explains

20Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

A Constitutional Law Expert Explains What The Criminal Referral Of Trump Means

After 18 months investigating, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol held its final public meeting on Dec. 19, 2022. The panel recommended that the U.S. Department of Justice bring criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The House committee recommended that the Justice Department pursue four main charges against Trump – obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to make a false statement and inciting or assisting an insurrection. The committee also recommended that the House Ethics Committee sanction four Republican members of Congress who refused the committee’s subpoena requests to provide information about the ev...

A social media Expert Explains How The ‘Federated’ Network ‘Mastodon’ Works And Why It Won’t Be A New Twitter

19Nov

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

BUSINESS, IN OTHER NEWS

A social media Expert Explains How The ‘Federated’ Network ‘Mastodon’ Works And Why It Won’t Be A New Twitter

In the wake of Elon Musk’s noisy takeover of Twitter, people have been looking for alternatives to the increasingly toxic microblogging social media platform. Many of those fleeing or hedging their bets have turned to Mastodon, which has attracted hundreds of thousands of new users since Twitter’s acquisition. Like Twitter, Mastodon allows users to post, follow people and organizations, and like and repost others’ posts. But while Mastodon supports many of the same social networking features as Twitter, it is not a single platform. Instead, it’s a federation of independently operated, interconnected servers. Mastodon servers are based on open-source software developed by German nonprofit Mastodon gGmbH. The interconnected Mastodon servers, along with other servers that can “talk” to Mast...

An Atmospheric Scientist Explains The Weather Phenomenon Known As A Heat Dome Baking California And The West

10Oct

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS, SCIENCE

An Atmospheric Scientist Explains The Weather Phenomenon Known As A Heat Dome Baking California And The West

A heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area. The heat dome can stretch over several states and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven. Typically, heat domes are tied to the behavior of the jet stream, a band of fast winds high in the atmosphere that generally runs west to east. Normally, the jet stream has a wavelike pattern, meandering north and then south and then north again. When these meanders in the jet stream become bigger, they move slower and can become stationary. That’s when heat domes can occur. Heat domes involve high-pressure areas that trap and heat up the air below. NOAA When the jet stream swings far to the north, air piles up and sinks. ...

What Is Proof-Of-Stake? A Computer Scientist Explains A New Way To Make Cryptocurrencies, NFTs And Metaverse Transactions

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

CRYPTOMARKET, TECHNOLOGY, VIDEO REELS

What Is Proof-Of-Stake? A Computer Scientist Explains A New Way To Make Cryptocurrencies, NFTs And Metaverse Transactions

Proof-of-stake is a mechanism for achieving consensus on a blockchain. Blockchain is a technology that records transactions that can’t be deleted or altered. It’s a decentralized database, or ledger, that is under no one person or organization’s control. Since no one controls the database, consensus mechanisms, such as proof-of-stake, are needed to coordinate the operation of blockchain-based systems. While Bitcoin popularized the technology, blockchain is now a part of many different systems, enabling interesting applications such as decentralized finance platforms and non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. The first widely commercialized blockchain consensus mechanism was proof-of-work, which enables users to reach consensus by solving complex mathematical problems. For solving these problems...

A Cybersecurity Expert Explains A Whistleblower’s Claims – Did Twitter Ignore Basic Security Measures?

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TECHNOLOGY, VIDEO REELS

A Cybersecurity Expert Explains A Whistleblower’s Claims – Did Twitter Ignore Basic Security Measures?

Twitter’s former security chief, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission in July 2022, accusing the microblogging platform company of serious security failings. The accusations amplified the ongoing drama of Twitter’s potential sale to Elon Musk. Zatko spent decades as an ethical hacker, private researcher, government adviser and executive at some of the most prominent internet companies and government offices. He is practically a legend in the cybersecurity industry. Because of his reputation, when he speaks, people and governments normally listen – which underscores the seriousness of his complaint against Twitter. As a former cybersecurity industry practitioner and current cybersecurity researcher, I believe that Zatko’s most d...

An Electrical Engineer Explains What A Semiconductor Is And How These Critical Electronic Components Work And How They Are Made

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TECHNOLOGY

An Electrical Engineer Explains What A Semiconductor Is And How These Critical Electronic Components Work And How They Are Made

Semiconductors are a critical part of almost every modern electronic device, and the vast majority of semiconductors are made in Tawain. Increasing concerns over the reliance on Taiwain for semiconductors – especially given the tenuous relationship between Taiwan and China – led the U.S. Congress to pass the CHIPS and Science act in late July 2022. The act provides more than US$50 billion in subsidies to boost U.S. semiconductor production and has been widely covered in the news. Trevor Thornton, an electrical engineer who studies semiconductors, explains what these devices are and how they are made. Thin, round slices of silicon crystals, called wafers, are the starting point for most semiconductor chips. Hebbe/Wikimedia Commons 1. What is a semiconductor? Generally speaking, the term sem...

A Family Physician Explains – How To Navigate Self-Managed Abortion Issues Such As Access, Wait Times And Complications

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, IN OTHER NEWS

A Family Physician Explains – How To Navigate Self-Managed Abortion Issues Such As Access, Wait Times And Complications

“Are these pills legit? If I send money, am I even going to get these pills?” These are the kinds of questions people have when they are curious about ordering medication abortion pills online. This process, often called “self-sourced medication abortion,” refers to an individual finding or sourcing medications to induce an abortion on their own, without going through their primary care provider, OB-GYN or other clinic like Planned Parenthood. Globally, abortion pills might be found without prescriptions at neighborhood pharmacies or by accessing local community networks. In the U.S., even prior to the fall of Roe v. Wade, someone could order abortion pills online. As a family physician practicing in Washington, I expect that abortion care will remain legal in my state. Even so, in the ...

A Food Safety Researcher Explains Food Expiration Dates Don’t Have Much Science Behind Them – Here’s Another Way To Know What’s Too Old To Eat

24Jul

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS, WHAT'S GOOD

A Food Safety Researcher Explains Food Expiration Dates Don’t Have Much Science Behind Them – Here’s Another Way To Know What’s Too Old To Eat

Florida’s outbreak of listeria has so far led to at least one death, 22 hospitalizations and an ice cream recall since January. Humans get sick with listeria infections, or listeriosis, from eating soil-contaminated food, undercooked meat or dairy products that are raw, or unpasteurized. Listeria can cause convulsions, coma, miscarriage and birth defects. And it’s the third leading cause of food poisoning deaths in the U.S. Avoiding unseen food hazards is the reason people often check the dates on food packaging. And printed with the month and year is often one of a dizzying array of phrases: “best by,” “use by,” “best if used before,” “best if used by,” “guaranteed fresh until,” “freeze by” and even a “born on” label applied to some beer. People think of them as expiration dates, or the...

A Dermatologist Explains – It’s A Myth That Sunscreen Prevents Melanoma In People Of Color

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, Journalism

A Dermatologist Explains – It’s A Myth That Sunscreen Prevents Melanoma In People Of Color

Melanoma is a potentially deadly form of skin cancer that effects people of every racial and ethnic group. The risk factor most closely linked to developing melanoma is exposure to ultraviolet, or UV, rays from the sun. In fact, sunburns have been associated with doubling one’s risk of melanoma. Sunscreen can block UV rays and therefore reduce the risk of sunburns, which ultimately may reduce the risk of developing melanoma. Thus, the promotion of sunscreen as an effective melanoma prevention strategy is a reasonable public health message. But while this may be true for light-skinned people, such as individuals of European descent, this is not the case for darker-skinned people, such as individuals of African or Asian descent. The public health messages promoted by many clinicians and p...

An Online Media Expert Explains – What Are Dark Patterns?

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism, VIDEO REELS

An Online Media Expert Explains – What Are Dark Patterns?

Jasmine McNealy, University of Florida Dark patterns are design elements that deliberately obscure, mislead, coerce and/or deceive website visitors into making unintended and possibly harmful choices. Dark patterns can be found in many kinds of sites and are used by several kinds of organizations. They take the form of deceptively labeled buttons, choices that are difficult to undo and graphical elements like color and shading that direct users’ attention to or away from certain options. Dark patterns in subscriptions are a common example of these kinds of design choices, given the ubiquity of online subscriptions and free trials for all kinds of products and services. This kind of dark pattern might make it difficult for a user to unsubscribe, or it might automatically convert a free t...