interesting

Video description: A stock fireplace illustration frames looping archival video of the blasting RS-25 engines that launched the Artemis I rocket to the Moon on Nov. 16, 2022 (source: https://go.nasa.gov/4g6LnWc ). The illustration includes stone tiling, a pillow, a basket of firewood, and contains elements generated with AI. NASA added two framed pictures to the illustration. One shows an archival image of the Orion capsule flying through space. The other shows the Artemis logo. The audio features the roar of the rockets at a low level, with the addition of the sounds of a crackling wood fire.

Discovered via kottke.org.

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Ian Carroll published a write-up together with Sam Curry on how they were able to add arbitrary crew members to bypass security screening or ride in a jump seat in the cockpit of an aircraft. They used SQL Injection (that seems to use MD5 password hashes!) on FlyCASS, a software system small airlines use to manage authorisation for their crew members at airports.

What was more shocking to me was seeing TSA allegedly trying to cover up the error.

The TSA press office said in a statement that this vulnerability could not be used to access a KCM checkpoint because the TSA initiates a vetting process before issuing a KCM barcode to a new member. However, a KCM barcode is not required to use KCM checkpoints, as the TSO can enter an airline employee ID manually. After we informed the TSA of this, they deleted the section of their website that mentions manually entering an employee ID, and did not respond to our correction. We have confirmed that the interface used by TSOs still allows manual input of employee IDs.

This post was discovered through Arne Bahlo's newsletter.

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The Holotypic Occlupanid Research Group, or HORG, work to classify and research plastic clips usually seen securing bread, fruit and other bags at the supermarket. The HORG calls these clips Occlupanids.

Occlupanids are generally found as parasitoids on bagged pastries in supermarkets, hardware stores, and other large commercial establishments. Their fascinating and complex life cycle is unfortunately severely under-researched. What is known is that they take nourishment from the plastic sacs that surround the bagged product, not the product itself, as was previously thought.

My favourite, the Coronaspinus chaos, since it looks like trees I drew as a child or as the HORG describes, "Chaotic crown of thorns."

I found the site from a CHUPPL documentary called The Bread Tab Conspiracy: $93,000,000,000 Disappeared.

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A collection of personal websites which have curated links to other websites. I've spent a few hours diving down rabbit holes after discovering the site through 82MHz's post a few days ago and discovered some interesting sites.

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These simple but well written articles remind me of the many children encyclopedic books I read through as a child. Its good to see a format like this on the internet thats accessible for all and something which can be, and is, kept up to date.

Discovered via Nicolas Magand

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Like GeoGuessr but instead of Google Streetview you're given an image which you have to locate on a map along with the year it was taken. It's quite fun trying to take clues from the image in an attempt to date it. The images selected in the game actually make it lightly easier than random locations on Google Streetview with GeoGuessr.

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