Day: November 21, 2017
A terrifying vision of the future
NextBigFuture:Weaponized drones vs. anti-drone systems
Gazette Times: Oregon State University researcher developing robot swarms
And a few month-olds, but still all-too-relevant:
GNC: Laying the foundation for drone swarms
Motherboard Vice: Pentagon wants drone ‘swarms’ to support infantry
I have a bad feeling that this tech will develop as rapidly as the smartphone, with the near future resembling something like drone swarm from the Doctor Who episode, ‘Smile’.
Something else to keep you awake at night
Killer robots equipped with facial recognition tech.
From MirrorUK: Killer robots which use facial recognition before slaughtering people ‘will be devastating to humankind’
The short film ‘Slaughterbots’ has been getting a lot of attention, so it may be time to watch it:
Using CBD at work suddenly sounds amazing
After reading this article from GQ: CBD is the Drug You Can Do at Work:
“Regular weed has a twofold effect, thanks to the compounds THC and CBD. The former is the psychoactive component of marijuana, which accounts for euphoria, lethargy, the munchies, and the rest. CBD is the other, mellowing part of the high. It’s been a breakthrough ingredient for muscle pain for that very reason. Studies have noted that, when ingested, antipsychotic properties are linked to mood stabilization and the treatment of anxiety. Lord Jones offers both CBD gummies (legal everywhere) and CBD-plus-THC gummies (legal in California if you’ve got one of those cards). I can’t say if I have tried the latter, though they sound like they would be very fun to bring to an outdoor fall picnic, to share with friends. You guys will probably have a good time, and one of you might laugh so hard that wine spews from your nose. I don’t know; I can’t say.
My CBD gummies, meanwhile, live in the top drawer of my desk. When I take one, I feel slightly but markedly better. My chair feels like it is mangling my body less. It’s harder to make a fist. It’s easier to navigate an hour or two of bullshit, which means it’s easier to do my job. It doesn’t matter if anybody notices that I am 10% more pleasant, because I feel 10% more pleasant, anyway.”
The writer uses CBD gummies made by Lord Jones, and by God, I’m going to order some.
Mexican cartels are making a fortune on heroin in the US
Thanks to skyrocketing demand for opiates in some form here, the Sinaloa drug cartel is making a fortune supplying heroin in the United States.
Business Insider: Mexican heroin is flooding the US, and the Sinaloa Cartel is steering the flow
The article points out that the cartels have moved away from marijuana as a cash crop due to the broad legalization that the plant has experienced in the US.
Another wonderful side effect of the US drug war? Potency, purity of drugs reaching ever higher levels
Links
The Good, the Bad, and the Unspeakably Ugly: A Reason Surveillance Reform Bill Primer
Also, Reason’s Holiday Guide to Surveillance Reform Legislation.
Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act in action
Could the smart city be the death of privacy?
Forcepoint predicts security threats and privacy wars for 2018
Should we reassess body cameras based on latest study?
EFF: Why we’re helping The Stranger unseal electronic surveillance records
Everyone’s personal data is for sale in China
Privacy matters, even if you think it doesn’t
Germany bans children’s smartwatches over privacy concerns
Ron Paul: Why are we helping Saudi Arabia destroy Yemen?
Thousands will die daily if Saudi Arabia doesn’t lift blockade, says new survey