The Daily Nerd (March 12th, 2014)

The Daily Nerd (March 12th, 2014) #

Encryption Works: How to Protect Your Privacy in the Age of NSA Surveillance

The NSA is the biggest, best funded spy agency the world has ever seen. They spend billions upon billions of dollars each year doing everything they can to vacuum up the digital communications of most humans on this planet that have access to the Internet and and the phone network. And as the recent reports in the Guardian and Washington Post show, even domestic American communications are not safe from their net. Defending yourself against the NSA, or any other government intelligence agency, is not simple, and it’s not something that can be solved just by downloading an app. But thanks to the dedicated work of civilian cryptographers and the free and open source software community, it’s still possible to have privacy on the Internet, and the software to do it is freely available to everyone. This is especially important for journalists communicating with sources online.

Audi’s Traffic Light Recognition Tech Will Save You Gas, Time

Essentially, it relies on in-car internet to connect to the traffic systems in a town or city, at which point it can relay information to the driver on the cycle of the traffic lights ahead. The idea is that if a light is changing ahead, the car already knows about it — and can suggest actions to the driver based on what the light will do next. If you’re approaching a light that’s set to turn red before you reach it, for example, a message pops up in the instrument cluster suggesting you begin to slow down, rather than having to brake at the last minute when the lights change.

What ‘Cosmos’ Got Wrong About Giordano Bruno, the Heretic Scientist

The reboot paid tribute to its progenitor with a tear-jerking segment about Sagan’s life and career (spoiler alert: dude was the best). But creators Neil deGrasse Tyson, Seth MacFarlane, and Ann Druyan also showed their respect by emulating many of the tropes and flourishes of the PBS series, like the visualization of a Cosmic Calendar and the use of a historical figure to support the larger themes of the episode. In the original pilot, Sagan showcased Hypatia of Alexandria as an example of a classic science martyr. In the reboot, Giordiano Bruno, the famed Italian cosmologist executed for heresy, was cast for that role.

New ozone-destroying chemicals found in atmosphere

Dozens of mysterious ozone-destroying chemicals may be undermining the recovery of the giant ozone hole over Antarctica, researchers have revealed. The chemicals, which are also extremely potent greenhouse gases, may be leaking from industrial plants or being used illegally, contravening the Montreal protocol which began banning the ozone destroyers in 1987. Scientists said the finding of the chemicals circulating in the atmosphere showed “ozone depletion is not yesterday’s story.”