Author: mfeilner

Roko’s Basilisk … a scary thought experiment

 Reality update: Roko’s Basilisk: The most terrifying thought experiment of all time. … :

“Believing in Roko’s Basilisk may simply be a “referendum on autism,” as a friend put it. But I do believe there’s a more serious issue at work here because Yudkowsky and other so-called transhumanists are attracting so much prestige and money for their projects, primarily from rich techies. I don’t think their projects (which only seem to involve publishing papers and hosting conferences) have much chance of creating either Roko’s Basilisk or Eliezer’s Big Friendly God. But the combination of messianic ambitions, being convinced of your own infallibility, and a lot of cash never works out well, regardless of ideology, and I don’t expect Yudkowsky and his cohorts to be an exception. I worry less about Roko’s Basilisk than about people who believe themselves to have transcended conventional morality. Like his projected Friendly AIs, Yudkowsky is a moral utilitarian: He believes that that the greatest good for the greatest number of people is always ethically justified, even if a few people have to die or suffer along the way.“

Blokada – Efficient Filtering of Ads and Trackers on Android

This is one of the best tools for Google’s broken mobile OS I have ever found. Thanks to my deer friend Dmitri Popov, I am now blocking thousands of Ads I wasn’t even aware of. No root access required, a great tool. You will only need F-Droid for installation, because of course Google and the other big three don’t like this at all.

Side channel attacks via CSS in FF and Chrome…

Side-channel attacking browsers through CSS3 features | Security Research – Evonide https://www.evonide.com/side-channel-attacking-browsers-through-css3-features/

With the staggering amount of features that were introduced through HTML5 and CSS3 the attack surface of browsers grew accordingly. Consequently, it is no surprise that interactions between such features can cause unexpected behavior impacting the security of their users. In this article, we describe such a practical attack and the research behind it.

AI researchers boycott Nature magazine, for goid reason it seems

The public already pays taxes that fund our research. Why should people have to pay again to read the results? Colleagues in less well-funded universities also benefit. Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, has as much access to the leading machine-learning research as Harvard or MIT. The ability to pay no longer determines the ability to play.

Why thousands of AI researchers are boycotting the new Nature journal | Science | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2018/may/29/why-thousands-of-ai-researchers-are-boycotting-the-new-nature-journal

Africa, the role model in gender equality – at least in Rwanda.

Reality update: Brilliance overtakes beauty as Ms Geek Africa spotlights tech genius | Lauren Gambino | Global development | The Guardian … :

“Rwanda now leads the world in female representation in parliament, due in part to a quota system that reserves seats for women. Gender rights are enshrined in the national constitution and laws were changed to give women the right to inherit land and obtain credit.“

4 Billion Euro GDPR Case Filed Against Facebook et al

#DSGVO #:GDPR:  Max Schrems files first cases under GDPR against Facebook and Google … :

“Three complaints worth €3.9 billion were filed in the early hours of Friday morning against Facebook and two subsidiaries, WhatsApp and Instagram via data regulators in Austria, Belgium and Hamburg. Another complaint worth €3.7 billion was filed with French data protection authority France CNIL in the case of Google’s Android operating system for smartphones.”

You can and should support Max Schrems and NOYB (None Of Your Business) on their website:

  

Rethink Reality – Quantum Mechanics tells us…

Should Quantum Anomalies Make Us Rethink Reality? – Scientific American Blog Network:
“The tension between the anomalies and the current paradigm can only be tolerated by ignoring the anomalies. This has been possible so far because the anomalies are only observed in laboratories. Yet we know that they are there, for their existence has been confirmed beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, when we believe that we see objects and events outside and independent of mind, we are wrong in at least some essential sense. A new paradigm is needed to accommodate and make sense of the anomalies; one wherein mind itself is understood to be the essence—cognitively but also physically—of what we perceive when we look at the world around ourselves.”

Do you trust this computer?

… Do You Trust This Computer? … :

“Science fiction has long anticipated the rise of machine intelligence. Today, a new generation of self-learning computers has begun to reshape every aspect of our lives. Incomprehensible amounts of data are being created, interpreted, and fed back to us in a tsunami of apps, personal assistants, smart devices, and targeted advertisements. Virtually every industry on earth is experiencing this transformation, from job automation, to medical diagnostics, even military operations. Do You Trust This Computer?  explores the promises and perils of our new era. Will A.I. usher in an age of unprecedented potential, or prove to be our final invention?“

New kind of computer memory: Not RAM, not ROM, and an optional End-of-life-date for your data

A New Kind of Memory Could Make RAM and ROM Obsolete … :

“The Chinese researchers say their new type of computer memory is not only the best of both worlds, but an improvement on the pair: It lets you decide how long you want the memory to hold data. “People in the future may receive a disc in which the data is only effective for, say, three days, which elevates the security of the information,” lead researcher Zhang Wei told China Daily. “People can also have tailor-made flash drives with the new storage technology. The data stored inside will be regularly emptied at an appointed time.”“

AI may help against the filter bubble… according to Finnish/Italian scientists

Social Media Algorithm Pops Filter Bubbles By Presenting Diverging Ideas | Digital Trends … :

“Developed as a collaboration between researchers from Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland and University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy, the algorithm is designed to make sure that social media users are presented with views that don’t necessarily conform with their own, as a way of helping to “solve” the increasingly polarized nature of discussions around controversial topics.”

… and here’s a similar browser plugin: Be More Accepting of Others – EscapeYourBubble … :
“Escape Your Bubble

  1. Tell us who you’d like to understand better.
    You could be a Democrat looking to better understand and accept Republicans or vice-versa.

  2. We’ll insert curated, positive posts in your Facebook feed.
    These posts will highlight the positive aspects of those you wish to understand and be more accepting of.

  3. You’ll learn to understand and accept thy fellow countrymen.
    As you learn more about those different from you, you’ll come to understand their positive qualities. It’s akin to “brainwashing for good”.    “

Iridium – the safer way of browsing privately

I am very sure you are great in breaking things? Iridium Browser, a project of +OSBA ev  and many supporters, needs help in testing, QA – and even developers. I have been a user for many years, and I can recommend this Google-Free-Chrome.

Iridium Browser | A browser securing your privacy. That’s it. … :

“A BROWSER SECURING YOUR PRIVACY. THAT’S IT.” 

“Iridium Browser is based on the Chromium code base. All modifications enhance the privacy of the user and make sure that the latest and best secure technologies are used. Automatic transmission of partial queries, keywords and metrics to central services is prevented and only occurs with the approval of the user. In addition, all our builds are reproducible and modifications are auditable, setting the project ahead of other secure browser providers.“

Hacking the aquarium’s thermometer to enter the Casino…

Reality update: Casino Gets Hacked Through Its Internet-Connected Fish Tank Thermometer … :

“Nicole Eagan, the CEO of cybersecurity company Darktrace, told attendees at an event in London on Thursday how cybercriminals hacked an unnamed casino through its Internet-connected thermometer in an aquarium in the lobby of the casino. According to what Eagan claimed, the hackers exploited a vulnerability in the thermostat to get a foothold in the network. Once there, they managed to access the high-roller database of gamblers and “then pulled it back across the network, out the thermostat, and up to the cloud.”“

Reposting, because important: How the internet big 4 control our emotions and why they should be broken up

I know I have already posted this before, but this is important: Scott Galloway: How Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google manipulate our emotions | TED Talk … :

“The combined market capitalization of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google is now equivalent to the GDP of India. How did these four companies come to infiltrate our lives so completely? In a spectacular rant, Scott Galloway shares insights and eye-opening stats about their dominance and motivation — and what happens when a society prizes shareholder value over everything else.“