Daily Archives: February 6, 2017

You Have Been Hacked

On Saturday, the notoriousdark web had over 10,000 of its secret and shady websites seized by an Anonymous-linked hacker. The person claiming responsibility for this hack said it was a vigilante move that was accomplished by targeting a dark web hosting service called Freedom Hosting II.

Initially, I didnt want to take down FH2, just look through it, the hacker told Motherboard in an email sent from the same address posted to the hacked Freedom Hosting II sites. The hack was initiated after the hacker discovered that the service was hosting child pornography websites. Thats when I decided to take it down instead, they claimed.Each site hosted by the service had its content replaced by a message from the hacker.

The hack, supposedly, wasnt very complicated, and according the person responsible, this was their first attempt at hacking. This is, in fact, my first hack ever, the hacker said.I just had the right idea. All they needed was control over a new or already existing site. From there, it was just a matter of changing a configuration file, triggering a reset password, and getting root access. The hacker said that they were able to infiltrate the system with just read-only access as early as January 30.

The ominous-sounding moniker dark webis fairly fitting given the nature of many of the websites that comprise it. This space on the internet is home to some of the most nefariouswebsites there are, like the infamous Silk Road and other sites similar to it, some of which are marketplaces for child pornography, black market guns, illegal drugs, and even assassins-for-hire. Inaccessible using traditional browsers, those who want to explore the dark web mustuse special software to access it.

This hack takes out a full 20 percent of those sites, and by the looks of things, the hacker seems to be responsibly handling the files they seized. They released a dump of system files but without including user data, and they also plan to give copies to a security researcher. That person will be the one to deliver them to government officials.

The hacker considers this an achievement in the crusade against the internets scum. Asked ifthey would do it again in the future,the hacker replied,If there is ever going to be a chance like that again, I wont say no to taking them down, but I do not plan to do so.

Continue reading here:
One Hacker Just Took Down a Fifth of the Dark Web - Futurism

The WrongDirection

Itstarted withremoving mentions of climate change on the WhiteHouse website, and now we are looking at an outright dissolution. Since Donald Trumps inauguration, the governments support of scientists and administrative organizations combating climate change (and protecting the environment) has dramatically decreased.

Case in point, on Friday February 3, Republican Florida congressman Matt Gaetz presented the billH.R.861, which would eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Not wanting to beat around the bush, the bill is actually called the bill to terminate the Environmental Protection Agency a pretty straightforward name that shows how the winds are changing in Washington.

The EPA is the federal agency that monitors and implements policies that protectour environment. Gaetz and fellow Republican representatives (who co-sponsored H.R.861) do not feel that this agency is necessary.

Kentucky representative Thomas Massie stated that The EPA makes rules that undermine the voice of the American people and threaten jobs in Kentucky. The bills authors believe that removing the EPA would move oversight and regulation from the federal government to individual states, which they feel already have the resources necessary to protect our environment.

Experts disagree with this move. A lot of states just dont have resources available to them, said professor Mary Jane Angelo, director of the Environmental and Land Use Law Program at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Wealthier states would have better protection for their citizens health than poorer states.

But as the quote above makes clear, the thrust is really on placing jobs before the environment, so even if all states did have the necessary resources, it is clear that many states do not have the dedication or the will toprotect our environment.

However, EPA or No EPA, human-made climate change remains part of our daily reality, a reality which is progressively worsening.

Earths temperatures have been consistently warming. Despite political pushback from those who deny climate change, the actual effects of anthropogenic (manmade) climate change continue. From aberrant hurricanes and typhoons the world overto the extinction of several species, human-made climate change cannot be denied.

The details of H.R.861 remain unknown, as the text is still unavailable; however, the Walton Sunreports that the bill offers nothing new in the way of guidance, and according to Massie, 2018 will be the end of the EPA.

Hopefully, this will not happen, because if it is not yet obvious to some howthreatening human-made climate change is, it will become apparent all too soon.

The rest is here:
Republican Representatives Propose A Bill to Abolish The EPA - Futurism

Ya Dig?

When Elon Musk said he will bore through traffic, he meant it. The Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO is serious about digging a tunnel into and through Los Angeles, and he has completed a boring test drive, so to speak, at the SpaceX headquarters in LA. Workers dug a test trench 30 feet wide, 50 feet long, and 15 feet deep this past weekend, which Musk called the beginning of an experiment.

Musks boring project began with a couple of tweets complaining about traffic in L.A. Now, it looks like the project is as concretely real as Tesla cars or SpaceX rockets, with work expected to begin sometime next month. His vision: to make human beings an inter-tunnel species.

You have tall buildings, theyre all 3D, and then everyone wants to go into the building and leave the building at a same time, he said Sunday, speaking at a Hyperloop design competition at SpaceX.. On a 2D road network, that obviously doesnt work, so you have to go 3D either up or down. And I think probably down.

With the progression of Musks plans come improvements of tunnel-building technology. Were just going to figure out what it takes to improve tunneling speed by, I think, somewhere between 500 and 1,000 percent, he said Sunday.We have no idea what were doingI want to be clear about that. Just as Musk improved electric cars and reusable rockets, he wants to improve the way that we build tunnels. Speaking to Wired, Musk said, better tunneling tech improves everything: road, subway, Hyperloop.

Since Los Angeles is the most congested city in the U.S., surely they might appreciate, or at least be open to, Musks solution. Of course, however, there will be many legal, logistical, and even environmental hurdles to overcome before the digging will begin underneath L.A.

The obstacles between this idea and the reality of a tunnel system in L.A. cant be helped. However, Roads are basically the only infrastructure we have that we experience daily shortages of, according to urban planning student Michael Manville at the University of California, Los Angeles. And so, while there will be a lot of work to set this plan in motion, it could revolutionizetransportation.

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Elon Musk Has Officially Started Building A Tunnel Under Los Angeles - Futurism

In Brief

Ireland has made history by passing a bill that will stop all investments in coal and oil.The legislation gathered the majority vote (90 to 53) in favor of fully divesting fossil fuel investments from the eight billion pound Ireland Strategic Investment Fund.

As Trcaire Executive Director Eamonn Meehan shared in a statement:

[] this move by elected representatives in Ireland will send out a powerful message. The Irish political system is now finally acknowledging what the overwhelming majority of people already know: That to have a fighting chance to combat catastrophic climate change we must phase out fossil fuels and stop the growth of the industry that is driving this crisis.

The bill, introduced by Deputy Thomas Pringle, will now be reviewed by a financial committee before it is passed into law in the next few months. Once it passes, Ireland will become the first nation to completely remove funding for fossil fuel sources.

Given its size, Irelands move wont necessarily have a major effect on the environment; but the decision stands as a benchmark for countries who want to strengthen their stance against climate change and show support for renewable energy.

Irelands divestment is the most aggressive move taken against fossil fuels to date, but the government is certainly not alone in its efforts to move towards clean energy. By December of 2016, The Divest Invest Initiative had already gathered almost $5.2 trillion in fossil fuel divestment pledges from 76 countries. Norway has also set a national target to be carbon neutral by 2030; while China announced its plan to shut down 104 coal-fired projects across 13 provinces as part of their anti-coal stance.

Collectively, these initiatives could make a real difference in our effort to address climate change.

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Ireland Passes Historic Legislation, Set to be the First Nation To Completely Cut Fossil Fuels - Futurism

Space Twins

Heading into space is certainly a life-changing experience for each of the lucky astronauts who have had the privilege. But who could have thought that it actually changes you on a genetic level? Thanks to a pair of twin astronauts, NASA has been able to study the changes to the bodies of those who spend long periods of time in space to a degree that wouldnt otherwise be possible.

To determine how space changes the human body, researchers collected a variety of biological samples from twins Mark and Scott Kelleywhile Scott was spending 340 days aboard the International Space Stationand Mark was left on the ground. The twins were excellent subjects for this kind of research as not only do they have nearly identical genomes, they have also had similar life experiences since theyre even inthe same line of work.

In evaluating the brothers data, the researchers noticed some striking differences in various biological markers, such as gut bacteria and even chromosomes. One of the more remarkable findings of the testing was that Scotts telemores, the ends of his chromosomes, were longer, though they eventually returned to pre-mission lengths. Further research will be done on other astronauts to see if this is a common pattern. Also in the genetic realm, Scotts DNA methylation levels decreased during his time in space, while Marks increased in the same period. Once again, Scotts levels returned to their baseline levels once he was back on Earth, but researchers arent sure what such changes even mean.

According to NASA, other studies of how the body fares in space have shown clear differences in spatial orientation, bone density loss at rates up to 12times higher than those on Earth, loss of muscle strength, and cardiovascular deconditioning. In this study, however, researchers were able to compare genetic changes with samples from a control, providing a more complete picture of the effect.

There is still much analysis to do on the data being gathered, as well as from data that can be gathered from other astronauts. According to Christopher Mason of Weill Cornell Medicine, The data are so fresh that some of them are still coming off the sequencing machines. The results have yet to be peer-reviewed, and it could be a few years before they are, given the sheer volumeof data.

As we get closer to being able to put a human on Mars, this work becomes more valuable. The trip to the Red Planet alone is a six-month journey. Therefore, crews would be spending at least a year in space. Knowing that our astronauts will be safe is of the utmost importance, and not only for Mars we will likelybe seeing more people in space, in general, especially with the coming of private space stations on the horizon. Knowing how space impacts our bodies is the first step in determining how we can mitigate any deleterious effects for our future adventurers.

Original post:
Living in Space Proven to Transform Humans on a Genetic Level - Futurism

Gearing Up for SkyNet?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently at the forefront of cutting-edge science and technology. Advances in AI, including aggregate technologies like deep learning and artificial neural networks, are behind a massive percentage of modern developments. However, even though there is great positive potential for AI, many are afraid of what AI could do, and rightfully so. There is still the fear of a technological singularity,a circumstance in which AI machines would surpass the intelligence of humans and take over the world.

Charity and outreach organizationthe Future of Life Institute(FLI) recently hosted their secondBeneficial AI Conference (BAI 2017). Throughout the week-long conference, AI experts developed what they call the Asilomar AI Principles, which ensures that AI remains beneficial and not harmful to the future of humankind.

The FLI, founded by experts from MIT and DeepMind, work with a Scientific Advisory Board that includes genius and theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, Nobel laureate and mathematician Frank Wilczek (the man behind time crystals), Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, ethical AI expert Nick Bostrm, and even Morgan Freeman. Currently, aside from their work keeping AI beneficial and ethical, the FLI is also exploring ways to reduce risks from nuclear weapons and biotechnology.

FLI isnt the only group thats been working on ethical guidelines for AI. There is also the Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society, which Apple recently joined. Another is the Artificial Intelligence Fund, a partnership that looks at AI from an interdisciplinary approach.

The Asilomar AI Principles are similar to the IEEEs AI framework guideline called Ethically Aligned Design. Both provide parameters that support the continuation of conscientious AI development. So, how does the Asilomar Principles suggest to keep a SkyNet style science fiction nightmare at bay? Well, it offers 23 principles grouped into three categories that cover research, ethics and values, and long-term issues.

The principles dont dilute the concrete realities of AI research. On the contrary, they aim to keep it rigorous and well-funded. It suggests these key points:

On the ethical side, these principles highlight a respect for human values. AI systems should be designed and operated so as to be compatible with ideals of human dignity, rights, freedoms, and cultural diversity, principle no. 11 states. However, the principles make clear that humans should also seriously monitor AI: Humans should choose how and whether to delegate decisions to AI systems, to accomplish human-chosen objectives (principle no. 16). Additionally, it is noted that AI should never be used to subvert the foundations of society (principle no. 17).

As an overall and long-term principle, the group highlights that AI should always work for the common good. Their final point puts it well: Superintelligence should only be developed in the service of widely shared ethical ideals, and for the benefit of all humanity rather than one state or organization (no. 23).

The rest is here:
World's Top Experts Have Created a Law of Robotics - Futurism

In Brief

Despite conflicting options, we are getting closer to fully autonomous vehicles. On one side of the argument,Elon Musk boldly announced that every Tesla will be fully autonomous by 2017. On the other hand,Gill Pratt, head of Toyotas Research Institute, asserts were not even close to Level 5 [autonomy].

We are inching ever-closer to literally putting our lives in the hands of technology yet, we havent found the solution toa vital moral dilemma: in the event of an emergency, whose lives should the car save? How will AIvalue one life above another? What ethical framework should be programmed into autonomous cars?

This new video by Veritasium explores these questions.

The video suggestions that the real moral dilemma has to do with accidents happeningright now.

More than30 thousand people die from traffic accidents each year in the US alone, and more than two million are injured. Despite warnings against the dangers of using mobile devices while driving, many still text and drive. And in 2014, distracted driving resulted in 3,000 deaths and 430,000 injuries. Ninety-four percent of these collisions are caused by driver error. In short, if we wait longer to put self-driving vehicles on the road, more people are going to die.

Autonomous driving technology is going to save lives. So maybe the real question should be: why arent we doing more to get them on the road faster?

See more here:
What Lives Should Autonomous Cars Value? - Futurism