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Unraveling the Mango's Mystery: A Scientific Journey Across Asia

2024-12-16
Unraveling the Mango's Mystery: A Scientific Journey Across Asia

The sweet mango, a beloved fruit worldwide, hides a mysterious past. Dr. Emily Warschefsky, a Ph.D. student at Florida International University, embarked on a scientific journey across Asia to uncover the mango's origins. Visiting botanical gardens and forests, she collected numerous samples of Mangifera species and used DNA sequencing to study relationships between different mango species. Her research revealed genetic differences between Southeast Asian and Indian mangoes, challenging the traditional view of a single Himalayan origin. Several scenarios are proposed, including multiple domestication events and hybridization between different species. Warschefsky's work not only deepens our understanding of mango origins but also offers new insights for mango breeding and cultivation.

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(fairchildgarden.org)
Misc mango origin DNA sequencing

Base-Rate Blindness: When Rare Events Surprise Us (and How AI Might Exploit It)

2025-01-26

This essay uses the astonishing feats of pickpocket Apollo Robbins to illustrate the concept of 'base-rate blindness'. The author argues that we underestimate the probability of rare events because we tend to ignore base rates – the prior probability of an event. Using personal anecdotes, like a surprising moose encounter in Colorado, and the academic world's underestimation of deception, the author shows how ignoring base rates can lead to dangerous consequences. The essay concludes with a provocative question: Are we base-rate blind to the potential risks of AI, distracted by the hype and pleas for regulation?

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(paulromer.net)
Misc Bayes' Theorem Base Rate Cognitive Bias

Arcan OS: A Revolutionary Approach to Operating System Design

2024-12-27
Arcan OS: A Revolutionary Approach to Operating System Design

Arcan is a single-user, user-facing, networked overlay operating system designed to provide users with complete autonomy over their computing devices. Independent of Linux or BSD kernels, it operates as a 'vagabond' across various ecosystems. Arcan utilizes a shared memory interface (SHMIF) and the A12 network protocol for efficient inter-process communication, employing 'frameservers' to isolate security-sensitive tasks. Its programmable interface ALT, Appl application model, and diverse user interfaces (Console, Durden, Safespaces) create a flexible and powerful system. Arcan aims to counter the network lock-in and security threats posed by large platforms, enhancing user autonomy and security.

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(arcan-fe.com)
Development autonomy

Hacking Physics with a Napkin

2024-12-14

This article explores unconventional approaches to solving physics problems using simple estimation and dimensional analysis. The author demonstrates the power of these methods by calculating the speed of falling raindrops, the length of the E. coli genome, and the mass of a proton, among other examples. The article suggests this napkin-based approach can greatly enhance physics education and learning. Further techniques like Fermi estimation and random walks are introduced and applied to problems like estimating the E. coli genome length and determining the optimal speed for walking or running in the rain, showcasing their practicality.

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(hapax.github.io)
Misc dimensional analysis Fermi estimation

Tesla's German EV Registrations Plummet 41%, Ranking Falls

2025-01-30
Tesla's German EV Registrations Plummet 41%, Ranking Falls

Tesla's new EV registrations in Germany plummeted 41% in 2024 to under 38,000, dropping to third place in market share. This decline is attributed to CEO Elon Musk's controversial statements and a lack of recent innovation, despite the Berlin Gigafactory's initial promise. Competitors like BMW and VW outperformed Tesla, highlighting challenges faced by the US automaker in the German market, including legal issues, environmental protests, and lower-than-expected sales at its Berlin plant.

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(www.cleanenergywire.org)
Tech

2024 World Chess Championship: A Data-Driven Deep Dive

2024-12-18
2024 World Chess Championship: A Data-Driven Deep Dive

The 2024 World Chess Championship saw Gukesh Dommaraju triumph over Ding Liren, becoming the youngest World Champion ever. This analysis uses data-driven insights, including accuracy, error types, average centipawn loss, move times, conversion rate, and comeback rate, to dissect the match. Data suggests Ding Liren exhibited slightly higher precision and consistency, but a crucial blunder in the final game proved decisive. The author concludes that while data analysis offers an objective perspective, it needs to be combined with other factors for a holistic understanding of the match's complexities.

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(medium.com)
Game data analysis

Npflared: A Free, Self-Hostable Private npm Registry

2024-12-24

Npflared is a free and open-source, self-hostable private npm registry built on Cloudflare's Worker, D1, and R2 services, allowing you to host it for free. Fully compatible with existing npm clients, Npflared provides a secure way for you and your team to manage private npm packages. Get the benefits of a full-fledged private registry with ease and enhance your development workflow.

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(npflared.thomas-cogez.fr)
Development private registry

Middle Schooler Discovers New Compound in Goose Poop

2024-12-12
Middle Schooler Discovers New Compound in Goose Poop

A middle school student, participating in a research program with a local university, discovered a novel compound, orfamide N, in a goose poop sample collected from a park. While not responsible for the initial observed antibiotic activity of the bacteria, orfamide N inhibited the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in lab tests. This research demonstrates the success of combining educational outreach with natural product discovery, highlighting the importance of university-community partnerships. The project provided invaluable hands-on experience for the student, showcasing the potential of young scientists.

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(phys.org)
Tech scientific discovery middle school research new compound

Sweden Blames Germany's Nuclear Phase-Out for Soaring Energy Prices

2024-12-16
Sweden Blames Germany's Nuclear Phase-Out for Soaring Energy Prices

Sweden's Energy Minister Ebba Busch has blamed Germany's decision to phase out nuclear power for the country's soaring energy prices, announcing that the government is considering new measures to tackle the crisis. Busch expressed anger at Germany's actions, stating they have had serious consequences for Sweden and the EU. The rising prices, exacerbated by regional disparities and a spike in southern Sweden, are prompting the government to explore ways to support households and businesses. Despite the pressure, Sweden doesn't appear to be considering leaving the EU energy market, instead focusing on issues with the EU's Flow-Based Market Coupling system as a contributing factor.

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(www.euractiv.com)
Tech energy crisis nuclear phase-out Sweden energy policy

Revisiting Barricelli's Cellular Automata: Spontaneous Generation of Life

2025-01-07

This article explores the work of Nils Aall Barricelli, who pioneered cellular automata 15 years before John Conway. Barricelli's 'symbioorganisms' model, in a finite, circular 1D space, simulates the movement and interaction of different elements through simple rules of collision elimination, positional replication, and mutation. The simulations reveal that even with simple rules, stable periodic patterns spontaneously emerge, resembling the spontaneous generation of life. The author delves into the stability of these patterns and proposes combining early universe simulations with simulations of abiogenesis to find more efficient ways to explore life's origins.

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(akkartik.name)
AI abiogenesis complex systems

WASM Program Bypasses node:wasi Filesystem Sandbox

2024-12-15
WASM Program Bypasses node:wasi Filesystem Sandbox

This project demonstrates a proof-of-concept showcasing how a WASM program can bypass the preopens directory restriction in node:wasi to access files outside the sandbox. Normally, WASM programs are limited to accessing pre-opened directories. However, by cleverly using symbolic links to replace files at a precise moment and running an external process, this limitation can be circumvented. This is not a practical security vulnerability in node:wasi, but rather a potential edge case. The project highlights that one shouldn't rely on node:wasi to completely prevent malicious code from accessing external files.

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(github.com)
Development

Microsoft Research Unveils F*: A Proof-Oriented Programming Language

2024-12-25

F* (pronounced F star) is a general-purpose, proof-oriented programming language supporting both purely functional and effectful programming. Combining the expressive power of dependent types with automated proof generation via SMT solving and tactic-based interactive theorem proving, F* defaults to compiling to OCaml. However, it can also be extracted to F#, C, or WebAssembly using KaRaMeL, or to assembly using Vale. Developed and actively maintained by Microsoft Research, Inria, and the community, the open-source F* is used in various projects, including those within Mozilla Firefox and the Linux kernel, showcasing its applications in security, cryptography, and systems development.

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(fstar-lang.org)
Development proof-oriented programming dependent types

Rules to Avoid Common Extended Inline Assembly Mistakes

2024-12-21

This article isn't an inline assembly tutorial, but rather a summary of six rules to avoid common mistakes. The author emphasizes that inline assembly is treacherous and should be avoided whenever possible, as modern compilers offer intrinsics and built-ins for most use cases. If unavoidable, the rules are: use the `volatile` qualifier; use a `memory` clobber if accessing memory; never modify input constraints; never call functions from inline assembly; don't define absolute assembly labels; and use the assembler's local label feature to avoid label conflicts. The article concludes by encouraging readers to practice applying these rules by reviewing online tutorials and even LLM-generated code.

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(nullprogram.com)
Development inline assembly compiler

BYOJS: Embrace Native JavaScript for Web Development

2024-12-17

The BYOJS project champions building web applications with core JavaScript, rather than relying on heavy frameworks. While frameworks and languages like TypeScript are popular, BYOJS argues that building efficient web apps using the core JS language is a lost art. It encourages using loosely-coupled libraries instead of tightly-coupled frameworks, advocating for choosing the least powerful tool that gets the job done and prioritizing concise code. The project provides helpful utilities such as a simple key-value storage API, an asynchronous event emitter, a modal wrapper, and more. All code is MIT licensed.

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(byojs.dev)
Development Native JavaScript Lightweight Libraries

Calculator Forensics: Uncovering Chip Design Secrets

2025-01-19

This article introduces 'calculator forensics,' a technique that analyzes the results of embedded algorithms in calculators to identify the origins and evolution of different calculator chip designs. The author devised a standardized algorithm and compiled results from numerous calculators, creating comparison tables to trace the design history and technological lineage of calculator chips. This technique is significant for studying calculator history and chip design, particularly useful when official documentation is scarce, enabling researchers to understand the relationships between different calculators.

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(www.rskey.org)
Hardware chip design

Canva Engineering Cuts CI Build Times from Hours to Under 30 Minutes

2024-12-18
Canva Engineering Cuts CI Build Times from Hours to Under 30 Minutes

Canva's engineering team dramatically reduced their continuous integration (CI) build times, from an average of 80 minutes to under 30 minutes, sometimes as low as 15. This was achieved through a multifaceted approach. They identified and resolved Bazel caching issues, optimized pipeline structures, improved Git repository checkouts and caching, and leveraged Bazel Remote Build Execution (RBE). Extensive experimentation, including testing different instance types and adjusting Bazel configurations, played a crucial role. A series of incremental improvements significantly increased CI efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced the developer experience.

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(www.canva.dev)
Development Continuous Integration CI Optimization

Technologist Shares Practical Tips for Online Privacy

2025-02-17
Technologist Shares Practical Tips for Online Privacy

A technologist with over a decade of experience in the tech industry shares her insights and advice on protecting your online privacy. Initially sharing concise, actionable tips via Instagram, she's now moving to a newsletter format to provide more in-depth guidance. She emphasizes that privacy is a spectrum and offers practical advice on social media, car data, smart home devices, data breaches, and child privacy. Rather than delving into legal specifics, she focuses on the technical aspects and actionable advice, empowering readers to easily improve their privacy in everyday life.

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(hannahonprivacy.substack.com)
Tech privacy tips

Nintendo Switch 2: Backward Compatibility, but Not Perfect

2025-01-16
Nintendo Switch 2: Backward Compatibility, but Not Perfect

Nintendo released a first-look trailer for the Switch 2, confirming backward compatibility with most existing Switch games, both physical and digital. However, not all Switch games will be fully compatible; details will be shared later. Nintendo Switch Online membership will continue to work on the Switch 2. A deeper look at the Switch 2 will be revealed in a Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2nd, 2025.

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(www.nintendo.com)
Game Nintendo Switch 2 Backward Compatibility

FOSDEM 2025: Statement on Planned Protests

2025-01-21
FOSDEM 2025: Statement on Planned Protests

FOSDEM 2025 organizers issued a statement addressing planned protests against a controversial talk. The statement clarifies that the talk's inclusion wasn't influenced by sponsorship; claims suggesting otherwise are false. FOSDEM has always welcomed peaceful protests, provided they don't disrupt proceedings. Organizers urge protest organizers to contact them beforehand to ensure safety and fire regulations are met.

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(fosdem.org)
Misc protest

PyVista: Democratizing 3D Visualization

2025-01-22
PyVista: Democratizing 3D Visualization

PyVista is an open-source Python library simplifying 3D visualization and analysis. Built on VTK, it offers a user-friendly interface, empowering even novice programmers to create compelling visualizations of spatial data. Used across science and engineering, PyVista boasts a vibrant community and provides professional services and support.

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(pyvista.org)
Development

Open-Source Game Engine boardgame.io Simplifies Turn-Based Game Development

2024-12-20
Open-Source Game Engine boardgame.io Simplifies Turn-Based Game Development

boardgame.io is an open-source JavaScript game engine designed to simplify the development of turn-based games. By automatically handling complex aspects like state management, multiplayer networking, and AI opponents, developers can focus on writing game logic. The engine supports multiple game phases, lobbies for matchmaking, prototyping capabilities, and various view layer technologies (such as React and React Native). Its powerful plugin system and traceable game logs further enhance development efficiency and player experience.

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(github.com)
Development turn-based game

CodeMic: AI-Powered Code Generation Tool

2024-12-22

CodeMic is an AI-powered tool that generates code based on natural language descriptions. It rapidly produces high-quality code, significantly increasing development efficiency. Both experienced programmers and beginners can easily use CodeMic, allowing them to focus on more creative aspects of their work. CodeMic supports multiple programming languages and continuously learns and improves, providing developers with powerful code assistance.

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(codemic.io)
Development code generation developer tool

The Definitive Guide to Jens Quistgaard's Dansk Peppermills

2025-01-21

This website is a comprehensive guide to the collection of peppermills designed by Jens Quistgaard for Dansk Designs. Each mill is meticulously documented, detailing its unique shape, model number, grinder type, and production history. The site unravels the stories behind these iconic designs, revealing the evolution of their forms and manufacturing processes. From the earliest all-metal grinders to later plastic variations, this resource is a must-have for collectors and design enthusiasts alike.

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(www.quistgaardpepper.com)
Design Danish Design Mid-Century Modern

2024 Box Office Top 10: Animation Reigns Supreme, Superhero Fatigue Sets In

2024-12-30
2024 Box Office Top 10: Animation Reigns Supreme, Superhero Fatigue Sets In

The 2024 box office was a rollercoaster, a sluggish first half due to strikes giving way to a blockbuster-fueled second half. Animation dominated, with Pixar's Inside Out 2 becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time at $1.698 billion, outperforming many superhero films and claiming the year's top spot. Disney's Moana 2 also scored big, nearing $800 million. Superhero movies, meanwhile, underperformed except for Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.33 billion), highlighting the genre's waning box office dominance. Other hits included sequels like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Kung Fu Panda 4, and the Wicked adaptation, proving classic IPs and quality content still resonate.

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(www.slashfilm.com)
Game box office superhero movies

River Runner Global: Disruptive Hydropower Tech?

2025-01-28
River Runner Global: Disruptive Hydropower Tech?

River Runner Global claims to possess revolutionary hydropower technology that generates electricity from natural river flow without needing large dams. The technology is purportedly low-cost and environmentally friendly, potentially providing clean energy to remote areas. However, details about the technology and its real-world effectiveness remain scarce, and its viability and commercial potential are yet to be proven. Nevertheless, its innovative concept has attracted industry attention.

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(river-runner-global.samlearner.com)
Tech hydropower

Glicol: A Revolutionary AI Image Generator

2025-01-14

Glicol is more than just an image generator; it's a digital artist. Using unique algorithms and models, it transforms text descriptions into images with diverse styles and rich details. It goes beyond common image styles, producing stunning results with subtle user adjustments. Glicol heralds a new era in AI image generation, offering artists and designers unprecedented creative tools.

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(glicol.org)
AI

Canva Outage: A Case Study in Saturation and Resilience

2025-01-12
Canva Outage: A Case Study in Saturation and Resilience

Canva recently experienced a major outage stemming from system saturation. A new editor page deploy wasn't the culprit; instead, a stale Cloudflare CDN rule caused massive latency for Asian users loading Javascript files. This triggered 270,000+ concurrent requests, subsequently overwhelming the API gateway with 1.5 million requests per second – three times its typical peak. A known, unfixed performance bug in the API gateway exacerbated the issue. The Linux OOM killer terminated all API gateway tasks, resulting in complete Canva.com failure. Canva engineers resolved the issue by manually increasing task counts, temporarily blocking traffic via Cloudflare firewall rules, and gradually restoring traffic. This incident highlights the importance of system resilience and the potential downsides of automated systems under heavy load.

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(surfingcomplexity.blog)
Tech system outage system resilience

Auto-Braking Systems Fail to Detect Pedestrians in Reflective Gear

2025-01-14
Auto-Braking Systems Fail to Detect Pedestrians in Reflective Gear

A new IIHS report reveals that automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems in Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 vehicles failed to detect pedestrians wearing reflective strips, even under various lighting conditions. The systems consistently failed to brake, while a Subaru Forester performed better. Researchers urge automakers to improve AEB technology, recommending pedestrians continue to wear reflective gear for increased visibility at night, while acknowledging the limitations of current AEB in some vehicles.

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(usa.streetsblog.org)
Tech Automatic Emergency Braking Pedestrian Safety Vehicle Safety
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