Source: On the Dangers of Cryptocurrencies and the Uselessness of Blockchain – Schneier on Security
The Vitamins Scam
More than half of Americans take routine supplementation, for no demonstrable benefit (and in some cases possible harm). This accomplishes nothing but feeding supplement industry profits.
A very good article from Dr. Novella, go read the whole thing for the details.
Source: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommends Against Multivitamins | Science-Based Medicine
Bad Design Practices from the Aviation Industry Ruin It for the Rest of Us
The aviation industry skimped on designing their altimeters by not including bandpass filtering to prevent interference from outside of their authorized operating band. Now it’s short sighted reckless drive for profit has caused so much economic disruption for the Telco’s that the FCC may have to double the regulatory burden on ALL electronic receiver manufacturers who use any radio band for any purpose including simple toys.
The aviation industry’s slowness in fixing altimeters may lead to the FCC cracking down on bad wireless receivers. In April, the FCC voted unanimously to launch an inquiry into poorly designed wireless devices that receive transmissions from outside their allotted frequencies.
The inquiry could result in new receiver regulations similar to the rules that already require wireless devices to transmit only in their licensed frequencies. “To avoid harmful interference, we typically have rules about how and when transmitters can operate,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said at the April meeting. “But wireless communications systems involve transmitters and receivers… so we need to rethink our approach to spectrum policy and move beyond just transmitters and consider receivers, too.”
Source: FAA: Airlines must retrofit faulty altimeters “as soon as possible” | Ars Technica
Best Line of the Week
From Dan
but not Connecticut, which was either inadvertent or, more likely, a nod to the Nutmeg State’s very different media and cultural environment. I mean, my God, they root for the Yankees down there.
Source: The Globe’s Rhode Island initiative may be expanded across New England – Media Nation
Goodbye Zazu
If extreme temperatures continue, the southern yellow-billed hornbill will become extinct in the hottest parts of its range by 2027
Source: Goodbye Zazu: Climate Change Will Roast Desert Birds Into Extinction In Just Five Years
Sadly Too Many Have Failed to Recognize the Reality
They are us. These oppressive laws are not built on a secular or rational foundation, they are entirely the product of peculiar religious beliefs of a minority that we’ve encouraged to flex and grow.
Source: The corruption is next door. Wake up!
The situation is old, it’s been this way my whole 60+ years of life as explained to me before I was 10 years old by my American Baptist Minister Dad. He clearly taught me that many, sometimes a majority, of religious people want to have their peculiar beliefs forced on everyone else by government. We were Danbury style American Baptist so our faith included the absolute separation of church and state, unlike the regressive and oppressive majority of Baptists (southern & independent).
Emma Camp is a Whiny Snowflake
She seems to be conflating normal human behavior with some sinister plot to silence conservatives and her (she claims to be liberal but appears to mostly hold pseudo-oppressed conservative opinions).
Fuck Chris Crouch
He’s an ultra-selfish, anti-science, anti-vaccine moron that only comes around when it’s HIS wife and child that nearly die.
Source: Careless selfishness and the harm done to the most vulnerable
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying the cross
Title is a quote from “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis. Go read PZ’s post for more details.
It’s an unfortunately under-reported fact that our recent attempted insurrection had a strong unifying force: White Christian Nationalism. You didn’t see many atheists or Muslims or Jew…
Golfing Cockatoos
A really interesting and fun to read article from GrrlScientist.
A new study finds that problem-solving cockatoos can combine simple tools to accomplish a task, which is a thing that only a very few primates were previously known to perform
Source: Golfing Cockatoos Demonstrate Their Ace Tool Using Skills To Play Golf
Paul Hutchinson's Blog 