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POPSOur Hackable Democracy Last month, Princeton researchers submitted a report based on their study of the machines' security, part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Rutgers Constitutional Litigation Clinic against the state government aimed at decertifying Sequoia machines. The results of the study still aren’t known: A judge placed a gag order on the researchers that prevents them from publishing their work. "Any reasonably talented security researcher can compromise these machines" In fact, California's study of Sequoia's machines found that any poll worker with access to Sequoia's machines could quickly change the results of an election. In 2006, researchers at Princeton found that a Diebold machine could be hacked in less than a minute. (In the six states) There's a possibility their votes will be hacked, lost or miscounted. But that's no excuse not to vote, argues Smith. "You'll just have to take a chance," she says. "The only way to be sure your vote won't count is not to show up.
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POPSSC shuns appeal by ex-professor in terror case I remember this! O'Reilly never let up on bringing national attention to this 'professor'. Why would he not want to testify...if there is nothing to hide? Why would he "argue that the terms of his pleas bargain barred the government from demanding his testimony in other terror cases"? Is he involved or associated with other terrorists and their activity? (wolves within our midst)
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POPSYou're in Good Hands... with computer games Allstate insurance has contracted Posit Science to deliver its InSight software to older drivers to help them improve their cognitive abilities. So tell the kids they have to get off the joystick so granddad can do his homework.
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POPSGames and reality, Which affects which? on the other hand, "some biologists think the game could have educational value just by making users think about science, like an entertaining hook into evolutionary biology." "Ultimately, games are made to engage the people who play them. Provoking wonderment or debate is a good thing. Wright abstracts grandiose topics, and he does it well. Not enough game designers have the stones or the vision to try the same, which is why we get battered with endless versions of Madden NFL (also put out by Electronic Arts). In the end, that's also why Spore leaves such an impression. It's more than just fun. It's worth arguing about."
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POPSDevastation of World's Coral Imminent? According to a new study in Geophysical Research Letters, the world's coral could be devastated by rising CO2 levels. This isn't just an issue for science --- the tourist economy in various countries would also be devastated if coral reefs were to vanish. I've written about this before here: http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/06/travel-sustainable-coastlines-forbeslife-cx_rr_0307travel.html. More recently, I wrote about endangered natural wonders and the business of tourism here: http://www.forbes.com/travel/2008/09/15/travel-endangered-ecosystems-forbeslife-cx_rr_0915travel.html.
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POPSNovel Tools for collaborative Data Visualizations “When analyzing information, no single person knows it all,” he said. “When you have a group look at data, you protect against bias. You get more perspectives, and this can lead to more reliable decisions.” Those who register at the site can comment on one another’s work, perhaps visualizing the same information with different tools and discovering unexpected patterns in the data.
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POPSInteractive graphic demonstrations of everything "The Wolfram Demonstrations Project: A free source of interactive visualizations, from elementary education to the frontiers of research." Strong on beautiful interactive science graphics - but see broad list of topics at end of clip - machines, business, life sciences, kids and fun, creative arts
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POPSThe Coming Convergence The message is clear: the choices we make now will converge to create a near and distant future that will be almost unbelievably wonderful or unimaginably catastrophic, or both. This knowledgeable, fascinating glimpse into the future is a must read for everyone interested in technology, upcoming innovations in business, science fiction, and the future.
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POPSRobot builders seek a little help from sci-fi
"People that thought of it as a camera with legs were really pleased, but people that thought of it as a photographer were really disappointed," he says. Smart thinks those raised expectations were down to the impact of unrealistically human-like robots in movies and books. "People don't really know what they are. C-3PO in Star Wars is very humanlike, intelligent and capable, but real robots are not like that at all." Instead of just forcing people to alter their expectations, Smart thinks it makes sense to study how people's ideas about robots are influenced by fiction. That knowledge could be used to design robots that make the most of those expectations. "My real concern is to get people and robots to play together nicely," says Smart. Engineers might learn from fictional robots in other ways, says Sharkey. "It would be worthwhile to study the way computer animators make us connect with simple, non-human objects." Pixar's WALL-E, for example, is easy to connect with, he
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POPSA man–mongoose–robot team takes on Sri Lankan minefields A Sri Lankan engineer controls a robot which in turn guides a mongoose around a minefield. The mongoose sniffs for explosives and is trained to sit up when he finds one. The mongoose, by the way, isn't at risk; he's not big enough to trip a mine himself.
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POPSIntegrated GIS @ UB potential developer of GIS-Google Maps- php- mySQL mashup? System for pinpointing location of vacant/ abandoned properties in Buffalo, NY?
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POPSComputer Virus Infects Space Station This piece of malware sounds mostly harmless, designed to steal video game passwords. But I'm imagining a hacker causing a satellite to plummet from space onto a US city. It's possible I've been reading too much science fiction.
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