https://www.planetary.org/articles/20171221-southern-solstice
Yesterday's solstice, but still cool.
Category: Facebook
7 science stories in 2017 that made us go, “Whoa, that’s awesome”
The Secret Life of ‘Um’
The Secret Life of ‘Um’ – The Atlantic
Scuttlebutt
Interesting idea: Secure Scuttlebutt, a totally decentralized social network that syncs through mesh & LAN connections & can handle being off-grid.
The Nomad Who’s Exploding the Internet Into Pieces – The Atlantic
An Off-Grid Social Network – André Staltz
Via A Plan to Rescue the Web from Internet – André Staltz
Network Neutrality: A History of Common Carrier Laws 1884–2018
Oh, is that all?
Driving around with a giant cardboard Minecraft spider
It turns out I’ve been driving around with a giant cardboard Minecraft spider in the back of the car all week. Yes, including the day I went to Downtown LA for jury duty.
How a group of friends saved a stranger’s house in Ventura
For the last few years I’ve missed the Santa Ana winds, since some quirk of…
For the last few years I've missed the Santa Ana winds, since some quirk of geography causes the strongest wind to bypass this area. But last night, with wind-fueled fires tearing up both wilderness and neighborhoods around LA and Ventura, I found that quirk very comforting.
Feral Photography
Cool wildlife photos: Feral Photography: amazing animal imagery from Silicon Valley trail cams
Sheep with cameras.
Sheep with cameras.
How sheep with cameras got some tiny islands onto Google Street View
The Faroe Islands, a remote archipelago that juts out of the cold seas between Norway and Iceland, doesn’t even appear on some world maps. But as of last week, the verdant slopes, rocky hiking trails and few roads of the 18 islands are on Google Street View — and a team of camera-toting sheep helped get them there.
Reexamining old evidence with new knowledge and techniques
The first evidence of planets around another star was found in… 1917?
Another fascinating case of going back and reexamining old evidence with new knowledge and techniques.
XKCD: Cast Iron Pan
Good news for California pine trees.
With California Drought Over, Fewer Sierra Pines Dying
Good news for California pine trees.
Surely a coincidence that it’s based out of Zinke’s hometown.
Small Montana firm lands Puerto Rico’s biggest contract to get the power back on
Surely a coincidence that it’s based out of Zinke’s hometown.
The volcanic period that gave the moon its maria may have temporarily given it an atmosphere
https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/air-de-lune
The volcanic period that gave the moon its maria may have temporarily given it an atmosphere comparable in thickness to what Mars has now.
Someone suggested this when I posted an article a while back about using drones as wireless nodes.
Google parent Alphabet looks to restore cell service in Puerto Rico with Project Loon balloons
Someone suggested this when I posted an article a while back about using drones as wireless nodes.
A fascinating write up on a month-long spear phishing campaign
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/09/phish-future
A fascinating write up on a month-long spear phishing campaign that tried to compromise Net Neutrality activists at Free Press & Fight for the Future. Worth a read for the various techniques they used to try to get logins, including individually targeted messages.
There’s timing: I was just wondering whether this cave tour was still open.
There's timing: I was just wondering whether this cave tour was still open.
Good news on the slow, but ongoing recovery of the California condor.
California Condors Return to the Skies After Near Extinction
Good news on the slow, but ongoing recovery of the California condor.