Mastodawn

I’ll be talking about the very serious helium shortage that is looming (actually, it’s already upon us) and risks crippling semiconductor chip production and diagnostic instruments like MRI scanners, not to mention low temperature science.. It’s maddening because we’ve known that helium is very limited but it’s cheap so no one recovers it. It’ll be on BBC World Service Newshour around 13:45 BST.
#elements #chemistry #economics #profligacy

Confused Middle Aged Dad 1d ago

Natasha

🇪🇺Dec 9, 2024

The first computer mouse was demonstrated on December 9, 1968 by Douglas Engelbart at the Fall Joint Computer Expo in San Francisco

https://newatlas.com/engelbart-computer-mouse-and-other-innovations/17113/

#Tech #RetroTech #retro

Confused Middle Aged Dad 4d ago

Neil Brown 4d ago

A "privacy notice" is often - not always, but often - really an "anti-privacy notice".

Confused Middle Aged Dad 4d ago

Robin Ince 5d ago

Ever since the Monkey Cage betrayal and debacle , I’ve realised that maintaining my tenacity and having some confidence in the future has required even more teeth gritting. Self belief is a precarious notion. When it slips out of your hands it really can fall a long way down into the stinky water of the well.

Confused Middle Aged Dad 4d ago

Averil ✒️ DoomBloomArt 5d ago

It's been a few years since I drew this. I still stand by it.

#MastoArt #HumanArt #CreativeToots

Confused Middle Aged Dad 6d ago

#bike #cycling. Nice run up part of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal today. I ordered some new brake pads from AllTerrain in Shipley - not my nearest #localbikeshop but a good excuse to ride along the canal

Confused Middle Aged Dad Mar 22

WilliamNB 🇿🇦🇬🇧🏳️‍⚧️Mar 22

From the #WillCycle archives: 12 months – 12 commutes

This challenge is aimed at people who don't cycle commute, and the principle is very simple: commute to work at least once per month, every month. Habits Science tells us...

https://www.willcycle.com/2024/09/24/12-months-12-commutes/

12 months – 12 commutes - WillCycle

Here's a very simple challenge: cycle commute 12 times, in 12 months - 1 commute per month. More commutes per month are encouraged, but only the 1st one counts.

WillCycle - Because you deserve some adventure in your life

Confused Middle Aged Dad Mar 21

WilliamNB 🇿🇦🇬🇧🏳️‍⚧️Mar 21

I'm both puzzled, and frustrated:
On #WillCycle, I built a damn good mapping system. Don't believe me? Go have a look: https://www.willcycle.com/traffic-free-cycling-routes-in-the-uk/
If on your phone, tap "Tap to hide" then zoom in on the map.
However, the list has 4 filters at the top. If, for example, you wanted to see only flat routes, that are very child-friendly, have plenty of cafés and allowed trikes, you can filter and only have such routes displayed.
Clicking the coloured squiggly line of any route will show a small modal, giving you more info about that route. Clicking the Show Full Route guide button will do just that. Scroll down to see the map, though.
You can download the GPX for the route, see where cafés, pubs or bike shops are, and you can have rain radar overlay.
On your phone, you'll see a Navigate button below the map - clicking that allows the map to do full GPS navigation, with turn-by-turn voice instructions.
You can also live-share your location - great for doing a charity fundraising ride - without privacy risks.
But it gets better: on any route listed on the site, there can be an active treasure hunt.
Treasure hunts require you to cycle the route. When you're closer than 1000m to the treasure, the map will say you're cold. Eventually, get close enough and it will say you're warm, then hot when closer still.
It's an old game

Traffic-free cycling routes in the UK - WillCycle

Easily find gorgeous traffic-free (and usually family-friendly) cycling routes in the UK. Browse the interactive map to make finding routes nearest to you a breeze!

WillCycle - Because you deserve some adventure in your life

Confused Middle Aged Dad Mar 21

Mar 21

The goal isn't to protect children,
the goal is to de-anonymize every comment and action on the internet, associating it with a legal ID, by eventually requesting official identification from every adult using a computer.

Some politicians have already stated this plainly.

This leads to censorship of anyone criticizing their government.

This leads to repression of marginalized people, especially immigrants, people of color, and trans and gender diverse people.

This leads to self-censorship of any comments or actions that could be interpreted against the system. Such as speaking out against fascism and authoritarian surveillance, or defending human rights publicly.

This leads to total control of the population and its tools of communications.

This leads to the end of democracy, centralizing power even more in the hands of a few.

Do not let them do this to us.

#MassSurveillance #AgeVerification #Authoritarianism #HumanRights

Confused Middle Aged Dad Mar 16

Emeritus Prof Christopher May Mar 16

Drawing a parallel between the defence of Ukraine & the attacks on Iran, the Tangerine Tyrant has warned members of NATO that a failure to join the war on Iran will mark a 'very bad future' for the alliance.

However, despite the US (repeated) attempts to make pre-emptive self-defence a international legal norm, its difficult to see what *legal* basis might be for extensive NATO involvement, not that Trump cares about that;

Its just the usual bullying blackmail.

#Iran #NATO #politics
h/t FT