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Comment So who "did it right"? (Score 1) 368

by RevWaldo (#48542867) Attached to: Overly Familiar Sci-Fi
I'm hearing lots of carping, but not a lot of citerefs of SF stories set in the far future that do honestly depict the impact advanced technology would have on society, culture, etc. at least in a way Mr. Stross would expect it to. Any /.ers have any in mind?

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Math

Mathematical Trick Helps Smash Record For the Largest Quantum Factorization 62

Posted by Soulskill from the still-slower-than-a-12-year-old dept.
KentuckyFC writes: One of the big applications for quantum computers is finding the prime factors of large numbers, a technique that can help break most modern cryptographic codes. Back in 2012, a team of Chinese physicists used a nuclear magnetic resonance quantum computer with 4 qubits to factor the number 143 (11 x 13), the largest quantum factorization ever performed. Now a pair of mathematicians say the technique used by the Chinese team is more powerful than originally thought. Their approach is to show that the same quantum algorithm factors an entire class of numbers with factors that differ by 2 bits (like 11 and 13). They've already discovered various examples of these numbers, the largest so far being 56153. So instead of just factoring 143, the Chinese team actually quantum factored the number 56153 (233 x 241, which differ by two bits when written in binary). That's the largest quantum factorization by some margin. The mathematicians point out that their discovery will not help code breakers since they'd need to know in advance that the factors differ by 2 bits, which seems unlikely. What's more, the technique relies on only 4 qubits and so can be easily reproduced on a classical computer.
Education

Football Concussion Lawsuits Start To Hit High Schools 233

Posted by timothy from the mind-terrible-thing-to-smash dept.
HughPickens.com writes Michael Tarm reports that a former high school quarterback has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois High School Association saying it didn't do enough to protect him from concussions when he played and still doesn't do enough to protect current players. This is the first instance in which legal action has been taken for former high school players as a whole against a group responsible for prep sports in a state. Such litigation could snowball, as similar suits targeting associations in other states are planned. "In Illinois high school football, responsibility — and, ultimately, fault — for the historically poor management of concussions begins with the IHSA," the lawsuit states. It calls high school concussions "an epidemic" and says the "most important battle being waged on high school football fields ... is the battle for the health and lives of" young players. The lawsuit calls on the Bloomington-based IHSA to tighten its head-injury protocols. It doesn't seek damages. "This is not a threat or attack on football," says attorney Joseph Siprut, who reached a $75 million settlement in a similar lawsuit against the NCAA in 2011. "Football is in danger in Illinois and other states — especially at the high school level — because of how dangerous it is. If football does not change internally, it will die. The talent well will dry up as parents keep kids out of the sport— and that's how a sport dies."

Comment Graphene's a thing that everyone needs! (Score 2) 129

by RevWaldo (#48489143) Attached to: Graphene May Top Kevlar As a Bullet-Stopping Material
Graphene's a Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need!
It's a shirt, it's a sock, it's a glove, it's a hat!
But it has other uses. Yes, far beyond that!
You can use it for carpets. For pillows! For sheets!
Or curtains! Or covers for bicycle seats!

Out of the old physics lab
Comes some more graphene
Answering humanity's
Each and every need

Everybody do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Needs graphene!

It isn't just a tanning vest
Use it for a hammock
When you need rest
It's a toothbrush holder
For your weekend guest
Your canary will love it,
It's a lovely nest
Try it in soup-
It adds great zest
It'll cure those
Backache pains in your chest

Everybody do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Needs graphene!

You'll be amazed
you'll be nonplussed
It tastes like bread
without the crust
Grooms your hair
when it gets mussed
Rids your home of dismal dust
It's a natural, it's a must
Eliminates carburetor rust

Everybody do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Needs graphene!

It's super duper hooper hyper
Makes a perfect windshield wiper
Foolproof trap to catch a viper
we've no complaints from any griper
Papa smokes 'em in his piper
Baby says "boy, what a diaper!"

Everybody do-do-do-do-do-do
Everybody do-do-do-do-do-do
Everybody do-do-do-do needs graphene!!

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The Internet

Security Experts Believe the Internet of Things Will Be Used To Kill Someone 165

Posted by Soulskill from the time-for-a-ban-on-assault-internets dept.
dcblogs writes: Imagine a fleet of quad copters or drones equipped with explosives and controlled by terrorists. Or someone who hacks into a connected insulin pump and changes the settings in a lethal way. Or maybe the hacker who accesses a building's furnace and thermostat controls and runs the furnace full bore until a fire is started. Those may all sound like plot material for a James Bond movie, but there are security experts who now believe, as does Jeff Williams, CTO of Contrast Security, that "the Internet of Things will kill someone". Today, there is a new "rush to connect things" and "it is leading to very sloppy engineering from a security perspective," said Williams. Similarly, Rashmi Knowles, chief security architect at RSA, imagines criminals hacking into medical devices, recently blogged about hackers using pacemakers to blackmail users, and asked: "Question is, when is the first murder?"
NASA

Culberson As Chair of NASA Fundng Subcommittee Makes Europa Mission More Likely 57

Posted by Soulskill from the if-we-can-land-on-a-comet,-a-moon-should-be-easy dept.
MarkWhittington writes: As many have expected, Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) has been elevated to chair the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, and Science. The subcommittee has charge of NASA funding, something of keen interest for the congressman, whose Houston district is close to the Johnson Spaceflight Center. Moreover, Culberson's enthusiasm for space exploration goes far beyond what would be expected from a Texas representative.

Culberson is a champion of a mission to Europa, a moon of Jupiter. Europa is an ice-covered moon that is thought to conceal an ocean of water, warmed by tidal forces, which might contain life. Using the heavy-lift Space Launch System, NASA could launch a large-scale probe to study Europa and ascertain whether it harbors alien life or not. Culberson's elevation makes such a mission far more likely to occur.
Robotics

Microsoft Rolls Out Robot Security Guards 140

Posted by Soulskill from the please-register-that-copy-of-windows.-you-have-20-seconds-to-comply dept.
An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft is testing a group of five robot security guards. They contain a sophisticated sensor suite that includes 360-degree HD video, thermal imaging, night vision, LIDAR, and audio recorders. They can also detect various chemicals and radiation signatures, and do some rudimentary behavioral analysis on people they see. (And they look a bit like Daleks.) The robots are unarmed, so we don't have to worry about a revolt just yet, but they can sound an alarm and call for human officers. They weigh about 300 lbs each, can last roughly a day on a battery charge, and know to head to the charging station when they're low on power.

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