Hacked & Burned

TUMBLR OF THE WEEK: WTF, Evolution?

“Go home evolution, you are drunk!” A delightful tumblr celebrating natures most toe curling creations.

SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK: Interplanetary Internet

Our contemporary information communication systems, from WiFi to TV, are possible through a skein of electromagnetic waves known as hertzian space. It's not the only way to transmit information though, as scientists proved by testing an interplanetary internet based using lasers. Even better, their 'hello world' test was to beam a grayscale picture of the Mona Lisa to the moon.

ALGO ANXIETY OF THE WEEK: Facebook Graph

Creepy is an overused word, but it's the snuggest fit for the feelings of unease that platforms such as Facebook et al periodically evoke in their users. This week the social behemoth unveiled its new 'Graph' function. It can search things Google cannot and the depths of this possibility are disconcerting. Eww.

GIF OF THE WEEK: The Giftionary

The Gitionary pairs definitions with GIFs, and the combination is at times uncanny.

CYBERCRIME OF THE WEEK: Old World Order Stifles New World Order

The democrats decision to withhold the code used to reelect Obama. A crime in terms of OSS of course, and if it comes down to US Dept. of Defense definition of cybercrime or the FLOSS communities definition I know which one I (and you!) should side with.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: Slitscan YouTube Videos

This excellent bookmarklet does exactly what it says on the tin: convert any YouTube video into a slitscan image. (Slitscans are static images of time-based phenomena). Sha Hwang is cataloguing his own slit-scanned videos on his Tumblr.

HARDWARE OF THE WEEK: Baxter

Baxter is a robotic solution to cheap overseas labour. He is being pitched to US manufacturers keen to keep their business on US soil but feeling the squeeze of outsourced labour. Baxter's dexterity (and low cost of $22000) means he could replace at least one low wage worker in any company inclined to 'hire' him.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: Arkady Volozh

Arkady Volozh of Russian search engine fame gets the geek dream upgrade. Formally helming Yandex he now works for CERN, aiding them in their efforts to make sense of oceanic datasets of particle physics collisions.

WETWARE OF THE WEEK: Space Jellyfish

This scientist wants to build artifical space jellyfish and put them into orbit. Fascination with jellyfish seems to be a universal constant. It's also immensely reassuring that mad scientists can pursue their dreams in these days of increasingly corporatised science.

TECHNONOMY OF THE WEEK: Asteroid Gold Rush

Here's another story to file under future fatigue. Deep Space Industries plan to send spaceships to prospect asteroids (called Fireflies!!!) in 2015, and then send bona fide mining ships into space in 2016. Seems the space mining race is heating up. Also interesting to note that these ships will boast the first 3D printer that creates high-density, high-strength metal components even in zero gravity.