#national computer centre

[chuckbbirdsjunk]

[queerasfact]

Happy birthday Alan Turing

Born on 23 June 1912, Alan was a pioneering figure in modern computer science. He worked during WWII in Britain’s codebreaking centre, playing a key role in cracking codes that helped the British in the fight against the Germans.

Alan was prosecuted for homosexuality in 1952, chemically castrated, and subsequently died by suicide in 1954. In 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown formally apologised to Alan, saying, “On behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan’s work I am very proud to say: we’re sorry, you deserved so much better.”

[Image source: National Portrait Gallery]

[covid-safer-hotties]

New COVID Variant XEC May Outpace Others This Fall - Published Sept 18, 2024

"The virus is always going to be mutating away from what it was in order to get more efficient at infecting individuals," Adalja said. "So I think this really highlights the fact that a universal COVID vaccine, or some vaccine with different technologies, perhaps a nasal vaccine and using mucosal immunity, all of those things are important."

What if, get this, we prevented covid cases by improving ventilation, mandating air filtration, and wearing masks in public? Wouldn't that accomplish the same goal right now? Every mutation takes us further away from the current scientific fantasy of a universal covid vaccine. We have to stop cases to make this dream a reality.

by Sophie Putka

The new COVID-19 variant XEC may overtake others in circulation to become dominant in the coming months, experts said, but will not prompt a meaningful change in symptoms or vaccine response.

So far, the CDC's variant proportions tracker has not registered enough cases of XEC in the U.S. to report it. (The agency's projected estimates for the 2 weeks ending in September 14 currently show KP.3.1.1 and KP.2.3 as the leading variants, with 52.7% and 12.2% of national cases, respectively.) Another estimate using data from the variant tracker GISAID has XEC at 1.11% of U.S. cases as of September 15, with around 48 sequences reported.

First detected in Germany in June, it's been found mostly in Central Europe, representing 10% of cases, according to the U.K.'s Science Media Centre.

"XEC represents a fairly minor evolution relative to the SARS-CoV-2 diversity currently in circulation, and is not a highly derived novel variant such as those that were granted Greek letters," like Alpha, Delta, and Omicron, Francois Balloux, PhD, a computational biologist at University College London and director of the UCL Genetics Institute, said in a Science Media Centre statement.

Experts noted that while XEC may have a small advantage in transmission, available vaccines are still likely to provide protection from serious illness.

XEC is a "recombinant variant of some of the other Omicron lineages that have been around for a while, and it does appear to be more immune evasive, giving it a transmissibility advantage in the population with the immunity that it has," Amesh Adalja, MD, of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, told MedPage Today. "But it doesn't really change anything, just like the last variant didn't change anything, or the one before that, one before that, or the one before that."

Currently available COVID vaccines target slightly different subvariants. The updated mRNA shots aimed at KP.2 from Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax), as well as Novavax's vaccine targeting the JN.1 variant lineage, are still protective against the most serious consequences of COVID infections, experts said.

"If this becomes a dominant variant, it will decrease the efficacy against infection of the updated vaccines, but the updated vaccines will still be durable against severe disease [and] hospitalization, and that's what is really the primary function of our current, first-generation COVID vaccines," Adalja said.

Still, he emphasized, the rapid mutation of the virus underscores a need for a different kind of vaccine than those currently available if the goal is to protect against infection rather than just severe disease.

"The virus is always going to be mutating away from what it was in order to get more efficient at infecting individuals," Adalja said. "So I think this really highlights the fact that a universal COVID vaccine, or some vaccine with different technologies, perhaps a nasal vaccine and using mucosal immunity, all of those things are important."

[larryfanfiction]

Hockey Fics

🏒 The Smell of the Ice by ourownstrings @ourownstrings (3k, T)

Louis had loved the smell of the ice since she was little. Since the bottom of her driveway froze into a pond and she learned to skate by leaning on an old lawn chair – the enamel paint mixing with the ice shavings. She loved it up to the moment when the smell of ice was replaced by antiseptic and a doctor telling her to forget that hockey career. Until she’s offered an unlikely chance – cross training a figure skater who is trying to get back into the sport. If only Harry wasn’t such an ice queen. Inspired by The Cutting Edge. Written for the Girl Direction Winter Fic Fest 2020.

🏒 sensitive to pressure by momentofclarity @gaycousinlarry (4k, E)

Harry’s breath stutters on its way up his throat, his cheeks heating more with each step as Louis gets closer and Harry can’t move. Feet stuck to the carpet, heavy and unwilling, unable to shuffle away or take control, stuck in place and waiting.

🏒 On Thin Ice by Neondiamond @neondiamond (16k, E)

As the goaltender for one of the best hockey teams in the world, Harry never expected participating in his second winter Olympics would be so eventful. His hidden long-term relationship with the captain of their biggest rival team may have something to do with it.

🏒 i've got something to confess, i keep you in my pocket to use by babylwt (16k, E)

"You made Harry Styles practically swoon over you, admit you’re beautiful to basically the world, he asked for your number and you said no. Like, you have to be joking.” Bella tsks as she sits up straight, grabbing Louis’ computer off his lap and putting it off to the side. Louis moves to reach for it, sighing in defeat as he leans back against his pillows. “You know how it goes with those sports guys. They’re just after having a good time before they have to go to the next city and play another game and find another person to swoon.” Louis explains. “It just wouldn’t have worked and I’m too busy right now.” Louis shrugs. “Too busy to fuck Harry Styles?” Bella asks with a raised brow. “Yes, even too busy to fuck Harry Styles.” Or Prompt 251: Harry is a hockey player and he's in the middle of a press conference when Louis, a journalist, asks him a question. Harry sees him ans says something like "oh my god, he's so beautiful" to his teammate and only realized his mic was on when the pretty boy blushes and the room breaks in a laugh

🏒 On the Edge by zanni_scaramouche @zanniscaramouche (47k, E)

Figure skating is as vital to Louis’ identity as his DNA, so when his skates go missing right before the last Olympics of his career there may be a meltdown only vanilla bath salts can fix. Well, that and the stupidly charming hockey player he met on the plane. Harry’s too old to be the wonder kid and too young to be taken seriously in the NHL. As an alternate thrown in at the last second, he fights to prove himself on the national team at the largest sporting event known to man. Or he will, once he gets off this flight and can focus on something other than the fussy figure skater and his stunningly blue eyes. A baggage mix-up skews both of their perfectly laid plans for gold, forcing the two to work together as the clock clicks towards the minute they’re expected to shine on centre ice.

More Masterposts

[nasa]

5 Ways Studying Water Will Help Us Better Understand Earth

Studying our home planet is just as powerful as exploring what’s beyond it.

Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) is a joint mission developed by NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency and the UK Space Agency. It will track water on more than 90% of Earth’s surface and help communities, scientists, and researchers better understand this finite and vital resource. And it’s launching this month!

So how will SWOT help us better understand Earth? Here are 5 ways.

SWOT will address some of the most pressing climate change questions of our time.

An important part of predicting our future climate is determining at what point Earth’s ocean water slows down its absorption of the excess heat in the atmosphere and starts releasing that heat back into the air, where it could accelerate global warming. SWOT will provide crucial information about this global heat exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere, enabling researchers to test and improve future climate forecasts.

The satellite will also offer insights to improve computer models for sea level rise projections and coastal flood forecasting.

Data from SWOT will additionally help scientists, engineers, water managers, and others better monitor drought conditions in lakes and reservoirs and improve flood forecasts for rivers.

SWOT is the first satellite mission that will observe nearly all water on the planet’s surface.

SWOT will measure the height of water in Earth’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean, giving scientists the ability to track the movement of water around the world.

SWOT’s eye in the sky will provide a truly global view of the water on more than 90% of Earth’s surface, enriching humankind’s understanding of how the ocean reacts to and influences climate change along with what potential hazards – including floods – lie ahead in different regions of the world.

SWOT will see Earth’s water in higher definition than ever before.

Because everything is better in HD 😉, SWOT will view Earth’s ocean and freshwater bodies with unprecedented clarity compared to other satellites, much like a high-definition television delivers a picture far more detailed than older models. This means that SWOT will be able to “see” ocean features – like fronts and eddies – that are too small for current space-based instruments to detect. Those measurements will help improve researchers’ understanding of the ocean’s role in climate change.

Not only will the satellite show where – and how fast – sea level is rising, it will also reveal how coastlines around the world are changing. It will provide similar high-definition clarity for Earth’s lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, many of which remain a mystery to researchers, who aren’t able to outfit every water body with monitoring instruments.

SWOT data will be used to help make decisions about our daily lives and livelihoods.

As climate change accelerates the water cycle, more communities around the world will be inundated with water while others won’t have enough. SWOT data will be used to monitor drought conditions and improve flood forecasts, providing essential information to water management agencies, disaster preparedness agencies, universities, civil engineers, and others who need to track water in their local areas. SWOT data also will help industries, like shipping, by providing measurements of water levels along rivers, as well as ocean conditions, including tides, currents, and storm surges.

Finally … SWOT will pave the way for future Earth missions.

With its innovative technology and commitment to engaging a diverse community of people who plan to use data from the mission, SWOT is blazing a trail for future Earth-observing missions. SWOT’s data and the tools to support researchers in analyzing the information will be free and accessible. This will help to foster research and applications activities by a wide range of users, including scientists, resource managers, and others who in the past may not have had the opportunity to access this kind of information. Lessons learned from SWOT will lead to new questions and improvements for future missions, including our upcoming Earth System Observatory, a constellation of missions focused on studying key aspects of our home planet.

Keep track of the mission here. And make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[dreamcast641]

RAINBOW SIX OC: Lilja Järvinen

there it is a bit with lilja's bio that for sure it will not be completed fully as I want to make a sort of bio like r6s operators in future plus she doesnt have a reference draw for her yet so...I'll reblog if any change is made :D --------------------------------- GENERAL INFOS

Full name: Lilja Järvinen

aliases/nicknames: One of the first thing that Harry did as soon as she joined the rainbow six is to think about how to refer to her and ''hound'' was what came into his mind immediately. Later then Lilja decided to just translate it into her native language, becoming it ''koira''but she likes the hound one as well

Age: around 30-35 years old

Gender: cis Female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexual orientation: Unknown, probably bisexual

Date of birth: April 30th

Place of birth: Kemijärvi, Laplan, finland

Current residence: Unknown

Nationality: finnish

Spoken languages: Finnish(main), Swedish(second one learned) and english

Affiliations/organizations: Rainbow six, utti jager regiment, finnish army

Occupation: K-9 operative with certification got with training and working with police and army dogs and robotic engineer with a egree in automation engineering, computer engineering

Rank: Unknown

(temporary reference)

APPEARANCE

By the national average, Lilja is a rather short woman who stands at around 166 cm tall. She is slim and athletic, with messy blonde hair, freckles scattered across her cheeks and nose, and eyes with partial heterochromia on both irises that are both blue and brown in color, which are easily distinguishable between the two. She is the one who usually wears heavy, long clothes that are uncomfortable when it comes to grabbing objects and that hide her body well. She wears glasses because she is astigmatic, which she removes to use contact lenses when she has to work in the field. more facts about her aspect: -Lilja has a lot of bite wounds on her body, done of course by the dogs she worked in the past with most of them being reactive ones that easily snapped when something even small bothered them. The most visible one is on her left cheek that resembles a two cut done by a feline instead of a dog and people usually asks her how could a dog do such damage; -She always wanted a tattoo on her left cheek that resembled a dog jaw but changed her mind when she wasn't allowed to do so in the army. -She doesn't hide her body due to insecurity, in fact, she also can wear swimming costumes and bikinis, she just prefers baggy clothes over normal ones.

Favorites and personality traits

-Color: Mint green

-Food: Lihapullat (finnish meatballs)

-Drink: Hot chocolate

-Song: Killer by Mareux

-Flower: Lilly of the valley

-Hairstyle: wolfcut Moral alignment: Chaotic good MBTI: INTP Personality overview:

Lilja is a reserved woman by nature, she doesn't like to talk to people too much and generally prefers to be alone. Sometimes she seems detached and lost in her thoughts, it almost seems like her brain is constantly working, constantly creating new thoughts. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as she always has new ideas that she can implement in the form of robotic objects useful to her team. She seems to prefer small speeches to long, deep ones, which is often not in good taste with other operators and those in command, but she often ignore the thoughts of others. This doesn't mean she's a totally insensitive person, she just doesn't know how to relate to people without seeming weird, which leads her to avoid social situations most of the time.

BASIC INFOS AS RAINBOW SIX OPERATOR:

Name: Lilja ''hound/koira''Järvinen Side: defender Squad: Nighthaven (she probably joined them because they were more willing to fund her projects) Speciality: Anti-gadget, Intel and trapper Unity: Utti jaeger regiment support battalion/support company-trains conscripts in support tasks and handles logistics in cooperation with the Logistics Centre.

OPERATOR ICON:

BASIC LOADOUT

Primary weapons: -Assault rifle, RK 95

-9.00 submachine gun 2000

-pump-action shotgun remington police

Secondary weapon:

-Pistol 80/Pistol 80-91

Gadgets

-Smoke grenade -Frag grenade -Claymore

LOADOUT PART 2: Unique ability:

''K-9 puppies'' Highly intelligent robotic dogs with different speciality based on the selected one. They can be used as attack weapons, anti gadget, trapper or intel. They are all comanded by a tablet which makes you vulnerable to the attackers that can sneak and kill you. The robotic dogs are not vulnerable to bulletts or explosives. BIOGRAPHY

COMING SOON PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT: COMING SOON

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in February 2024

01/02 Visited ReBoot (Moray Computer Recycling) in Forres. 🖥️

As Warden, opened the Queen Elizabeth II classrooms at Gordonstoun School. 🏫

Visited Lossie Community Hub at the Warehouse Theatre, in Lossiemouth. 🎭

Unofficial Sir Tim, as Chair of the Board of Trustees, attended the opening ceremony of the Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City exhibition at the London Science Museum. 🐉🧧🕰️

03/02 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between Wales and Scotland at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

05/02 Visited Dressability Clothing Alterations Charity in Swindon, to mark its 25th Anniversary. 👗🪡🧵

As Commandant-in-Chief (Youth) of St John Ambulance, attended the dedication of a new Community Response Unit in Devizes, Wiltshire. 🚑

06/02 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, attended the launch of Nottingham West Primary Care Network’s Interactive Group Therapy at Plumptre Hall. 🩺

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association Limited, visited GH Hurt and Son in Nottingham. 🪡

With Sir Tim As Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, attended the announcement of the winner of The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering at the Science Museum in London. ⚙️🥂

07/02 As Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Logistic Corps, visited the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment at St George’s Barracks in Bicester. 💥

As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, visited the Commission’s Headquarters in Maidenhead. 🪦

As Patron of Catch22, visited the Commissioned Rehabilitative Services at Community Links in London. 🔗

08/02 As Vice Patron of the British Horse Society, visited Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre in West London. 🐎

As President of the Royal Yachting Association, attended the Annual Luncheon at Trinity House in London. 🛥️🥪

09/02 In Wales, Princess Anne; 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Worms Head Station in Rhossili, followed by a Reception at South Gower Sports Club in Scurlage. 🔎🍾

Visited Newport Medieval Ship. 🚢

Visited Newport Transporter Bridge which is undergoing maintenance. 🌉

10/02 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between France and Scotland at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. 🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

12/02 As Patron of Swinfen Telemedicine, attended a Meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine. 💊

As Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, held a Dinner at Buckingham Palace. 🎓

13/02 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, chaired the Quarterly Meeting of the Court at Trinity House. 📆

14/02 As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Hengistbury Head Station near Bournemouth. 🌊

As Colonel-in-Chief of the Intelligence Corps, visited I Company at Hamworthy Barracks in Poole. 🕵️‍♀️

15/02 Visited the Ordnance Survey National Mapping Agency in Southampton. 🗺️

With Sir Tim Attended Evensong and the James Caird Society’s Dedication Service followed by a Reception in Westminster Abbey, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Sir Ernest Shackleton. 🔭🧭🇦🇶

16/02 Visited knife crime community group ‘Off the Streets’ North Northamptonshire in Wellingborough. 🚫🔪

20/02 As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited Laxtons Limited in Baildon near Bradford. 🧶

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited Marton Mills in Otley, West Yorkshire. 🪡

21/02 In Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Princess Anne;

Visited Agemaspark Precision Engineering Company. ⚙️

Visited Haith Group Vegetable Processing Machinery Company. 🥕🥦

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Doncaster. 🚓👮‍♀️

As Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Carmen, attended a Joint Services Awards Dinner at Painters’ Hall in London. 🍽️

22/01 Visited London South Bank Technical College and Lee Marley Academy. ✏️👷

As Patron of Save the Children UK, visited Mary’s Living and Giving Shop in Wandsworth. 👚

23/02 unofficial Departed Heathrow Airport for Namibia 🇬🇧✈️🇳🇦

24/02 unofficial Arrived at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia. ✈️🇳🇦

Representing The King, Princess Anne called upon Mrs Monica Geingos (widow of Dr Hage Geingob). 🖤

Unofficial Sir Tim represented Princess Anne, Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, at the Six Nations Rugby Match between Scotland and England at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏉

25/02 Representing The King, Princess Anne attended the Burial Service for Dr Hage Geingob at Heroes’ Acre. 🕊️

Later attended a State Luncheon given by The President of Namibia at State House. 🍽️

26/02 unofficial Arrived at Heathrow Airport from Namibia. 🇳🇦✈️🇬🇧

With Sir Tim Attended the British Horseracing Authority’s Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards at Ascot Racecourse. 🐎🏆

27/02 With Sir Tim Attended a Service of Thanksgiving for the late King Constantine II at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle with members of 🇬🇧, 🇬🇷, 🇩🇰 and 🇪🇸 royal families.

28/02 As Patron of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, attended the Emergency Medicine Trainees' Association Annual Conference at Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. 💉💊

As Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, attended a Rugby League Reception at Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club, in Headingley, Leeds. 🦽🏉

29/02 unofficial Departed from Heathrow Airport for the United Arab Emirates 🇬🇧✈️🇦🇪

Unofficial Sir Tim, as President of Never Such Innocence, attended a 10th anniversary celebration for the charity at Edinburgh Castle. 🏰

Total official engagements for Anne in February: 44

2024 total so far: 85

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in February: 6

2024 total so far: 23

FYI - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won’t be posting everyone’s engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[rad4learning]

"Intimate partner violence, abuse, and harassment is routinely linked with efforts to monitor and control a targeted person. As new technologies have seeped into everyday life, aggressors have adopted and repurposed them to terrorize, control, and manipulate their current and former partners. When National Public Radio conducted a survey of 72 domestic violence shelters in the United States, they found that 85% of domestic violence workers assisted victims whose abuser tracked them using GPS. The US-based National Network to End Domestic Violence found that 71% of domestic abusers monitor survivors’ computer activities, while 54% tracked survivors’ cell phones with stalkerware. In Australia, the Domestic Violence Resources Centre Victoria conducted a survey in 2013 that found that 82% of victims reported abuse via smartphones and 74% of practitioners reported tracking via applications as often occurring amongst their client base. ... "In Part 3, we evaluated how companies which sold stalkerware, and software which could be repurposed as stalkerware, marketed their products to prospective customers. We used marketing intelligence methods, as well as content analysis, to conclude that many of the companies studied were actively promoting their software for the purposes of facilitating stalking and, by extension, intimate partner violence, abuse, and harassment. More specifically, we found that:

Consumer spyware companies’ blog and search engine optimization content revealed that most companies had extensive references to spousal monitoring;

One company, mSpy, encoded concealed HTML text which advertised spousal spying on their website as a way to make their products more easily discoverable by people searching for ways to conduct intimate partner surveillance; ..."

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Wednesday

SpaceTime 20241030 Series 27 Episode 131

Record energy gamma rays detected in the Milky Way's core

Scientists have detected ultrahigh-energy gamma rays emanating from the centre of our galaxy the Milky Way.

Discovery of the first black hole triple

Astronomers have discovered what may be the first triple black hole system

Problems for NASA’s new deployable solar array demonstration flight

NASA has run into problems as it tries to deploy a new combined solar array and antenna system aboard its Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator 4 spacecraft.

The Science Report

Study shows standing more compared with sitting does not improve cardiovascular health after all.

Palaeontologists describe the fossilized skull of an extinct giant elephant.

Study shows artificial intelligence assisted colonoscopies increase polyp and adenoma detection.

Alex on Tech

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[beardedmrbean]

"Highly confidential" documents obtained by BBC Persian outline how Iran's government is trying to crack down on women who do not wear a hijab.

Two documents from April and May reveal the judiciary could set up "mobile courts" in public places like shopping malls to punish dress code violations.

They also show schoolgirls could face action by the education ministry and that celebrities could be jailed for up to 10 years for "promoting corruption".

Iran's government has not commented.

However, an Iranian newspaper that published a short section of one of the directives has been charged with publishing classified documents.

And some of the directives were included in the controversial "Hijab and Chastity Bill" that is currently being reviewed by the Guardian Council watchdog before becoming law.

Iran's parliament passed the bill in September - a year after protests erupted over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

Women burnt their headscarves or waved them in the air at the demonstrations against clerical rule, during which hundreds of people were reportedly killed in a brutal crackdown by security forces.

Although the unrest has subsided, a growing number of women and girls have stopped covering their hair in public altogether in open acts of defiance.

According to the leaked documents, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi approved a series of directives aimed at coordinating action by the government and other entities to address the issue of women not covering their hair in public - several months before parliament began debating the hijab bill in secret.

Security services - including the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence service, the ministry of intelligence, and the Security Police - were granted extensive powers to implement those directives, they show.

Some of the directives state that:

Police should "prepare the necessary documentation regarding schoolgirls who unveil" so that appropriate action can be taken through the education ministry

Celebrities, influencers and bloggers who do not cover their hair, or who "encourage unveiling" on social media, should face the charge of "promoting corruption", which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Officers will also be able to enter their homes and seize their computers and mobile phones

Officers can seal or shut down without permission any shops or other businesses not comply with the hijab regulations, and that any customers who violate them should be denied services, forced to leave, or handed over to the judiciary

Cafes considered "corrupting centres" because of the role they played in last year's protests should be shut down, particularly those near schools and universities

Officers are authorised to initiate legal proceedings against women who resist warnings to cover their hair on charges including "promoting corruption"

There is a need for a national database of "motorcycle number plate bank" so those carrying female drivers or passengers with uncovered hair can be identified

Monitoring should be increased of companies whose employees "violate dress codes provocatively and immodestly during entry, exit, and within the premises"

A significant portion of the directives in the leaked documents have already been implemented, including setting up hijab enforcement units inside metro stations and other public spaces; impounding cars that transport unveiled women; denying services to women violating the dress code; and closing cafes.

According to the documents, the police force is required to assign a sufficient number of officers to "identify and warn women who have unveiled themselves", and that in areas where there is sufficient manpower IRGC personnel will help carry out the task.

In the past few months Iranians have noticed the presence of hijab enforcers at metro stations across the capital, Tehran.

The interior ministry and Tehran municipality have described them as "self-motivated forces that do not require a licence for their activities".

But the documents show that their presence is the result of a government decision, which has required planning and the allocation of resources.

The documents also emphasise the importance of "extensively filming and documenting the identity of those involved in unveiling", and indicate that hijab enforcers filming women and girls are affiliated to the security services.

[darkmaga-returns]

Welcome to New World Next Week – the video series from Corbett Report and Media Monarchy that covers some of the most important developments in open source intelligence news. This week:

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Story #1: Amazon Goes Nuclear, To Invest More Than $500 Million To Develop Small Modular Reactors https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/16/amazon-goes-nuclear-investing-more-than-500-million-to-develop-small-module-reactors.html

Google Turns To Nuclear To Power AI Data Centres; The Tech Giant Says It Will Use Energy From Small Reactors To Power Its Use Of Artificial Intelligence https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c748gn94k95o

Video: Google Turns To Nuclear Energy For AI Electricity Demand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnpBr7RXX3A

“Green” Energy Is a Scam. It Isn’t MEANT to Work. https://corbettreport.com/green-energy-is-a-scam-it-isnt-meant-to-work/

Lack of Task Checking Halted Debris Removal at Fukushima Unit: TEPCO https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240904/p2g/00m/0sc/031000c

TEPCO May Resume Debris Extraction From Fukushima Reactor Next Week https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/09/eb83b885b460-tepco-may-resume-debris-extraction-from-fukushima-reactor-next-week.html

Japan’s Voters Put Nuclear Energy On Back Burner Despite Safety Worries https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20241022/p2g/00m/0na/017000c

Japan Shifting Back to Nuclear to Ditch Coal, Power AI https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan-shifting-back-to-nuclear-to-ditch-coal-power-ai

Scientists Create Organic Slave Computers! (What Could Go Wrong?) https://corbettreport.com/scientists-create-organic-slave-computers-what-could-go-wrong/

Story #2: 23andMe Reportedly Faces Bankruptcy — What Will Happen To Everyone’s DNA Samples? https://activistpost.com/2024/10/23andme-reportedly-faces-bankruptcy-what-will-happen-to-everyones-dna-samples.html

Announcing the DNA Control Grid https://www.corbettreport.com/articles/20090227_dna_control.htm

Episode 118 – Who Owns Your DNA? https://corbettreport.com/episode-118-who-owns-your-dna/

DNA Shaming: Welcome to Orwell’s Nightmare https://corbettreport.com/dna-shaming-welcome-to-orwells-nightmare/

First They Came For Your Fingerprints . . . #PropagandaWatch https://corbettreport.com/first-they-came-for-your-fingerprints-propagandawatch/

The Next Threat: DNA Exploitation https://corbettreport.com/the-next-threat-dna-exploitation/

Video: Baroness Von Sketch On DNA Testing https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/dna_dumbass.mp4

Man Sends Lizard Saliva To 23andMe For DNA Testing, Exposing Total Fraud Of Company’s Claims Of Human Ancestry (Jun. 28, 2021) https://naturalnews.com/2021-06-28-lizard-saliva-23andme-dna-testing-fraud-ancestry.html

Story #3: Americans’ Trust In Media Remains At Trend Low https://news.gallup.com/poll/651977/americans-trust-media-remains-trend-low.aspx

Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/09/18/notice-on-the-continuation-of-the-national-emergency-with-respect-to-persons-who-commit-threaten-to-commit-or-support-terrorism-3/

[penis-flytrap]

@lovely-lady-fox

Sorry for the late response, I thought I'd posted my reply... But it turned out I'd left it in my phone drafts and forgot 😵‍💫 (thank you, adhd!)

So, my friend's Brazillian friend, her parents are originally from Pernambuco! Her husband's parents are also originally from Pernambuco too, near Recife.

They're like you - great taste in music, cultured, intelligent, very introspective. Deep thinkers, curious. Her husband is a baker with his own cake company, very talented. Lovely sweet amazing people.

Her family like to act extra loud, firey, like the party-mad Brazillian stereotype because I am quieter and they know it drives me crazy 🤣 it's great fun, or great craic as they say in Ireland. Craic = fun, gossip, or a good time. Or great banter, if you want the English slang word for fun 😉 they're so funny.

Her house had the largest TV I'd ever seen! In the 2000s, most people had a 20" screen, maybe 30". But her parents bought a new 50" flatscreen TV as soon as it was available in the shops. Complete with Sky and cable packages - and 10 million Brazillian/Portuguese channels 😂

Same in my Portuguese friend's house, as well - they had to buy the biggest sofa in the shop, the biggest TV, fridge, computer, everything 🤣

It took up ALL the space in the room. Her brother used to joke they couldn't leave me alone with the TV... because I might rip it off the wall, climb out through the window and take it back to my gypsy caravan to replace my antique black and white television LOL

Whenever I was invited to her big family house parties, her cousins would point at me and talk REALLY LOUDLY AND OBVIOUSLY about me in Portuguese, ALL DAY 😆

Nobody would explain the jokes until the next morning, when we were having breakfast and her mum and dad translated what they were saying... mostly Irish gypsy jokes, jokes about fighting, being drunk, Guinness, horse racing etc 😉 There were some REALLY clever jokes I'd never heard before as well 🤣

Oh, I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear! - all 3 of us were born and grew up in London in England, UK. All of our parents emigrated to England in the 1980s. I still live here in London.

But yeah there's a huge Brazillian ex pat community in Dublin, you're right. In fact a Brazillian man became a national hero in Ireland last year. He saved some very young children from being killed by a man with a knife who attacked them outside a school in Dublin City.

Incredibly brave, he just jumped in and stopped the attacker. Someone set up a fundraiser for him, and raised €300,000 with donations from people all over Ireland. He's a local hero and celebrity now 🫡

His name is Caio Benicio. He decided to stay in Ireland and ran for election as a council member in Dublin, for the Fianna Fáil party (centerist party, but right of centre on some issues)

Honestly Ireland doesn't treat its South American immigrant population very well, they're usually employed on bad contracts with poor wages and holiday pay and bad housing too. He wants to advocate for better workers conditions. I hope he does well!

I think Brasilians and British people share a similar sense of humour, we also give our politicians loads of diminutive nicknames. Most of them are... err... not so cute LOL

Our former prime minister Boris Johnson was Bozo the Clown too, and that was just us being polite lol:

🤣

Unlike Bolsonaro, MERCIFULLY none of Boris' children are in politics. He's had loads of marriages, mistresses and affairs and blackmailed one pregnant girlfriend until she had an abortion. His oldest daughter has actually disowned him. Not to mention ruining our economy, siphoning billions of tax money away in dodgy contracts and deals and passing some terrible laws...

He and his party are gone for now thankfully, but just like in Brasil, he's still hanging around politics like a turd that won't flush 😞 I know how you feel. There's no optimism left anywhere at the moment, everything seems impossible.

☺️ 😊 💖 I don't think you should worry about your language skills, your English is great! I really mean it, you are 100x better and more fluent than a lot of literal English people! Including me!!!! 😆 🤣 😂 😹

[virtualgirladv]

What jobs have you had?

(I'm not trying to dox but your life seems super cool and I hope that's okay to ask 🥺)

Working at the family shop manufacturing and installing car parts from ages like 5 to 17, the smell of machine grease and welding is so nostalgic you have no idea

Cook at a bougie burger place in uni

Call centre/magazine subscriptions and distribution. If you subscribed to PC World or national geographic in Australia in 2015 then I did that <3

Tutor(TA for you muricans) computer science and mechanical engineering on and off(those poor students didn't have a chance)

Internship at a wireless development company. Your internet packets 100% go through a chip I had a tiny bit to deal with

Internship at Microsoft... On Bing... On a project that got scraped...After getting out of hospital for a major confusion...We will not talk about this period of my life

Receptionist at an imaging medical Centre. Fired because the stress of chasing down patients about medical fees killed me

Software developer at a startup that uses satellites to image other satellites during covid. Let go because I am not cut out to be a full stack dev, fuck front end work, back end/devops/in house tools forever <3

Making lab equipment for my now ex's masters thesis

Long hiatus because covid and horrible mental health problems that still persist

Art commissions/Tumblr funny robot/possibly streaming and [redacted] soon

All and all its no surprise I'm a trans robot girl, it was basically fate. I really get in contact with the girl who prophesied that I'd become a femboy art streamer over a decade ago to tell her she was close and possibly my lesbian awakening, 2000s weeb girls are my weakness forever now

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm in TARTU, ESTONIA! Overcoming the Enshittocene (TONIGHT, May 8, 6PM, Prima Vista Literary Festival keynote, University of Tartu Library, Struwe 1). AI, copyright and creative workers' labor rights (May 10, 8AM: Science Fiction Research Association talk, Institute of Foreign Languages and Cultures building, Lossi 3, lobby). A talk for hackers on seizing the means of computation (May 10, 3PM, University of Tartu Delta Centre, Narva 18, room 1037).

#15yrsago New York Times webteam nukes the careers of many journalists https://web.archive.org/web/20090511024122/http://www.thomascrampton.com/newspapers/reporter-to-ny-times-publisher-you-erased-my-career/

#15yrsago It’s Useful to Have a Duck/It’s Useful to Have a Boy: great board-book tells the story from two points of view https://memex.craphound.com/2009/05/08/its-useful-to-have-a-duck-its-useful-to-have-a-boy-great-board-book-tells-the-story-from-two-points-of-view/

#10yrsago Fast food workers around the world to strike on May 15 http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/7/fast-food-workersuniteactivistsannounceglobalprotest.html

#10yrsago Former NSA boss defends breaking computer security (in the name of national security) https://www.wired.com/2014/05/alexander-defends-use-of-zero-days/

#10yrsago Tor: network security for domestic abuse survivors https://web.archive.org/web/20140509221534/http://betaboston.com/news/2014/05/07/as-domestic-abuse-goes-digital-shelters-turn-to-counter-surveillance-with-tor/

#10yrsago The Oversight: conspiracies, magic, and the end of the world https://memex.craphound.com/2014/05/08/the-oversight-conspiracies-magic-and-the-end-of-the-world/

#10yrsago Charlie Stross on NSA network sabotage https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2014/05/the-snowden-leaks-a-meta-narra.html

#10yrsago Peter “brokep” Sunde launches campaign for Finnish Pirate Party MEP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fModmx3U8HI

#5yrsago Test your understanding of evolutionary psychology with this rigorous quiz https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/05/evolutionary-psychology-quiz

#5yrsago Why “collapse” (not “rot”) is the way to think about software problems https://hal.science/hal-02117588/document

#5yrsago Human Rights Watch reverse-engineered the app that the Chinese state uses to spy on people in Xinjiang https://www.hrw.org/video-photos/interactive/2019/05/02/china-how-mass-surveillance-works-xinjiang

#5yrsago Google will now delete your account activity on a rolling basis https://myactivity.google.com/activitycontrols/webandapp?view=item&otzr=1&pli=1

#5yrsago Charter’s new way to be terrible: no more prorated cancellations https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/05/charter-squeezes-more-money-out-of-internet-users-with-new-cancellation-policy/

#1yrago California to smash prison e-profiteers https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/08/captive-audience/#good-at-their-jobs

[international-writing]

Hi sorry if this is a bother but i really loved (and needed) that most about MI6, do you think you can make one about MI5 too? I've been trying to find stuff about it but can't find any information as in depth as your post :)

I’m really glad the MI6 post was helpful! And it's no bother! I'll do it gladly!

Ready to jump back into the murky world of intelligence?

Alright, so we've talked about MI6 and how it gathers intelligence to aid the UK in its decision-making, but what about MI5?

Let's start with the basics.

Intelligence agencies 101: MI5

1.- What even?

Whereas MI6 is in charge of gathering intelligence overseas in order to support the government's security, defense, foreign and economic policies, according to the 1989 Security Service Act, MI5 is tasked with "the protection of national security and in particular its protection against threats such as terrorism, espionage and sabotage, the activities of agents of foreign powers, and from actions intended to overthrow or undermine parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means". Such threats may come from abroad or from within.

MI5’s headquarters are found at Thames House, a Grade II (of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it) building close to the Houses of Parliament in London. In addition to this, there are 8 regional offices in Luton, Wales, Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham, as well as another headquarters in Northern Ireland.

2.- Who is who?

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no M or C here.

The agency is under the authority of the Home Secretary, even though it does not form part of the Home Office.

The Director General (or DG) is the head of MI5, and is responsible for overseeing its operations and efficiency, reporting back to the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister, as well as ensuring the agency remains politically impartial.

There are 10 branches in MI5, and several entities that support its work, like the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA: providing organizations with security advice) and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC: handles intelligence relating to international terrorism).

It is worth mentioning that in 2011, His Majesty, King Charles III became the Royal Patron of the Intelligence Services (including MI5, SIS and GCHQ). This means that he receives regular security briefings, as well as a daily ‘red box’ which includes intelligence reports, Cabinet papers, and confidential reports from Commonwealth countries.

There are over 5,000 employees in the organization and their roles include, investigations, technology, languages, surveillance, communications, information, protective security, administrations, building services and catering. As in MI6, all employees must be British, over the age of 18, and UK residents. They aren't allowed to discuss their application or job either.

3.- Operational Areas

MI5 mainly focuses on 4 areas: Terrorism, Espionage, Cyber Threats and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Counter-Terrorism

The agency focuses on different types of terrorism:

International terrorism: Groups such as ISIL and Al Qaeda.

Northern Ireland related: Dissident republican groups.

Right Wing Terrorism (RWT)/ Left, Anarchist and Single-Issue Terrorism (LASIT): This issue took primacy in 2020 and are handled just like international terrorism.

Counter-Espionage

Seeks to stop foreign intelligence agents from obtaining information and provides security advice to companies and organizations while working closely with MI6, GCHQ, Scotland Yard, as well as security and intelligence organizations abroad.

Cyber

Focuses on hostile actors, such as criminals, "hacktivist" groups, terrorists and foreign states, which are generally well equipped for cyber espionage and computer network attacks. These actors can target the government, the military, businesses, individuals and large volumes of sensitive data.

Cyber Espionage is called Computer Network Exploitation (CNS), while the use of malicious software against cyber infrastructure is denominated Computer Network Attack (CNA).

Counter-Proliferation

The UK is obliged by several international treaties and conventions to work against the threat that weapons of mass destruction pose. MI5 focuses on regimes and states that pursue clandestine weaponization programmes. To do this, the agency works with both private institutions and government agencies such as: The Department for Business, the Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Ministry of Defence (MOD), His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Home Office and the National Crime Agency (NCA).

4.- Tale as old as time...

We have talked about the “armed peace” period and how crazy the world was getting back in 1909, basically racing towards THE war everyone thought would put an end to all wars. It was back then that, fearing the German imperialistic ambitions, Great Britain established the Secret Service Bureau through Prime Minister Asquith’s Committee of Imperial Defence. 

Initially, this agency handled both national and foreign affairs, under the leadership of 50 year-old Royal Navy Commander Mansfield Cumming and 36 year-old Army captain Vernon Kell.

However, down the road, our dear Commander Cumming advocated for the splitting of these branches and thus, the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Security Service (MI5) were born. 

Right off the bat MI5 was tasked with dealing with a massive German espionage network that, according to “official” reports, had infiltrated Britain, causing widespread paranoia. The agency barely had 16 employees back then, but that, along with Churchill’s support (Home Secretary back then) was enough to find out about the existence of a German Naval Intelligence spy network. By the end of WWI, more than half the spies sent to Britain were caught by MI5.

However, the agency barely made it through the post-war cuts, not to mention its rivalry with Scotland Yard’s Special Branch and MI6 (the line between espionage and counter-espionage was REEEEEEAAAALLY thin and they were stepping on each other's toes).

Thankfully, the Soviet Union came to save the day when one of MI5’s surveillance operations revealed that Scotland Yard had been infiltrated by Soviet intelligence. By 1931, MI5 was completely in charge of counter-subversion operations, a responsibility that the agency would continue to hold until 1991.

In the 1970s, terrorism became a priority for MI5, especially those threats coming from Northern Ireland and Qadhafi's Libya, and after the 9/11 attacks, the agency changed its modus operandi entirely.

As you can see, the agency has had a very long history, however, its existence was only officially acknowledged in 1992.

5-. A rose by any other name...

The agency, just like MI6, has taken on many names throughout the years, starting with the Home Section of the Secret Service Bureau in 1909, the Directorate of Military Operations section 5 “MO5(g)” in 1914, Military Intelligence section 5 (MI5) in 1916, the Defence Security Service in 1929, and finally, the Security Service in 1931. And although the latter has remained its official name, the agency is most commonly referred to as MI5, even by those in it.

6.- Technicalities

As it turns out, MI5 shares its funding with MI6 and the GCHQ (no wonder they’re rivals...). According to a report from the 2018/19 period, MI5 used 67% of its budget for international counter-terrorism, 20% for Northern Ireland-related terrorism, and 13% for counter-espionage, counter-proliferation and protective security. 

Also worth mentioning, while MI5 agents have plenty of powers, they are not authorized to make arrests, and that is why they work with the Metropolitan Police AKA Scotland Yard, providing them with the necessary intelligence.

Recently, reforms have been made within the agency, and people now have the right to find out the kind of information that MI5 has on them, as well as ask if a deceased relative used to work for the agency. If the relative is still alive, however, MI5 definitely won’t spill the beans. So uhm... you might want to wait a little before trying to find out what that weird uncle does.

7.- Intelligence

MI5 makes use of several techniques to gather intelligence, such as:

Covert Human Intelligence Sources: Also known as “agents”, these people provide secret information during investigations and are NOT MI5 employees.

Directed surveillance: Following and/or observing targets.

Interception of communications: Monitoring emails or phone calls.

Bulk personal data: information about a large number of people used to identify a subject of interest.

Intrusive surveillance: Eavesdropping devices in homes or cars.

Equipment interference: Covertly accessing computers or other devices.

And in case you were wondering, yep, these are all legal because guess what? Individual rights can often be voided when it comes to national security.

Well...

That was all on my behalf. I hope this turned out to be useful for you, and if you happen to have any more doubts on this or any other related topic, my ask is always open!

Yours truly,

-The Internationalist

[anyaexe]

character development task 001: meet the family.

anya's parents met while getting their masters at cambridge, and it was far from love at first sight. when they were initially placed in the same tutorial group, the two of them couldn't stand the sight of each other. she thought he was a glib, spoilt rich kid who couldn't have possibly gotten in on his own merit. he thought she was a cutthroat know-it-all. but then, as time (and every wattpad fic) will have it, the two eventually found common ground. romantic, sure, until you consider that they divorced when anya left for university.

dr. orla catherine quinn (gillian anderson fc) b. 19/02/1974, dublin, ireland - quantum physicist, national quantum computing centre

anan khemkhaeng saetang ( dom hetrakul fc) b. 22/09/1973, chelsea, london, uk - chief technical officer at some fintech/financial services company (think stripe, or gocardless)