Change All Your Passwords
The recent leak of over 16 000 000 000 passwords is quite serious and was reported when the world was hardly looking. At the time of this writing it was scrubbed from the major US news outlets.
Sci-Tech
Science and Technology section
The Promises and Perils Of Gene Editing
It would have seemed impossible only a few years ago, but medical researchers have been able to edit a baby’s genes so that he does not suffer from a rare genetic disease. A press release from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia explains, “In a historic medical breakthrough, a child diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder has been successfully treated with a customized CRISPR gene editing therapy by a team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Penn Medicine. The infant, KJ, was born with a rare metabolic disease known as severe carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency. After spending the first several months of his life in the hospital, on a very restrictive diet, KJ received the first dose of his bespoke therapy in February 2025 between six and seven months of age. The treatment was administered safely, and he is now growing well and thriving.”
There have also been cases of gene editing for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. But in KJ’s case this is the first time gene editing was done for one individual which means the editing only applies to his case. For those other diseases, anyone who has them can use the same editing process.
Tech News: Avast Antivirus Sold Client Info
This issue is simply not getting the press it deserves:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ftc-avast-browsing-data-privacy/
By definition, your AV [antivirus] needs to not only track every browser request, it needs to track every executable invoked while the AV is running. Any AV worth its salt would aggregate all this information, at least for the purpose of addressing new issues ASAP.
Smart Meters
A few years back, the power company announced that they would be installing meters that would broadcast usage date directly to the company, without the need for meter readers. Some customers complained that the new meters were making them sick.
I understand that some people are sensitive to electromagnetic radiation.
However, some of these people were complaining BEFORE the new new meters were installed.
New Map Shows Broadband (Lack of) Availability
The NTIA has released a new map showing indicators of broadband need. It takes several data sources, combines them, and then shows how different parts of the country compare.
It’s a fascinating map, showing where people in the US are getting fast internet speeds (big cities, Silicon Valley, and a few places here and there), and how the rest of us are doing.
For Windham County the numbers are like this:
Occasional Robot Round-Up – March 2021
We haven’t done one of these in a while. What’s up with our robot overlords?
It seems as if it is a given, now, that robots can walk, fly, swim, drive, crawl, and otherwise move freely about. It looks like robot research is now moving into more subtle forms of communication and action.
The New Meaning of Life
This past week Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna were awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for their work on gene editing relating to something called CRISPR. In order to understand what CRISPR is requires a quick lesson in genetics.
CRISPR is an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. But first the basics. Our genetic material is contained in 23 pairs of chromosomes found in each cell in our body. Half of each pair comes from each parent. Genes are the pieces of DNA inside the chromosomes that define the characteristics of an organism.
Beirut Explosion
From Wikipedia:
Ammonium nitrate is a white crystalline solid consisting of ions of ammonium and nitrate. It is predominantly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer and is readily available.
Its other major use is as a component of explosive mixtures used in mining, quarrying, and civil construction.
Holy Coincidence, Batman – Scientists Modeled Hypothetical Pandemic
“Scientists at… Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security modeled a hypothetical pandemic on a computer as part of research last October- three months before the deadly outbreak in China. The exercise was not intended as a prediction – but rather served to highlight how governments and industry would respond in the case of a very severe pandemic.”
Attorney General Donovan Sues Clearview AI for Violations of Consumer Protection Act and Data Broker Law
Attorney General Donovan filed a lawsuit today against Clearview AI, a data broker that uses facial recognition technology to map the faces of Vermonters, including children, and sells access to this data to private businesses, individuals, and law enforcement. The complaint, filed in Chittenden Superior Court – Civil Division, alleges violations of the Vermont Consumer Protection Act and the new Data Broker Law. Along with the complaint, the State filed a motion for preliminary injunction, asking the Court to order Clearview AI to immediately stop collecting or storing Vermonters’ photos and facial recognition data.
Bering Tunnel?
Ben Fulford is a Canadian reporter/pundit, living in Japan. He generally talks about political issues, but he recently referenced a tunnel to be built across the Bering Strait, from Alaska to Asia.
That caught my attention, because the strait is about 50 miles across.
State Leadership for Clean Energy Development Has Become Increasingly Important Since 2015
Montpelier, VT (November 5, 2019) — Returning Champions: State Clean Energy Leadership Since 2015, a new report from the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), highlights the essential role that states are playing to develop and implement effective policies and programs. The report describes the range of strategies and initiatives that states are using to grow clean energy markets, and it provides readers with a concise overview of clean energy trends at the state level.
The report’s four thematic chapters emphasize the most important issues that the states have been focusing on over the past few years:
Goldilocks Galaxy
Monday, November 4, 2013 was Islamic New Year. It was also the day the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Science” published the results of calculations based on sun-like stars in our galaxy.
The estimate of the number of planets similar in size and temperature to Earth (what astronomers have dubbed the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ – not too hot, not too cold, but just right for life to evolve) was 8.8 Billion!
The Coming 5G Revolution and What It Means
A Discussion about 5G and wireless technology on Brattleboro Community Radio. Hosted by DJ pockets with Derrick Jordan and Donald Saaf. Tune in Tuesday Sept.24th from 6pm-8pm on WVEW-LP. 107.7fm and streaming on www.wvew.org
Life In The Universe?
The Drake equation was written in 1961 by astrophysicist Frank Drake to estimate the number of intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. The equation summarizes the main concepts which scientists must contemplate when considering the question of other communicative life.
The Drake equation is: # = R x P x L x D x C x S x T
where:
Everyone Else Wants You To Quit Facebook First
Your friends and family will ultimately thank you. Take a few moments and quit Facebook.
Yes, go ahead and quit.
I’ve done an informal survey of this summer and it seems many people who use Facebook don’t like that they use it. They know it is a crappy platform that is in the business of selling personal information to the highest bidder. They know Mark Zuckerberg is using them. They know the site is undermining democracy and is weaponized by political parties to sway voters. They know there are privacy problems. They are tired of being a commodity and tired of supplying personal data for free.
Free – E-Bike Demo – Saturday Aug 10th 3-6pm – at West Hill Shop in Putney VT
See an assortment of e-bikes, try one – experience the joy of e-bikes! Learn about e-bike kits, and how easy it is to install one on your bike. Meet e-bike owners and hear their stories. Check out the cargo bike of the future from VBIKE. Learn about e-Bike rebates – yes, rebates! And…
Meet the PEBL – The Micro-Car eBike For A Sustainable Future. The PEBL is a micro-Car eBike designed to be your local transportation solution. With a 750 watt motor plus the option to pedal, we have combined the ease of a car or golf cart, with the exercising ability of a bike. Whether you want to replace your car, get back into your exercise routine, or just cruise around, you can bet that the PEBL will be with you. http://www.better.bike/pebl
Spoiling Your Illusions-Literally!
The secrets behind the world’s 10 greatest magic tricks:
Walking On Water – Dove Illusion – Card From Deck Levitation Trick – Girl Levitating In Air – Can On A Card – Turning Water Into Ice In A Second – Death Saw – Twisting An iPhone – Lemon Trick – Houdini’s Greatest Escape
Brooks Memorial Library: Consultant Sought
Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro, VT seeks experienced consultant to guide staff and trustees in preparation of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to develop a new website. Submissions must be received by 4:00 pm Friday, January 11, 2019 at Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office, Attn: BML Website RFQ, 230 Main Street, Suite 208, Brattleboro, VT 05301, at which time and place all submissions will be publicly opened and read aloud.
Telephone Scam
There’s one going around right now. I get about 4-5 calls a day.
The caller identifies themselves as representing “Microsoft Technical Department”. They go on, saying they have observed suspicious activity in your account or some such.
If you continue, they have you enter a few strokes and a whole list of items pops up.(about 25) They say that each item represents someone, somewhere, who is currently using your computer for their own purposes without your permission.
