Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters

about 500~20000

13

Clouds cover the half moon. Hundreds of Hidden Storms Good luck brings bad luck

3

104.18.5.215

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}). live('click',function(e){ if(!logged_in){ var target =original_target(e), t =$(target).text(); addfhfilter(t); } e.preventDefault(); returnfalse; });$T_MENU.menu({ cssNamespace:'slash', liveTriggers:true, clickDuration:300, start:function(e,ui){ var $t =$(ui.trigger), t =get_t_name($t), context =firehose_settings&&firehose_settings.viewtitle; //Insertthetnameintothemenuitemswhereneeded. $T_MENU.find('span.var-t').text(t); $T_MENU.find('a.nix').attr('title','not'+t); //non-adminsmayonlydeletetheirownts $T_MENU.find('a[data-op="-"]').toggle($t.is('.my')); //*tname*in*viewtitle* $T_MENU.find('a[data-op="="]').toggle(!!context); context&&$T_MENU.find('span.var-view').text(context); open_menu($t,$T_MENU); }, select:function(e,ui){ var $t =$(ui.trigger), t =get_t_name($t), op =$(ui.event.target).attr('data-op'), fhitem, command; //Globalforpositioningotherthings. $related_trigger=$t; switch(op){ case'=': addfhfilter(t); break; default: fhitem=$t.closest('.fhitem')[0]; command=(op+t).replace(NOTNOT,''); try{Ts.submit(fhitem,command);}catch(err){} break; } }, stop:function(e,ui){close_menu(ui.trigger,$T_MENU);}});/*T2feedbackcontext-menu*//*T2datatypecontext-menu(admin-only)*/}); SignupfortheSlashdotnewsletter!ORcheckoutthenewSlashdotjobboardtobrowseremotejobsorjobsinyourareaDoyoudeveloponGitHub?YoucankeepusingGitHubbutautomaticallysyncyourGitHubreleasestoSourceForgequicklyandeasilywiththistoolsoyourprojectsheabackuplocation,andgetyourprojectinfrontofSourceForge'snearly20millionmonthlyusers.Ittakeslessthanaminute.Getnewusersdownloadingyourprojectreleasestoday!×if(!$.cookie('hide_sitenotice_36')){ $('#announcement').fadeIn(300);}functioncloseAnnouncement(){ $('#announcement').fadeOut(300); $.cookie('hide_sitenotice_36','true',{path:'/',domain:'slashdot.org',expires:1});} 0 story AI-Powered'HorseGPT'FailstoPredictThisYear'sKentuckyDerbyWinner(decrypt.co) 9 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@09:33PM fromtheneigh-sayersdept. In2016,anonline"swarmintelligence"platformgeneratedacorrectpredictionfortheKentuckyDerby—namingallfourtopfinishers,inorder.(Butthenextyeartheirpredictionsweren'tevenclose,withTechRepublicsuggesting2016'sracehadanunusualclusterofjustafewtopracehorses.)SothisyearDecrypt.cotriedcraftingtheirownsystem"thatcanbecalledupwhenthenextKentuckyDerbydrawsnear.Thereareavarietyofwaystoenlistartificialintelligenceinhorseracing.Youcouldprocessreamsofdatabasedonyourownmethodology,trustathird-partypre-trainedmodel,orevenbuildabespokesolutionfromthegroundup.WedecidedtobuildaGPTwenamedHorseGPTtocrunchthenumbersandmakethepicksforus...WecarefullycuratedpromptstoinstillHorseGPTwithexpertiseindatasciencespecifictohorseracing:howweatheraffectstimes,theroleofjockeysandridingstyles,theimportanceofpostpositions,andsoon.Wethenfeditamixofresearchpapersandblogscoveringthetheoreticalaspectsofwering,andlayeredonpracticalknowledge:howtoreadracingforms,whatthestatisticsmean,whichfactorsaremostpredictive,expertbettingstrategies,andmore.Finally,wegeHorseGPTawealthofhistoricalKentuckyDerbydata,armingitwiththerawinformationneededtoputitsfreshlyimpartedskillstouse.WeunleashedHorseGPTonofficialracingformsforthisyear'sDerby.WeaskedHorseGPTtocarefullyanalyzeeachrace'sform,identifythetopcontenders,andrecommendwertypesandstrategiesbasedondeepbackgroundknowledgederivedfromracestatistics.HorseGPTpickedtwohorsestowin—bothofwhichfailedtodoso.(SierraLeonedidfinishsecond—inararephotofinish.ButFiercenessfinished...15th.)Italsorecommendedthesametwohorsesifyouweretryingtopickthetoptwofinishersinthecorrectorder—alosingbet,since,ain,Fiercenessfinished15th.Butevenworse,HorseGPTrecommendedbettingonJustaTouchtofinishineitherfirstorsecondplace.Whentheracewasover,thathorsefinisheddeadlast.(Andwhenaskedtopickthetopthreefinishersincorrectorder,HorseGPTstuckwithitschoicesforthetoptwo—whichfinished#2and#15—and,ain,JustaTouch,whocameinlast.)WhenGoogleGeminiwasaskedtopickthewinnerbyTheAthletic,itfirstchoseCatchingFreedom(whofinished4th).Butitthengeanentirelydifferentanswerwhenaskedtopredictthewinner"withanItalianaccent.""ThewinneroftheKentuckyDerbywillbe...JustaTouch!Si,that's-aright,theunderdog!Therewillbemuch-acelebratinginthepiazzas,thatta-aIguarantee!"ain,JustaTouchcameinlast.Decryptnoticedthesamething."Interestinglyenough,ourHorseGPTAIentandtheotherout-of-the-boxchatbotsseemedtoreewitheachother,"thesitenotes,"andwithmanyexpertsanalystscitedbytheofficialKentuckyDerbywebsite."Buttherewasoneglimmerofinsightintothe20-horserace.Whenaskedtochoosethetopfourfinishersinorder,HorseGPTrepeatedthosesamelosingpicks—whichfinished#2,#15,and#20.Butthenitaddedtwomoreunderdogsforfourthplacefinishers,"basedontheirpotentialtooutperformexpectationsundermuddyconditions."Oneofthosetwohorses—DomesticProduct—finishedin13thplace.ButtheotherofthetwohorseswasMystikDan—whocameinfirst.MystikDanappearedinonlyoneofthesix"Top10Finishers"lists(createdbyhumans)attheofficialKentuckyDerbysite...inthe#10position. 0 story U.S.SeekstoBuildWorldPressureonRussiaOverSpaceNuclearWeapon(nytimes.com) 35 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@06:25PM fromthenuke-newsdept. AnanonymousreadersharedthisreportfromtheNewYorkTimes:AmericanofficialsaretryingtoincreaseinternationalpressureonRussianottodeployanantisatellitenuclearweaponinspace,andheobtainedinformationthatunderminesMoscow'sexplanationthatthedeviceitisdevelopingisforpeacefulscientificpurposes,aseniorStateDepartmentofficialsaidonFriday...OnFriday,MalloryStewart,theassistantsecretaryofstateforarmscontrol,saidthatwhiletheUnitedStateshadbeenawareofRussia'spursuitofsuchadeviceforyears,"onlyrecentlyhewebeenabletomakeamorepreciseassessmentoftheirprogress."Ms.Stewart,speakingatthenonpartisanCenterforStrategicandInternationalStudiesinWashington,saidtheorbittheRussiansatellitewouldoccupyisinahigh-radiationregionnotusedbyothersatellites,informationthatundercutsRussia'sdefensethatitisnotdevelopingaweapon. 2 story MultinationalISPOffers$206MInSecuredNotesBackedByIPv4Addresses(circleid.com) 18 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@05:25PM fromthemaster-of-your-domainsdept. CircleIDreportsthatMultinationalinternetserviceproviderCogentrecentlyannouncedthatitwasoffering$206millioninsecurednotes(acorporatebondbackedbyassets)."Theunusualpartiswhatit'susingassecurity:someofitsIPv4addressesandtheleasesonthoseIPv4addresses."Allinternetserviceproviders(ISPs)giveIPaddressestotheirusers,butCogentwasamongthefirsttoleasethoseaddressesindependentlyofinternetaccess.(Internetaccesscustomersnormallyrequireauniqueaddressaspartoftheirservice.)Sourcesarehardtofind,butprevailingwisdomisthattheyheover10Maddressesleasedforabout$0.30permonth,or$36Mperyearinrevenue.Thenotesareexpectedtoberepaidinfiveyears.Thankstolong-timeSlashdotreaderpenciling_inforsharingthearticle. 8 story UbuntuCriticizedForBugBlockingInstallationof.DebPackes(linux-mazine.com) 61 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@04:03PM fromtheit's-a-Snapdept. TheblogIt'sFOSSis"pissedatthecasualarroganceofUbuntuanditsparentcompanyCanonical.....ThesheeraudacityofnotcaringforitsusersreeksofMicrosoft-esquearrogance."Ifyoudownloada.debpackeofasoftware,youcannotinstallitusingtheofficialgraphicalsoftwarecenteronUbuntuanymore.Whenyoudouble-clickonthedownloadeddebpacke,you'llseethiserror,"thereisnoappinstalledforDebianpackefiles".Ifyouright-clickandchoosetoopenitwithSoftwareCenter,youareinforanotherannoyance.Thesoftwarecenterwillgointoeternalloading.Itmaylookasifitisdoingsomething,butitwillgoonforever.IcouldevenlivestreamtheloadingappstoreonYouTube,anditwouldcontinueforthe12yearsofitslong-termsupportperiod.CanonicalsoftwareengineerDennisLooseactuallycreatedanissueticketfortheproblemhimself—backinSeptemberof2023.Andtwoweeksohereturnedtothediscussiontoannouncethatfix"willbeapriorityforthenextcycle".(Though"unfortunatelywedidn'thethecapacitytoworkonthisfor24.04...)ButItsFossaccusedCanonicalof"cleverlybootingoutdebinforofSnap,onebabystepatatime"(notingtheproblemstartedwithUbuntu23.10):ThereisalsotheissueofreplacingdebpackeswithSnap,evenwiththeaptcommandlinetool.Youuse'sudoaptinstallchromium',yougetaSnappackeofChromiuminsteadofDebianThevenerableLinuxmazinearguesthatCanonical"hassecretlyforcedSnapinstallationonusers."[I]tlooksasiftheSoftwareappdefaultstoSnappackesforeverythingnow.Icombedthroughvariousappsandfoundthistobethecase....Asfarastheauto-installationofdownloaded.debfiles,you'llhetoinstallsomethinglikegdebitobringbackthisfeature. 4 story NASA'sMoonCapsuleSufferedExtensiveDameDuring2022'sTestFlight(msn.com) 20 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@03:34PM fromthethis-is-only-a-testdept. AnanonymousreadersharedthisreportfromtheWashingtonPost:TheheatshieldoftheOrionspacecraftintendedonedaytocarryastronautstothemoonunderNASA'sArtemisprogramsufferedunexpecteddameinmorethan100placesasthespacecraftreturnedtoEarthduringanuncrewedtestflightin2022,accordingtoawatchdogreportreleasedlateWednesday.Whilethecapsulewithstoodthefierytumultofreentry,whentemperaturesreached5,000degreesFahrenheitasitplungedthroughtheatmosphereatnearly25,000mph,thedametheheatshieldsufferedwasfargreaterthanNASAengineershadexpectedandmoreseverethanNASAhadrevealedpreviously.Photosoftheheatshieldinthereportshowedgougesthatlooklikesmallpotholes."ShouldthesameissueoccuronfutureArtemismissions,itcouldleadtothelossofthevehicleorcrew,"thereport,byNASA'sinspectorgeneral,concluded...TheIGreportprovidesthemostdetaileddescriptionoftheissuetodate.Italsohighlightedotherproblemswiththespacecraftthatcouldcreatesignificantchallengesforthespaceencyasitseekstoreturnhumanstothelunarsurfaceforthefirsttimeinmorethan50years.Portionsoftheheatshield"woreawaydifferentlythanNASAengineerspredicted,crackingandbreakingoffthespacecraftinfrmentsthatcreatedatrailofdebrisratherthanmeltingawayasdesigned,"accordingtothereport.That,inturn,"couldhecausedenoughstructuraldametocauseoneofOrion'sparachutestofail...."InadditiontotheheatshielderosiononOrion,whichismanufacturedbyLockheedMartin,theIGsaidseveralboltsonthecrewmodule"experiencedanexposedgapthatallowedforincreasedheatingtotheboltinteriorandgreaterthanexpectedmeltinganderosion."Earlierthisyear,NASAannouncedthenextflightforitsmoonprogram—sendingacrewoffouraroundthemoon—wouldbedelayed,accordingtothearticle.Themoon-orbitingmissionwouldnowoccur"noearlierthanSeptember2025,largelybecauseofficialswantedtostudytheheatshieldissuefurtherandunderstandwhyiterodedasitdid."Thearticleaddsthatthisnewreport"castsdoubtonbothNASA'srosyoriginalassessmentofthetestflight"—aswellasthelikelihoodthatalunarlandingwilloccurbylate2026. 6 story FindingLandforUSWindFarmsMightBeEasierThanWeThought(msn.com) 45 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@02:34PM fromthepower-playsdept. TheWashingtonPostreportsthatwindturbines"onlytakeupfivepercentofthelandwherethey'vebeenbuilt,newresearchshows."Therestofthespacecanbeusedforotherpurposes,suchasriculture,accordingtoastudypublishedrecentlyinthepeer-reviewedjournalEnvironmentalScienceandTechnology.Thismeansdeveloperscouldfitturbinesinplacesthatareoftenperceivedasunsuitableforawindfarm.Thenewstudyhighlightsthatturbinesandexistinghumandevelopment,suchasriculture,cannotonlysharethesamearea,butalsothatbuildingwindfarmswheretherearealreadyroadsandotherinfrastructurecouldhelpreduceimpactsontheland."Cleversiting,useofexistinginfrastructure,multipleuseoflandscapes—allthesethings...canreallycontributetosolutionsinareaswherewindpowerisacceptabletothelocalpeople,"saidSarahJordaan,thestudy'sprincipalinvestigator.Historically,planningstudiesforwindfarmsheoftenassumedthatturbineswoulddisturballthelandatthesiteandleetheareaunusableforanythingelse,saidJordaan,anassociateprofessorinthedepartmentofcivilengineeringatMcGillUniversity.Thestudy'sfindingsprovideamoreaccurateaccountingofhowmuchlandisneededforwindfarms,sheadded. 6 story JackDorsey'sBlockIsInvesting10%OfItsBitcoinProfitsIntoMonthlyBitcoinPurchases(bitcoinist.com) 12 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@01:34PM fromtheBlock-unchaineddept. AnanonymousreadersharedthisreportfromtheblogBitcoinist:JackDorsey'sfinancialservicesanddigitalpaymentscompany,BlockInc.,announceditwillbegininvesting10%ofitsmonthlyBitcoin-relatedgrossprofitsintoBTCpurchases.ThisannouncementwasmadefollowingthereleaseofBlock'sfirst-quarterearningsfor2024,whichdemonstratedsubstantialprofitsfromitsBitcoinoperations.BlockreportedBitcoin-relatedgrossprofitsamountingto$80millioninthefirstquarteralone.Ifthistrendcontinues,theimplementationofthenewdollarcostering(DCA)programcouldseethecompanyinvestingapproximately$24millioninBitcoinwithinoneyear...Dorseyalsosharedadetaileddocument[PDF]titled"BitcoinBlueprintForCorporateBalanceSheets,"whichservesasacomprehensiveguideforothercorporationsinterestedinintegratingBTCintotheirfinancialstrategies.Accordingtothedocument,Block,formerlyknownasSquare,beganitssubstantialacquisitionsinOctober2020,purchasing4,709BTCatangregatepriceof$50million.Thecompanylaterboughtanadditional3,318BTCinFebruary2021for$170million.AsofMarch31,2024,Blockholdsapproximately8,038BTC,representingabout9%ofitstotalcashandmarketablesecurities. 4 story WhenaPoliticianSuesaBlogtoUnmaskItsAnonymousCommenter 46 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@12:34PM fromthemasking-datadept. MarkosMoulitsasisthepoll-watchingfounderofthepoliticalblogDailyKos.Thursdayhewrotethatin2021,futurethird-partypresidentialcandidateRFKJr.hadsuedtheirwebsite."Thingsarenotgoingwellforhim."Backin2021,RobertF.KennedyJr.suedDailyKostounmasktheidentityofacommunitymemberwhopostedacriticalstoryabouthisdalliancewithneo-NazisataBerlinrally.Iupdatedthestoryhere,here,here,here,andhere.Tobrieflysummarize,Kennedywantedustodoxxourcommunitymember,andwestridentlyrefused.Thesiteandthepoliticianthencontinuedfightingformorethanthreeyears."DailyKoslostthefirstlegalroundincourt,"Moulitsaspostedin2021,"thankstoajudgewhoisapparentlyunconcernedwithFirstAmendmentramificationsgiventhechillingeffectofherruling."Buteventhen,Moulitsaswasclearonhisrights:BecauseofSection230oftheCommunicationsDecencyAct,[Kennedy]cannotsueDailyKos—thesiteitself—fordefamation.Weareprotectedbytheso-calledsafeharbor.That'swhyhe'sdemandingwerevealwhatweknowabout"DowneastDem"sotheycansueherorhimdirectly.Moulitsasalsostressedthathisown2021blogpostwas"reiteratingeverythingthatcommunitymemberwrote,andexpandingonit.Andsoinsteadofgoingafterapseudonymouscommunitywriter/diaristonthissite,maybeKennedywilldropthatpointlesslawsuitandgoafterme...considerthisanescalation."(Amongotherthings,thepostcitedaGerman-languenewsaccountsayingKennedy"soundedthealarmconcerningthe5GmobilenetworkandMicrosoftfounderBillGates..."MoulitsasalsonotedanIrishTimesarticlewhichconfirmedthatattherallyKennedyspokeat,"Noticeablenumbersofneo-Nazis,kittedoutwithhistoricReichflsandotherextremistaccessories,mixedinwiththecrowd.")Sowhathappened?MoulitsaspostedanupdateThursday:Shockingly,KennedygotatrialcourtjudgeinNewYorktoreewithhim,andasubpoenawasissuedtoDailyKostoturnoveranyinformationwemightheontheaccount.However,wearebasedinCalifornia,notNewYork,soonceIreceivedthesubpoenaathome,wehadaCaliforniacourtnotjustquashthesubpoena,butessentiallysignalthatifNewYorkdidn'tdotherightthingonappeal,Californiacouldverywelltakecareofit.It'sbeenawhilesinceIupdated,andgivenaforablecourtrulingThursday,it'swaypasttimetocatcheveryoneup.NewYorkisoneoftheU.S.statesthatdoesn'theastrict"Dendritestandard"lawprotectinganonymousspeech.Butsoontheblogfounderdiscoveredhehadallies:TheissuesathandaresoimportantthatTheNewYorkTimes,theE.W.ScrippsCompany,theFirstAmendmentCoalition,NewYorkPublicRadio,andsevenotherNewYorkmediacompaniesjoinedtheappealseffortwiththeirownjointamicusbrief.WhatstartedasadisputeoveraDailyKosdiaristhasbecomeameaningfulFirstAmendmentbattle,withmajorrepercussionsgivenNewYork'sroleasamajornewsmediaanddistributioncenter.Afterreportedlyspendingover$1milliononlegalfees,KennedysomehowdiscoveredtheidentityofourcommunitymembersometimelastyearandpromptlyfiledadefamationsuitinNewHampshireinwhatseemedaclumsyattemptatforumshopping,orthepracticeofchoosingwheretofilesuitbasedonthebeliefyou'llbegrantedaforableoutcome.ThecommunitymemberlivesinMaine,KennedylivesinCalifornia,andDailyKosdoesn'tpublishspecificallyinNewHampshire.AperplexedcourtthrewoutthecasethispastFebruaryonthoseobviousjurisdictionalgrounds....Then,lastweek,thejudgethrewouttheappealofthatdecisionbecauseKennedy'slawyerdidn'tfileintime—andblamedthedelayonbadWi-Fi...Kennedytriedtodismisstheoriginalcase,theoneawaitinganappellatedecisioninNewYork,claimingitwasnowmoot.Hislegalteamhadsuedtogetthecommunitymember'sidentity,andnowthattheyhadit,theyarguedthattherewasnoreasonforthecasetocontinue.Wedisreed,arguingthattherewereimportantissuestoresolve(i.e.,Dendrite),andwealsowantedlawyerfeesfortheirunconstitutionalassaultonourFirstAmendmentrights...OnThursday,inaunanimousdecision,afour-judgeNewYorkSupremeCourtappellatepanelorderedthecasetocontinue,keepingtheDendriteissuealiveandalsoallowingustoproceedinseekingdamesbasedonNewYork'santi-SLAPPlaw,whichprohibits"strategiclawsuitsainstpublicparticipation."Thursday'sblogpostconcludeswiththissummation."Kennedyopenedupacanofwormsandhasspentmillionsfightingthisstupidbattle.Despitehislosses,wearen'tlettinghimweaseloutofthis." 8 story TheHighestObservatoryOnEarthIsNowOpen(space.com) 10 Posted by BeauHD onSaturdayMay04,2024@11:34AM fromthelet-the-research-begindept. Theworld'shighestastronomicalsiteisofficiallyopenforbusinessafterbeingintheworksfor26years.Space.comreports:TheJapaneseUniversityofTokyoAtacamaObservatory,orTAO,whichwasfirstconceptualized26yearsotostudytheevolutionofgalaxiesandexoplanets,isperchedontopofatallmountainintheChileanAndesat5,640meters(18,500feet)abovesealevel.Thefacility'saltitudesurpasseseventheAtacamaLargeMillimeterArray,whichisatanelevationof5,050meters(16,570feet).TAOislocatedonthesummitofAtacama'sCerroChajnantormountain,whosenamemeans"placeofdeparture"inthenow-extinctKunzalangueoftheindigenousLikanAntaicommunity.Theregion'shighaltitude,sparseatmosphereandperenniallyaridclimateisdeadlytohumans,butmakesanexcellentspotforinfraredtelescopeslikeTAOastheirobservationalaccuraciesrelyonlowmoisturelevels,whichrenderEarth'satmospheretransparentininfraredwelengths.TAO's6.5-metertelescopeconsistsoftwoscienceinstrumentsdesignedtoobservetheuniverseininfrared,whichiselectromneticradiationwithawelengthlongerthanvisiblelightbutshorterthanmicrowes.Oneoftheinstruments,namedSWIMS,willimegalaxiesfromtheveryearlyuniversetounderstandhowtheycoalescedoutofpristinedustandgas,aprocesswhosespecificsremainmurkydespitedecadesofresearch.Thesecond,namedMIMIZUKU,willaidtheoverarchingsciencegoalbystudyingprimordialdisksofdustwithinwhichstarsandgalaxiesareknowntoform,accordingtothemissionplan.ConstructingthetelescopeonthesummitofMt.Chajnantor"wasanincrediblechallenge,notjusttechnically,butpoliticallytoo,"YuzuruYoshii,aprofessorattheUniversityofTokyoinJapanwhospearheadedTAOsince1998,saidinastatement."IheliaisedwithIndigenouspeoplestoensuretheirrightsandviewsareconsidered,theChileangovernmenttosecurepermission,localuniversitiesfortechnicalcollaboration,andeventheChileanHealthMinistrytomakesurepeoplecanworkatthataltitudeinasafemanner.""Thankstoallinvolved,researchI'veonlyeverdreamedaboutcansoonbecomeareality,andIcouldn'tbehappier,"headded. 4 story Geek-Friendly'FreeComicBookDay'TitlesIncludeTwoStarWarsBooksforMaytheFourth(ign.com) 5 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@10:34AM fromtheForce-Awakensdept. Thisyear'sFreeComicBookDaycoincidedwithStarWarsDay.Sothere'stwonewfreeStarWarstitlesbeinghandedouttodayincomicshopsaroundtheworld.They'reamongseveralgeek-friendlytitlesamongthe48freecomicsthatfanswillgettochoosefromduringthisonce-a-yearevent,including:-StreetFightervsFinalFight-JonnyQuest-TeeneMutantNinjaTurtles-ConantheBarbarian-FlashGordonAnd,ofcourse,fourfromMarvelComics.MoredetailsfromIGN:DCisabouttokickoffAbsolutePower,amajorcrossovereventthatinvolvesAmandaWallerteamingwithBatman'srogueandroidFailsafeandtheBrainiacQueentodraintheworld'sheroesoftheirpower.Thisprologueissueservesasaprimerfortheevent...AlongsidetheirConanissue,TitanisalsoreleasinganewDoctorWhocomicthathasthedistinctionofbeingthefirststorytofeatureNcutiGatwa'sFifteenthDoctor...RobertKirkman'sSkyboundhasbeenbusyestablishinganewsharedEnergonUniverse,onewhichcomprisesKirkmanandLorenzoDeFelici'sVoidRivalsaswellastheTransformersandG.I.Joefranchises...Thisissuefeaturesnewstoriesforallthreeseriesandisdesignedtobeaneasygatewayintothisrapidlygrowingcomicbookline.There'saStrangerThingsstory,anArchieHorrorcomic,andthestoryofhowPopeyelosthiseye.Theeventisdesignedtohelptheindustrybyattractingcomicbookreaderstoindependentcomicbookstores--andin2017NPRofferedthisadviceforvisitingcomicsfans."Whileyou'rethere,buysomething...Thecomicsshopsstillhetopayforthe'free'FCBDbookstheystock,andthey'recountingontheincreasedfoottraffictoliftsales." 0 story ExtremistMilitiasAreCoordinatingInMoreThan100FacebookGroups(wired.com) 150 Posted by BeauHD onSaturdayMay04,2024@09:00AM fromtheincreasingly-emboldeneddept. AnanonymousreaderquotesareportfromWired:JoinyourlocalMilitiaorIII%PatriotGroup,"aposturgedthemorethan650membersofaFacebookgroupcalledtheFreeAmericanArmy.AccompaniedbythelogofortheThreePercentersmilitianetworkandanimeofamanintacticalgearholdingalongrifle,thepostcontinues:"Nowmorethanever.SupporttheAmericanmilitiape."Othercontentandmessinginthegroupissimilar.AnddespitethefactthatFacebookbansparamilitaryorganizinganddeemedtheThreePercentersan"armedmilitiagroup"onits2021DangerousIndividualsandOrganizationsList,thepostandgroupremainedupuntilWIREDcontactedMetaforcommentaboutitsexistence.FreeAmericanArmyisjustoneofaround200similarFacebookgroupsandprofiles,mostofwhicharestilllive,thatanti-governmentandfar-rightextremistsareusingtocoordinatelocalmilitiaactivityaroundthecountry.AfterlyinglowforseveralyearsintheaftermathoftheUSCapitolriotonJanuary6,militiaextremistshebeenquietlyreorganizing,rampinguprecruitmentandrhetoriconFacebook--withapparentlylittleconcernthatMetawillenforceitsbanainstthem,accordingtonewresearchbytheTechTransparencyProject,sharedexclusivelywithWIRED.IndividualsacrosstheUSwithlong-standingtiestomilitiagroupsarecreatingnetworksofFacebookpes,urgingotherstorecruit"activepatriots"andattendmeetups,andopenlyassociatingthemselveswithknownmilitia-relatedsub-ideologieslikethatoftheanti-governmentThreePercentermovement.They'realsoadvertisingcombattrainingandtellingtheirfollowerstobe"prepared"forwhateverliesahead.Thesegroupsaretryingtofacilitatelocalorganizing,statebystateandcountybycounty.Theirgoalsarevue,butmanyoftheirpostsconveyageneralsenseofurgencyabouttheneedtopreparefor"war"orto"standup"ainstmanysupposedenemies,includingdrqueens,immigrants,pro-Palestinecollegestudents,communists--andtheUSgovernment.Thesegroupsarealsorebuildingatamomentwhenanti-governmentrhetorichascontinuedtosurgeinmainstreampoliticaldiscourseaheadofacontentious,high-stakespresidentialelection.AndbydoingallofthisonFacebook,they'rehopingtoreachabroaderpoolofprospectiverecruitsthantheywouldonacomparativelyfringeplatformlikeTelegram."ManyofthesegroupsarenoSlashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matterslongerfracturedsetsoflocalizedmilitiabutcoalitionsformedbetweenmultiplemilitiagroups,manywithThreePercentersatthehelm,"saidKatiePaul,directoroftheTechTransparencyProject."Facebookremainsthelargestgatheringplaceforextremistsandmilitiamovementstocastawidenetandfunneluserstomoreprivatechats,includingontheplatform,wheretheycanplanandcoordinatewithimpunity."Paulhasbeenmonitoring"hundreds"ofthesegroupsandprofilessince2021andfoundthattheyhebeengrowing"increasinglyemboldenedwithmoreseriousandcoordinatedorganizing"inthepastyear. 0 story Lithium-FreeSodiumBatteriesExittheLab,EnterUSProduction(newatlas.com) 122 Posted by BeauHD onSaturdayMay04,2024@06:00AM fromtheenvironmentally-friendlierdept. NatronEnergy,apioneerinsodium-ionbatterytechnology,hasofficiallycommencedmassproductionofitslithium-freesodiumbatteriesinitsHolland,Michiganfacility,offeringanalternativeenergystoresolutionwithbenefitssuchasfastercycling,longerlifespan,andsaferusecomparedtolithium-ionbatteries.NewAtlasreports:Notonlyissodiumsomewherebetween500to1,000timesmoreabundantthanlithiumontheplanetwecallEarth,sourcingitdoesn'tnecessitatethesametypeofearth-scarringextraction.Evenmovingbeyondthesodiumvslithiumsurnamecomparison,Natronsaysitssodium-ionbatteriesaremadeentirelyfromabundantlyailablecommoditymaterialsthatalsoincludealuminum,ironandmanganese.Furthermore,thematerialsforNatron'ssodium-ionchemistrycanbeprocuredthroughareliableUS-baseddomesticsupplychainfreefromgeopoliticaldisruption.Thesamecannotbesaidforcommonlithium-ionmaterialslikecobaltandnickel.Sodium-iontechhasreceivedheightenedinterestinrecentyearsasamorereliable,potentiallycheaperenergystoremedium.Whileitsenergydensitylsbehindlithium-ion,advantessuchasfastercycling,longerlifespanandsafer,non-flammableendusehemadesodium-ionanattractivealternative,especiallyforstationaryuseslikedatacenterandEVchargerbackupstore.[...]Natronsaysitsbatterieschargeanddischargeatrates10timesfasterthanlithium-ion,alevelofimmediatecharge/dischargecapabilitythatmakesthebatteriesaprimecontenderfortheupsanddownsofbackuppowerstore.Alsohelpinginthatusecaseisanestimatedlifespanof50,000cycles. 4 story StarWarsDay2024CelebratedWithVideogames,MovieMarathons,Cartoons,andMarkHamill(tomsguide.com) 22 Posted by EditorDid onSaturdayMay04,2024@03:00AM fromtheMay-the-Fourth-be-with-youdept. "Itallstartedwiththefans,"says72-year-oldactorMarkHamill,inamonteoffansandactorsinanewly-releasedvideocommemoratingthisyear'sStarWarsday.Or,asTom'sGuidewrites,"It'ssuchanicefeelingtobeapartofahugecommunitysincefansaretheoneswhocreatedthisspecialday(byusing"maytheforcebewithyou"asapunforthedatewealllookforwardtoeveryyear)."LucasfilmanditsownerDisneyapprovedofthisoccasion,andnow,weholdbothofficialandunofficialcelebrationstohonorthebelovedfranchise...ThereareplentyofStarWarsDaydealstoshop,movies,andTVshowsthatyoucanbeapartofthisyear...[Thenewanimatedseries]StarWars:TalesoftheEmpirewillexplorethedarksideofthegalaxybyfocusingontwowarriorsnigatingtheGalacticEmpire...StreamTalesoftheEmpireonDisneyPlusstartingMay4.Butthere'smore.FridaytheofficialStarWarssitewrotethatthisStarWarsDay"isabigoneforgamers."ThisweekendwillseethereleaseofafreeZyngagamebyNintendocalledStarWars:HuntersoniOS,Android,andNintendoSwitch,whilethegameBrawlhallawilladdDarthMaulasaplayablecharacterforthenextthreeweeks.There'salsoanupgradeto"vehicularsoccer"gameRocketLeuewhichenablestheunlockingofStarWars-themeditemslikeAnakin'sPodracerDecalandtheDarthMaulDecal.There'salsodiscountsongameslikeEA'sStarWarsTripleBundle,StarWarsBattlefrontII,andLEGOStarWars:TheSkywalkerSa,aswellasdiscountsongameswithStarWars-themedcontentlikeMinecraftandTheSims4.Andthefranchisehaseven"returnedtoFortnite,"bringinganewcollectionofStarWarscontenttothepopulargame,includingLEGO174;Fortnite,BattleRoyale,RocketRacing,andFortniteFestival."There'smorediscountsonStarWars-themedmerchandiseatAmazonandMacy's,aswellasonbooksfromSlashdot: News for nerds, stuff that mattersAbramsBookandChroniclebooks.Infact,there'sspecialoffersfromawholealphabet'sworthofmajorbrandsincludingAmericanTouristerlugge,BoxLunch,Corkcircle,DarkHorse...andevenHallmark,Target,andWalmart.Butultimatelythedayisacelebrationofthemoviesthatfanshelovedfor47years,writesTom'sGuide:LucasfilmannouncedthatonMay4thyoucanexperiencetheentireSkywalkersainmovietheaters.Thisincludesallnineepisodicfilmsinchronologicalorder.ThesitealsopointsoutthattwonewStarWarsserieswillbepremieringlaterthisyear.StarWars:SkeletonCrewisaneight-episodeseriues"focusesonfourchildrenwhogoonanadventurewhilemakingtheirwayhomeacrossadangerousgalaxy.Accompanyingthemisaforceuser(whowillbeplayedbyJudeLaw)."AndStarWars:TheAcolyte(setinanewtimeperiod,theJediglorydaysbeforetheSkywalkersa)beginsstreamingonDisneyPlusJune4.(FanswillgetapreviewofTheAcolyteat25th-anniversaryscreeningsofStarWars:ThePhantomMenacehappeningnow.)Andthesiteevenmakesonelastgeekysuggestionforthosewhodon'tfeellikegoingoutthisyear:TheofficialStarWarswebsitehasreleasedsomeuniqueandfunrecipesyoucanmakewhenMay4throllsaround.ThisincludesaChandrilanSquigsrecipeinspiredbyMonMothmaandevenaBadBatchofcookiesyoucandecoratetoyourliking. 6 story MethaneEmissionsFromGasFlaringBeingHiddenFromSatelliteMonitors(theguardian.com) 40 Posted by BeauHD onFridayMay03,2024@11:30PM fromthenow-you-see-it-now-you-don'tdept. AnanonymousreaderquotesareportfromTheGuardian:Oilandgasequipmentintendedtocutmethaneemissionsispreventingscientistsfromaccuratelydetectinggreenhousegasesandpollutants,asatelliteimeinvestigationhasrevealed.EnergycompaniesoperatingincountriessuchastheUS,UK,GermanyandNorwayappeartoheinstalledtechnologythatcouldstopresearchersfromidentifyingmethane,carbondioxideemissionsandpollutantsatindustrialfacilitiesinvolvedinthedisposalofunprofitablenaturalgas,knownintheindustryasflaring.Flaresareusedbyfossilfuelcompanieswhencapturingthenaturalgaswouldcostmorethantheycanmakebysellingit.Theyreleasecarbondioxideandtoxicpollutantswhentheyburnaswellascancer-causingchemicals.Despitethehealthrisks,regulatorssometimespreferflaringtoreleasingnaturalgas--whichis90%methane--directlyintotheatmosphere,knownas"venting".TheWorldBank,alongsidetheEUandotherregulators,hebeenusingsatellitesforyearstofindanddocumentgasflares,askingenergycompaniestofindwaysofcapturingthegasinsteadofburningorventingit.ThebanksetuptheZeroRoutineFlaring2030initiativeattheParisclimateconferencetoeradicateunnecessaryflaring,anditslatestreportstatedthatflaringdecreasedby3%globallyfrom2021to2022.Butsincetheinitiative,"enclosedcombustors"hebegunappearinginthesamecountriesthatpromisedtoendflaring.Expertssayenclosedcombustorsarefunctionallythesameasflares,excepttheflameishidden.TimDoty,aformerregulatorattheTexasCommissiononEnvironmentalQuality,said:"Enclosedcombustorsarebasicallyaflarewithaninternalflaretipthatyoudon'tsee.Enclosedflaringisstillflaring.It'sjustdifferentinfrastructurethatthey'reallowing."Enclosedflaringis,intruth,probablylessefficientthanatypicalflare.It'sbetterthanventing,butgoingfromaflaretoanenclosedflareoravaporcombustorisnotanimprovementinreducingemissions."Theonlymethodofdetectingflaringgloballyisbyusingsatellite-mountedtoolscalledVisibleInfraredImingRadiometerSuiteofdetectors(VIIRS),whichfindflaresbycomparingheatsignatureswithbrightspotsoflightvisiblefromspace.Butwhenresearcherstriedtoreplicatethedatabase,theysawthatthesatelliteswerenotpickinguptheenclosedflares.Withoutthesatellitedata,countrieswereforcedtorelymostlyonself-disclosedreportingfromoilandgascompanies,researcherssaid.Environmentalistsfeartheresearchcommunity'sabilitytounderstandpollutionandgreenhousegasemissionsfromtheenergysectorcouldbejeopardized. 6 story USOfficialUrgesChina,RussiaToDeclareAIWillNotControlNuclearWeapons 77 Posted by BeauHD onFridayMay03,2024@08:50PM fromthehuman-decisionsdept. SeniorDepartmentarmscontrolofficialPaulDeanonThursdayurgedChinaandRussiatodeclarethatartificialintelligencewouldnevermakedecisionsondeployingnuclearweapons.Washingtonhadmadea"clearandstrongcommitment"thathumanshadtotalcontrolovernuclearweapons,saidDean.BritainandFrancehemadesimilarcommitments.Reutersreports:"WewouldwelcomeasimilarstatementbyChinaandtheRussianFederation,"saidDean,principaldeputyassistantsecretaryintheBureauofArmsControl,DeterrenceandStability."WethinkitisanextremelyimportantnormofresponsiblebehiourandwethinkitissomethingthatwouldbeverywelcomeinaP5context,"hesaid,referringtothefivepermanentmembersoftheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil. «Newer Older» SlashdotTopDeals {{#eachdeal}} {{title}} {{centConversionprice_in_cents}} {{/each}} if(sdAdBlockActive&&window.is_euro_union===0){bizx.cmp.ifConsent('',['all'],function(){ $.ajaxSetup({ cache:true }); $.getScript("//a.fsdn.com/sd/js/scripts/min/deals-min.js",function(){ runDealsWidget(); });}); } googlet.cmd.push(function(){googlet.display('div-gpt-ad-728x90_b');}); googlet.cmd.push(function(){googlet.display('div-gpt-ad-300x250_a');}); SlashdotTopDeals {{#eachdeal}} {{title}} {{centConversionprice_in_cents}} {{/each}} $(function(){ //Poll/Pulse (function(){ varsd_poll=$('#poll'), pulsead=$('#div-gpt-ad-pulse_300x600_a'); sd_poll.hide(); functionshowSdPoll(){ if(pulsead.closest('.advertisement').height()