to fulfill their social and sexual needs, rather than investing time in maintaining numerous short-term relationships or friendships.
Confessions of a Tableside Flambéur:
This article discusses the resurgence of tableside flambing, a cooking technique that involves setting alcohol and sugar on fire, in upscale restaurants. The author describes their experiences working as a captain at a midtown Manhattan restaurant where they performed flambs regularly. They mention that flamb sales often go viral, and some diners are more interested in the theatrics of the presentation than the actual food itself. However, the author also notes safety concerns about flambing dishes and recalls instances when their performances didn't go as planned.
Android and RISC-V: What you need to know to be ready:
Android is now supporting RISC-V, an open instruction set architecture (ISA) invented at the University of California, Berkeley 10 years ago. This addition brings the spirit of collaboration and innovation seen in software around open source to the hardware ecosystem. Android's support for RISC-V is still not fully optimized, but it will allow experimentation and collaboration with community members from companies like Andes, Google, Intel, Imagination Technologies, MediaTek, Nvidia, Qualcomm Technologies, Red Hat, Rivos, Samsung, SiFive, T-Head, and Ventana. The RISC-V Software Ecosystem (RISE) Project will also provide support for high-performance computing and power-efficient processors running on high-level operating systems like Android, Linux, and others.
Web Scraping: Data For Everyone | Omar Kamali:
Web scraping is a technique used to collect data from websites or any source on the internet. It involves interacting with web pages using a „scraper“ that extracts information according to specified selectors. There are various methods for web scraping, including manual data entry, scraping with code (using HTML or APIs), and no-code solutions. It can be used in industries such as travel, real estate, brand monitoring, SEO optimization, competitive analysis, and lead generation. When using web scraping, it's essential to understand the ethical and legal considerations and abide by laws in your jurisdiction.
Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience":
Microsoft will be blocking unauthorized third-party controllers and accessories for Xbox from November, citing concerns over performance, security, and safety. Players have reported encountering error „0x82d60002“ when using such devices. The new policy is set to roll out worldwide on November 17th, with unauthorized accessories eventually becoming inoperable. Microsoft says this move aims to improve the quality and security of official third-party controllers for Xbox consoles.
The Secretive Industry Devouring the U.S. Economy:
The private-equity industry has been growing rapidly and now accounts for nearly 20% of U.S. corporate equity. This growth has resulted in a decrease in public companies, with fewer than 4,000 remaining today. Private equity firms often buy publicly traded companies, taking them private to exempt them from financial disclosure requirements. However, this increased privacy can lead to potential problems and opaque operations.
Private equity funds argue that their methods boost profits for shareholders but critics claim they lay off workers, evade regulations, and reduce the quality of services. A lack of public information makes verifying these claims difficult. The growth of private-equity firms could pose risks to the economy if a wave of defaults occurs due to an economic downturn or rising interest rates.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering new rules requiring private equity fund advisors to provide more information to investors, but this does not address potential bad behavior or systemic risk. A lack of transparency in the private-equity industry has been compared to the conditions leading up to the Great Depression, where corporations operated largely in the dark.
10 Reasons Our Civilization Will Soon Collapse:
-Nazis and other white supremacists. In fact, some researchers believe that one reason Brexit was able to happen is because of the Syrian refugee crisis.People didn't like having foreigners coming into their country taking advantage of the free healthcare and benefits provided by the welfare state. And when you mix in racism, xenophobia, economic anxiety, and political scapegoating, it leads to a perfect storm for the rise of right-wing extremist groups.And it's not just Europe that's suffering from this. The refugee crisis has caused an increase in extremist groups all around the world. In the United States, there's been a surge in far-right extremists since Trump came into power. As a result, we are now witnessing the rise of white supremacy and neo-Nazis in America more than at any other time since World War II.The migration crisis is also causing many nations to close their borders, which is making it difficult for refugees to find safety. Countries like Hungary have taken extreme measures, using tear gas on migrants seeking asylum and building fences to keep them out. The United States under Trump has done the same, building a wall on its border with Mexico and enacting the Muslim ban.These actions are creating a hostile environment for refugees, making it even harder for them to find safety, food, water, and shelter.And this is just the beginning. As climate change worsens, we can expect more natural disasters that cause even more migration crises. More droughts will create more famine. More heatwaves will lead to more crop failures. More flooding will make it impossible for people to live in their homes. And the melting of polar ice caps will cause rising sea levels, which will swallow up islands and coastal cities and turn millions into refugees.All this will happen at the same time that countries are closing their borders, making it more and more difficult for people fleeing from these disasters to find a place of safety.As borders close, resources shrink, hatred grows, conflicts escalate, and the migration crisis becomes an ever greater threat to global stability.And as this plays out, it will be yet another contributor to societal collapse.10. Population GrowthFinally, I want to talk about population growth. Right now, there are around 8 billion people on Earth, but that number is increasing at a rate of roughly one person every 12 seconds. By 2050, the global population will reach 9.7 billion. And by 2100, we could have as many as 11 billion people on the planet.The problem with population growth isn't just that it puts a strain on resources such as food and water. It's also because it leads to more pollution, deforestation, and climate change. More people means more cars, more factories, and more trash production. And as we know from this article, all those things are contributing to the collapse of civilization.The good news is that population growth is slowing down. In developed countries, fertility rates are at their lowest levels in decades, with many nations even facing negative population growth (when there are more deaths than births). But while population growth may be slowing down, it's still happening. And as long as it continues, we will continue to face the problems outlined above.So how do we solve this problem? The simplest way is for all countries to adopt policies that promote a two-child family, or even better, a one-child family. However, that solution doesn't seem likely given the political landscape in most countries. Instead, I would suggest focusing on things like education, which has been proven to reduce fertility rates, and empowering women, who are often the ones tasked with childbirth and childcare.Another way to slow down population growth is by improving healthcare, so that fewer children die from disease and malnutrition. Yet another solution would be making contraception more available in countries where it's not readily accessible today.In conclusion, we are now faced with a situation in which the global collapse of civilization seems almost certain to happen within our lifetimes. It is important for us to understand these problems and why they will lead to societal collapse so that we can better prepare ourselves for what's coming. We also need to educate others about the problems outlined in this article, so they know how dire the situation really is.If enough people are aware of the issues, it might push governments to take action against these looming
Monolithic application architecture can lead to complex codebases that make implementing new features difficult and slow, while increasing cross-team communication issues. A solution proposed is splitting this monolith into a set of independently deployable services communicating via APIs, often referred to as microservices. This architectural style allows for smaller teams with better communication, simpler development and improved scalability, but also adds more moving parts and introduces complexities such as resource provisioning, remote calls, continuous integration, delivery, deployment, operations, eventual consistency and debugging.
TODO
What's Missing with American CEO's?:
This article is about family-run companies and their portrayal in popular TV series. It discusses various aspects of management, such as hierarchy, decision-making, and leadership. The author also touches upon the concept of „skin in the game,“ which refers to the risks taken by individuals or organizations that have a personal stake in the outcome. They mention examples from history, such as Roman emperors, Soviet generals, and American CEOs, to illustrate how risk can motivate better decision-making and performance. Lastly, the article suggests that instilling more responsibility and accountability, such as with financial penalties or stigma, could lead to better outcomes for organizations and their leaders.
This article discusses different metrics that define the concept of $\pi$. It explains how $\pi$ is the ratio between a circle's circumference and diameter. The article then explores various examples such as Manhattan distance, maximal distance, and p-norms, showing that in each of these cases, the value of $\pi$ can be calculated and varies within a specific range depending on the metric used. It concludes by saying that the smallest possible value of $\pi$ exists among all metrics, which is 3.14159 (the regular value).
Android IMSI-Catcher Detector by CellularPrivacy:
The article discusses AIMSICD, an Android application designed to detect IMSI-Catchers, which are fake mobile towers used for man-in-the-middle attacks and surveillance. The app is meant to protect users' privacy by detecting these devices and alerting them of potential interception or tracking. It performs checks on tower information consistency, LAC/Cell ID consistency, neighboring cell info, prevents silent app installations, monitors signal strength, detects silent SMS, and more. The app aims to make using IMSI-Catchers risky by raising awareness of their existence, while also improving users' privacy. However, it is important to note that the app does not provide secure phone calls, data transmission, permission control, or full device encryption.
i like gentoo’s package deprecation process:
Gentoo's process for removing packages from its main repository involves masking the package, which prevents new users from installing it and alerts existing users with installed packages that they have a masked package. This provides an opportunity to react and update systems accordingly. The removal of media-gfx/gmic-3.2.6 is provided as another example, showcasing the comment detailing the maintainer's reason for the removal. Unlike Arch Linux or other distributions, this approach allows Gentoo users to be aware of package removals and have time to react before they are completely removed from the repository.
Five Takeaways From a Times Investigation of Artillery Blast Exposure:
The US artillery bombardment against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq had significant consequences on the troops firing the cannons. Intensive bombardment by heavy artillery was used as a strategy to defeat ISIS, with gun crews firing thousands of high-explosive shells. Many members developed symptoms such as memory loss, insomnia, and panic attacks due to repeated exposure to blast waves. However, military guidelines thought the blast waves were safe, leading to inadequate recognition and treatment for these soldiers.
How AI brought the Beatles back together one more time:
In Installer No. 13, the author shares their experiences with various products and entertainment options, including movies, podcasts, and AI tools such as Bitwarden and Brave Leo. They also invite readers to share their financial management methods following the announcement of Mint shutting down. The newsletter ends with a crowdsourced section featuring suggestions from Installer community members on interesting websites, apps, and products they're using.
Cats Make Nearly 300 Different Facial Expressions:
Cats can communicate using nearly 300 different distinct facial expressions, according to a recent study published in Behavioral Processes. Researchers collected data on cat behavior by observing interactions between 53 cats at a Los Angeles cat cafe for about a year and recording their facial movements. The findings reveal that understanding a cat's emotions can be achieved through examining the position of its ears, eyes, and whiskers, as well as observing mouth movement. Approximately 45% of the expressions recorded were categorized as friendly, 37% as aggressive, and 18% ambiguous. The study highlights that cats are more social than previously thought and may help humans better understand their feline companions or aid in pet adoption decisions.
Habits of great software engineers:
Yes, that's correct. A software developer is responsible for more than just coding - they must also be efficient, effective problem solvers, have an understanding of systems thinking, know when to take a tech detox, possess approximating skills, and effectively communicate their knowledge with others. Ultimately, it's about having a broad skill set that extends beyond writing code.
The next frontier in IP parasites: codec royalties on content.:
This article discusses the challenges faced by video codecs such as MPEG-4 H.264, H.265, VP9, and AV1 due to software patents. Despite legal decisions aiming to nullify these patents, they remain a problem in practice, especially for individuals and companies developing or using these codecs. The article highlights the need for modern video codecs while emphasizing their limitations caused by software patents. It also mentions the expiration of MP3's last patents as an example of how abolishing software patents could improve the industry.
Monsters of the road: what should the UK do about SUVs?:
The article discusses the actions of a group called „The Tyre Extinguishers,“ who target high-end sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in London neighborhoods to spread awareness about their environmental impact and dangerous driving characteristics. The activists deflate tires, leaving leaflets on car windshields highlighting the carbon dioxide emissions produced by SUVs and the risks associated with these types of vehicles. The group first emerged in March 2022, gaining attention after a protest event in August 2022 where activists deflated tires at a car dealership. The Tyre Extinguishers argue that SUVs contribute to global warming, congestion, and traffic fatalities. The article also explores the history of SUVs and their marketing strategies targeting both men and women, as well as the potential for regulation changes to address their negative environmental and societal effects.
The study investigates whether time-restricted feeding (TRF) can inhibit lung cancer progression. It found that TRF impacts metabolism rhythms, glycolysis genes and the circadian clock gene TIM in tumors. This effect is partially mediated by autophagy activation. The combination of TRF with TIM inhibition showed similar efficacy to chemotherapy treatment in a xenograft model.
Building a high performance JSON parser:
Thank you for sharing this informative article and your insights on improving JSON decoding performance. By avoiding unnecessary s.offset updates, manually inlining functions, and taking advantage of the moderate optimizations of most JSON data, significant improvements can be achieved.
This article discusses the scandals and issues surrounding proprietary software in medical devices such as hearing aids, insulin pumps, bionic eyes, and pacemakers. It highlights how users are left helpless when the software breaks or fails to function correctly after updates, emphasizing that free software would allow users more control over their devices, enable bug fixes, and potentially extend device lifespans. The article also encourages advocates of free software to spread awareness about the issues with proprietary medical software.
The Bizarre Cottage Industry of YouTube Obituary Pirates:
An increasingly common practice of obituary piracy on YouTube has users publishing videos summarizing death notices without authorization or consent from the funeral home or family. This growing trend shows a disregard for the emotional impact it may have on grieving families and is seen as predatory by some. The low-quality video productions typically monetize through advertisements, with creators focused more on quantity over quality. As obituary piracy grows, the rise of artificial intelligence could further fuel this trend.
Warum ein berühmtes Gemälde in Oslo immer nur für wenige Minuten sichtbar ist :
Der berhmte Schrei„ von Edvard Munch ist eines der bekanntesten Kunstwerke Norwegens und existiert in mehreren Versionen. Sie werden in einem speziellen Ausstellungsraum gezeigt, der sie gleichzeitig doppelt schätzt. Das Munch-Museum in Oslo erregt Aufsehen mit dieser Dauerausstellung. Die Bilder wurden zwischen 1893 und 1910 von dem norwegischen Künstler Edvard Munch geschaffen, der für die Ausbildung des Expressionismus in der Malerei bekannt ist. Die Bilder sind sehr empfindlich gegenüber Licht und müssen bei einer Betrachtungsdauer von nur 30 Minuten wieder im Dunkeln sein, um Schaden zu vermeiden.
The Great Inflation | Federal Reserve History:
The Great Inflation was the defining macroeconomic event of the second half of the twentieth century, lasting from 1965 to 1982. It led economists to rethink the policies of the Fed and other central banks. Over the nearly two decades it lasted, there were four economic recessions, two severe energy shortages, and the unprecedented peacetime implementation of wage and price controls.
The origins of the Great Inflation were policies that allowed for an excessive growth in the supply of money due to Federal Reserve policies. The Fed's dual mandate to „maintain long run growth of the monetary and credit aggregates so as to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices and moderate long-term interest rates“ (Steelman 2011) was established during this period.
The collapse of the Bretton Woods system further contributed to the Great Inflation, as it separated the US dollar from its last link to gold and allowed for unanchored currencies, leading to a more challenging environment for monetary policy. Policymakers were also handicapped by bad data and a poor understanding of economic indicators during this period, which made it difficult to accurately determine appropriate policies.
Paul Volcker's chairmanship at the Federal Reserve Board in 1979 marked a turning point in inflation policy, as he focused on controlling reserve growth to reduce inflation. As a result of these efforts, and despite initial pain caused by recessions and higher unemployment rates, inflation slowed significantly.
The Great Inflation ended with the Federal Reserve's commitment to price stability gaining credibility, leading to sustained economic growth and stability. Today, central banks have adopted specific numerical objectives for inflation, enhancing transparency and reducing uncertainty, contributing to long-term prosperity and maximum employment.
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How do you mask Wireguard traffic? - Lemmy.World:
The article discusses an approach to convert Wireguard traffic into plain HTTPS traffic to avoid triggering DPIs (Deep Packet Inspection). The proposed method includes using Wireguard with a port change to 443, followed by UDP-to-TCP conversion via udp2raw or updtunnel. To further secure the connection, stunnel can be utilized on both client and server sides, similar to how OpenVPN works. Although the author has not tested this method, it is based on the idea of how OpenVPN functions.
EU Tries To Slip In New Powers To Intercept Encrypted Web Traffic Without Anyone Noticing:
The European Union is in the process of updating its eIDAS (electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services) regulation. This regulation governs electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions within the European Single Market. An expert group warned that proposed changes could pose a significant risk to global website security by requiring browsers in Europe to trust certificate authorities selected by EU governments. Mozilla has expressed concerns over this update, stating it could lead to increased cybersecurity risks and the interception of encrypted web traffic.
How long should your CI take?:
Continuous Integration (CI) is crucial in modern software development, but long CI times can be problematic. Industry resources suggest an ideal CI time around 10 minutes for a full build, test, and analysis cycle. However, Graphite's data-driven approach found that longer CI times increase average time to merge by over an hour. CI times between 15-30 minutes corresponded to the highest number of PRs merged per week per author. Engineering organizations must find a balance with CI execution time and consider stacking pull requests for maintaining velocity despite long individual CI times.
The article discusses the Jevons Paradox, which occurs when technological progress or government policy increases efficiency in resource usage but leads to increased demand for resources instead. This is due to falling costs of use and improved economic growth. Economists have debated whether this paradox affects energy conservation efforts negatively. Some argue that it does not occur while others suggest implementing policies with higher cost of use alongside technological improvements to avoid the Jevons Paradox.
Create empty branch on GitHub:
To create an empty branch with no history on GitHub, follow these steps: 1. Create a local –orphan branch using the 'git switch –orphan <new-branch>'. 2. Remove all files in the staging area. 3. Commit an empty commit using 'git commit –allow-empty -m „Initial commit on orphan branch“'. 4. Push to GitHub with 'git push -u origin <new-branch>'. Alternatively, you can create a new branch from the first commit of your master branch and then create your release branch.
Distil-Whisper is a distilled version of Whisper for English speech recognition, which is 6 times faster with a 49% smaller model size while still maintaining within 1% word error rate (WER) on out-of-distribution evaluation sets. Multilingual support will be provided soon through distillation training code. Distil-Whisper can also be used for speculative decoding, ensuring the same outputs as Whisper while being 2 times faster. To train the model, it is trained to minimize the KL divergence between the distilled model and the Whisper model, as well as the cross-entropy loss on pseudo-labeled audio data using a WER filter for better performance. The training code will be published soon, allowing anyone in the community to distill Whisper on their choice of language.
If You Plant Milkweed, They Will Come. (And Not Just the Butterflies.):
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) attracts beneficial insects such as monarch butterflies and provides nectar for various pollinators. This plant is crucial for the survival of monarch butterfly populations due to their reliance on Asclepias as a host plant. However, milkweeds have faced numerous challenges, including habitat loss and targeted elimination by herbicides, leading to a decrease in their population. Gardeners can help support the conservation of these plants by incorporating them into their gardens, which will benefit native pollinator species as well.