249095
submission
jazz11man1 writes:
Today, DARPA announced the 36 teams (pdf) that will be able to compete in the National Qualifying Event (NQE) for the Urban Challenge. They also announced that the competition will be held at an army training facility in Victorville, CA. Of the 36 teams that compete at the NQE from October 26-31, 2007, the top 20 will continue onto the final event on November 3.
248737
submission
odyaws writes:
The Washington Post is carrying a story about an unintended consequence of Congress allowing telecommunications surveillance without even a FISA warrant if one party is outside the United States: the infrastructure required could provide a juicy target for foreign intelligence agencies and rogue hackers. By making it possible for the NSA to listen in (particularly since they need to be able to listen in only on conversations including a party outside the US), it could also be possible for others to access our phone calls. The author points out that this threat is not just theoretical, citing specific attacks in Greece and the US. While it's natural to be suspicious of any government wiretapping program, have we been missing the larger threat of the security hole it opens?
107717
submission
odyaws writes:
The New York Times is carrying a long article on the up-and-coming methodology of using techniques from neuroscience, particularly fMRI, in criminal cases. As defendants are winning trials or gaining leniency based on brain abnormalities ("the tumor made me do it"), it brings to light difficult questions of legal culpability for criminals with neurological problems, a natural extension of the insanity defense. Particularly chilling is the speculation on the future use of brain scans to determine likelihood of future criminal activity in potential parolees and others such as terrorism suspects.
