A Japanese man arrested for using deepfakes, a magnetic tunnel surrounding the solar system, miniature nuclear reactors, a dog-sized sea scorpion, and baroque game boards in the streets of Santiago de Compostela. And yes, many more of these gems in this week's Recommended Links, plus lots of viral videos and dozens more things.
The strange case of the Chinese space launch that officially never existed: "On October 16, the Financial Times published an exclusive according to which last August China launched a hypersonic nuclear warhead into low orbit that circled the globe before re-entering over Chinese territory. The article cites US intelligence sources and states that the orbital launch took place in August and that a Long March CZ-2C rocket was used. The news has gone viral for many reasons, but the most interesting thing is that, according to the exclusive, we would be facing a space launch that never existed."
Alexander the Great in Babylon: "Alexander III of Macedon (356–323 BC), better known as Alexander the Great, is one of the most attractive historical figures to study not only in ancient history, but in history in general. His brief but intense life, the significance of all his military achievements, and the radical change he caused throughout the world have led to thousands of studies being published in recent centuries on everything related to his life and work. After his momentous victory at the Battle of Gaugamela, it was time to enjoy what had been won; it was time for Alexander the Great's triumphant entry into Babylon."
A man arrested in Japan for using Deepfake technology to remove the pixelation that censors porn: "A man arrested in Japan for using Deepfake technology to remove the pixelation that censors porn: "Masayuki Nakamoto used deepfake technology to restore the genitals of thousands of photos and videos of Japanese porn actresses that he then sold through his website. Initial investigations suggest that Nakamoto pocketed around eleven million yen (almost $100,000) thanks to this activity. After his arrest, the accused pleaded guilty to the charges. Japanese laws are especially strict with images that explicitly show genitals."
What if the Solar System is surrounded by a magnetic tunnel: "Jennifer West, associate researcher at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, is presenting a scientific case that two bright structures seen on opposite sides of the sky, previously considered separate, are actually connected and are made of rope-like filaments. The connection forms what looks like a tunnel around our solar system. The results of West's research data have been published in the Astrophysical Journal."
Miniature nuclear reactors to end diesel, this is how they work: "The Californian company Radiant has just secured the necessary funding to develop a one-megawatt nuclear microreactor, compact, portable, and low-cost, that fits in a shipping container. This miniature reactor can provide power to about 1,000 homes and uses helium as a coolant instead of water, which greatly reduces the risks of corrosion, boiling, and contamination."
Is the appearance of life in the universe inevitable?: "A large part of humanity is convinced that the universe is a place teeming with life, even technological civilizations. This is paradoxical, given that we lack the slightest evidence of it; we have not even been able to explain how life arose on our own planet. But many cling to a simple idea: the Copernican principle, according to which Earth is not a privileged place in the universe. And if life and humans have emerged on a planet, a Solar System, and a galaxy that are nothing unique or extraordinary, why not anywhere else?"
Remains of a dog-sized sea scorpion found: "This specimen, whose scientific name is Terropterus xiushanensis, was about a meter long and belonged to the eurypterid family, an ancient group of arthropods, now extinct, that are closely related to modern arachnids and horseshoe crabs, according to researchers whose finding will be published in the journal Science Bulletin on November 30. This scorpion lived during the Silurian period, between approximately 443.8 and 419.2 million years ago."
The war that made female elephants born without tusks: "Between 1977 and 1992, Mozambique suffered a brutal civil war that caused a million deaths. To finance the conflict, poachers from both sides systematically hunted African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Gorongosa National Park, aiming to get their precious ivory. The killing quickly reduced the population of these animals but, in addition, it had an unexpected consequence: it significantly increased the number of females born without tusks. A dramatic example of how human pressure can influence the evolution of a species."
Radiography of denialists – Messianic attitude, rebellious... and lacking humility: "There is a common profile in all of them. They have a more affective than rational way of thinking and that is why they reject science, because it comes to remove them from their position. They think they are the chosen ones, that only they know the truth versus the rest of the world that is not as smart as they are. That satisfies them because there is a certain lack of humility. There is a messianic issue in them. They are people who do not accept reality, even if they have the obvious in front of them; they are not capable of accepting it."
The most brilliant and perverse millionaire you should fear is not Zuckerberg or Musk: "Thiel was not interested in having fun and making friends; he only had one obsession: excellence. At the end of the first year, he received his grades in an envelope: a 4.0 out of 4. Perfection. He celebrated by searching the entire campus for the only other student who had gotten a 4.0 to pester him for 10 minutes explaining why his grade was better because he had gotten more A+."
How the great Soviet mobilization to fight Nazi Germany was: "On June 22, a general mobilization was declared in the USSR. Anyone who was 19 years old was obligated to join the Red Army. Eighteen-year-olds had the option to enlist as volunteers. In the early days of the war, thousands of people appeared. Many feared that the war would end soon and that they would get the chance to defend the homeland and show their heroism. Reality proved to be less optimistic. The catastrophic defeats and great losses in the first months of the war forced the government to mobilize everyone between 17 and 50 years old."
The story of the 200 baroque game boards hidden in the streets of Santiago de Compostela: "Some time ago, the inhabitants and visitors of those places used them for their entertainment, and since then they have survived the passage of centuries, hidden in doorways, benches, or popular squares. The game boards are scattered across different places and come from the most diverse eras. In Spain, there are Roman boards in the theater of Mérida or the amphitheater of Italica (Seville), or medieval ones engraved inside the cathedral of Ourense. These are just a few examples, coming from distant points of the peninsular geography."
VIDEOS: Master of Puppets in 50 musical styles, fat dogs with heavy metal, Spider-Man: No Way Home with the animated cartoon, Denis Villeneuve's Dune with scenes from David Lynch, diamond versus hydraulic press, dog worthy of an Oscar, music with historic Apple sounds, funeral director answers questions, comparison of sea monsters, 3D comparison of ocean depth, artificial arm lifting weights, hyper-realistic renderings, modeling pumpkins under the sea, giant pumpkin falling into a pool, Danny DeVito in Squid Game, Squid Game third-world version, crazy animation of Squid Game, a bunch of puppies eating, giant squid on the coast of Tokyo in 2015, mosquito sucking blood, correcting one of Mythbusters' mistakes, a cute riddle, the legend of YouAreAnIdiot.org, seawater under a microscope, construction of the largest vehicle in the world, how electricity works, San Francisco being destroyed, and the animated shorts Sororelle / Sororal, Dead Meat, and Squid Game in North Korea.
GALLERIES: Radioactive remedies of the past, winners of the Epson Pano Awards, monsters of the past, classic art with modern monsters, the best photos of the Wild Art awards, little animals in crochet, find the differences!, bread sculpture, world record of tennis balls in a dog's mouth, vintage cigarette advertisements, the Japanese culture of customizing carts, super close-up photography awards, stardust on building rooftops, more photos by Christine Carere, the Animated Dump and the Visual Dump.
The end! We're done. I hope you liked something and that this wasn't a waste of time.
