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The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming today’s Government announcement that it is ‘helping’ families with the cost of living crisis by tweaking childcare subsidies and Kiwisaver for those on ...

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BERLIN — The head of the United Nations launched a tirade against fossil fuel companies Thursday, accusing them of betraying future generations and undermining efforts to phase out a product he ...

U.N. chief says fossil fuels ‘incompatible with human survival,’ calls for credible exit strategy

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BERLIN (AP) — The head of the United Nations launched an angry tirade against fossil fuel companies Thursday, accusing them of betraying future generations and undermining efforts to phase out a ...

UN chief says fossil fuels 'incompatible with human survival,' calls for credible exit strategy

BERLIN (AP) — The head of the United Nations launched a tirade against fossil fuel companies Thursday, accusing them of betraying future generations and undermining efforts to phase out a ...

UN chief says fossil fuels ‘incompatible with human survival,’ calls for credible exit strategy

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UN chief says fossil fuels are ‘incompatible with human survival,’ calls for credible exit strategy

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Comes after world’s largest producer of natural soda ash ditched plans for UK listing blaming ‘unrealistically low’ valuation The boss of WE Soda has said New York would be a “credible ...

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Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12, March 18, 1871 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . The Medicines of the Ancients. here The Medicines of the Ancients. At the recent commencement of the Homeopathic College in this city, Mr. S. H. Wales, of the Scientific American addressed the graduating class, and from his remarks, we quote the following: "Many writers of our time persist in regarding this, above all others, as the best period in the history of our race; and, doubtless, it is true in many important respects. But I cannot forbear the suggestion at this moment that there was a time in the history of the world when the science of medicine was unknown, when people lived to the incredible age of many centuries; and, even after the span of life had been reduced to threescore and ten, sickness was comparatively unknown. In ancient times, it was looked upon as a calamity, that had overtaken a tribe or people, when one of its members prematurely sickened and died. "Other arts and sciences flourished in Rome long before medicine was thought of; and the historian tells us that the first doctor who settled in Rome, some two hundred years before Christ, was banished on account of his poor success and the very severe treatment applied to his patients; and it was a hundred years before the next one came. He rose to great popularity, simply because he allowed his patients to drink all the wine they wanted, and to eat their favorite dishes. Some writer on hygiene has made the statement that the whole code of medical ethics presented by Moses consisted simply in bathing, purification, and diet. This simplicity of life was not confined to the wandering tribes who settled in the land of Canaan, but was the universal custom of all nations of which history gives us any account. This simple arrangement for health was considered enough in those primitive times, when the human system had not been worn out and exhausted by depletive medicines. The luxuries of public baths, athletic sports and games were deemed ample, both to educate the physical perceptions and to prevent disease. "All this wisdom, which had its origin in ancient games and sports of the field, led to the erection of extensive bath-houses, and the adoption of other healthful luxuries to which all the people could resort to recreate their wasted powers." About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2006). Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12, March 18, 1871. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19180/pg19180-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The Medicines of the Ancients

THOUGHTS ON SCIENCE

Hello, readers! My name is Jon Keegan, and I’m an investigative data reporter here at The Markup. Recently I’ve been writing about how companies have been monetizing our data in many aspects of our daily lives— as we , and when we check in to see . at the supermarket, drive our cars where our kids are Over the years my reporting has often taken me deep into various government agency websites, and I have always been amazed to see the incredible variety of public data that our government collects. I have a background in art and design, so I’ve made a habit of keeping a spreadsheet of the more unusual data that is visually interesting. Last fall I started publishing a newsletter called that lets me share to a wider audience these quirky collections, alongside reporting on why and how they came to exist. Beautiful Public Data For Beautiful Public Data, I’ve written about the official federal for America’s highways, a showing how our radio frequencies are sliced up, and the National Library of Medicine’s database of . As a reader of The Markup, you’d probably like it! style guide crazy chart 8,693 pills Recently, this personal project and my day job collided when I sat down to write about one dataset I had added to my spreadsheet a few years ago. Special Database 18 Buried deep in The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) , among biometric measurement datasets such as fingerprints, iris scans, and handwriting samples, you will find a most unusual collection of federal data. is labeled as “NIST Mugshot Identification Database.” data catalog Special Database 18 This dataset contains black-and-white mugshot photographs of 1,573 people. The 3,248 undated photos appear to be many decades old and to come from a variety of locations. The photos feature front and profile views of people and are accompanied by a metadata file containing the subject’s gender and age at the time of the photo. Some of the subjects appear in multiple photos taken at different times. NIST’s website says the database is being distributed “for use in development and testing of automated mugshot identification systems.” Though names and any other obviously identifying information have been redacted in these images, I was still shocked to see this available. The dataset must be from NIST, which will provide a copy if you are a “qualified researcher” and it is “to be used for biometrics related research, development and education.” requested In the dataset , NIST does not offer any context other than the gender and age metadata. documentation The thought of my kid getting caught up in some trouble and having his face permanently added to a government mugshot collection made my stomach turn. In the dataset I reviewed, which I requested and downloaded from NIST’s website a few years ago, almost all of the subjects are labeled as male, with only 78 labeled as female. Perhaps the most notable number I found while looking through this dataset was that 175 of the subjects were minors at the time their mugshot was taken, with 10 of them under the age of 15. There are even two 12-year-old children in the collection. I’m a father of a 12-year-old, and the thought of my kid getting caught up in some trouble and having his face permanently added to a government mugshot collection made my stomach turn. I originally found this dataset because of Beautiful Public Data, but I have to admit that I paused at even considering this dataset for the newsletter, as it is obviously not a correct fit. But in my role as a curator of unusual visual data in government archives, this dataset is hard to ignore. One of the biggest lessons I have learned as a journalist in my time at The Markup is that when you find something that seems bad, sort by harm. (In this case, that meant loading the data into a Python notebook and quite literally sorting by age.) These photographs are depicting people at likely one of the worst moments in their lives, and it shows. Bandages, black eyes, and fresh wounds hint at grim, untold stories that led them to the moment of their photo. Among the people in the photographs are sailors and soldiers and bus drivers. One photo of a woman crying was particularly wrenching. Some of these photos are blurry, smudged snapshots while others are evocative portraits that are hard to pin down in time. Looking at this huge collection of pictures, it is hard not to empathize with these subjects, though it is sobering to remember that it is likely that at least some of these people may have done some bad things. I reached out to NIST to ask some questions about this dataset, including one about the presence of minors in it. Richard Press, a spokesperson for the institute, told me that NIST has “paused distribution of SD-18 [the mugshot database] and are reviewing the dataset to remove any that depict people who were minors at the time the photos were taken.” Press added, “We are also notifying anyone who has received the dataset for biometric related research that they must remove these images, as per the terms and conditions of the agreement they signed with NIST. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.” In response to my questions about the origin of the photos, Press said that they were shared with NIST in the 1990s by the FBI to “support research in mugshot identification.” Press said that when the FBI provided the collection of images to NIST, it confirmed that each of the individuals in the photographs were deceased and that they each had “criminal records.” It was not clear looking at these photographs if any of these people in this dataset were convicted of any crime or were simply arrested at some point, and when I asked NIST to clarify what having a criminal record meant exactly, Press told me that “NIST defers to the FBI on the meaning of ‘criminal records.’ ” It was not clear looking at these photographs if any of these people in this dataset were convicted of any crime or were simply arrested at some point…. The intended use of this data does not appear to be training facial recognition models (you can use NIST’s for that) but rather for image recognition systems to classify a photograph as a mugshot, as opposed to one used for a passport or a government issued ID. Special Database 32 One that cited the use of Special Database 18 for analysis was titled “Criminal tendency detection from facial images and the gender bias effect” and described the study as an effort to “explore a new level of image understanding, inferring criminal tendency from facial images via deep learning.” academic study The study has since been by the publisher as the authors failed to seek approval from their ethics committee before working with sensitive human biometric data. retracted I have submitted a public records request to both NIST and the FBI for more information on the dataset’s origins. Mugshots as Public Records State laws vary widely regarding the classification of mugshots as public records. generally consider them public to some degree, but some impose additional rules controlling their release. Thirty-one states Other states do not appear to have rules specifically governing mugshots, at least according to a assembled by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. review of laws Some states have limited the distribution of mugshots in recent years amid growing concern about privacy and the ability of such photos to spread online. California enacted a law in 2021 that prohibits police departments or sheriff’s offices from sharing certain booking photos of people on social media and mandates the photos be removed if the individual is not charged, found not guilty, or had their conviction overturned. In a controversial move, New York recently amended its to prevent the disclosure of mugshots in public records requests. But the state allows individual law enforcement agencies the discretion to release such photos if they have a “a specific law enforcement purpose.” The amendment was criticized both by and . freedom of information law news organizations civil liberties groups Louisiana and Florida are that have recently enacted new restrictions related to mugshots that limit their use on exploitative websites that post the photos and make their money by forcing people to pay to have them removed. among a group of states Ethical Questions While mugshots are considered public records in many cases, the use of these photos as a technical testing standard in a long-term government dataset raises significant ethical questions. I spoke with Sarah Lageson, an associate professor at Rutgers’ School of Criminal Justice who studies the ways in which online crime data and criminal records have lingering effects on people. Lageson said that the lack of context surrounding the subjects’ arrests raises serious ethical concerns. “I think it’s this decontextualization that is harmful for any circumstance where mugshots are involved because it’s just so personal,” she said.” It’s your face in this context in which you don’t have any rights.” Lageson added that a criminal case is a dynamic, evolving thing, and the mugshot reflects just one early moment in that process. “Mug shots are basically just a reflection of who a police officer has decided to arrest. It’s really not an indicator of criminality or proof that the person has been harmful or anything like that,” said Lageson. “Just because they were brought into the system for one minute, or for one instance, they’re forever now relegated to their biometric data to be used over and over.” It’s hard to imagine how anything is ethical about this…. Albert Fox Cahn, S.T.O.P. Albert Fox Cahn is the founder and executive director of the (S.T.O.P.), which advocates for ending discriminatory surveillance practices. Surveillance Technology Oversight Project “It’s hard to imagine how anything is ethical about this, if it’s being done with no informed, meaningful consent—[and] there is no consent when you’re arrested or when your booking photos [are] forcibly taken,” Cahn told me in an interview. When asked if such ethical problems are mitigated by the fact that the subjects of these photographs are apparently deceased, Cahn replied, “There is something harmful about this, even if someone is deceased, harmful to their family, harmful to their legacy. I know that after I’m gone, I don’t want to have my image being used by the government to train new forms of AI.” Cahn told me that the fact that such a collection has been out there on a government website for years is a result of a wider societal problem resulting from the unfettered use of surveillance technologies to ingest biometric data without consent—what he called “a mountain of stolen data.” Press said that, to the best of NIST’s knowledge, no subjects or their families had been notified that they were included in this dataset, and no subjects or their families have ever contacted NIST requesting to be removed from the dataset. On its website, NIST includes among its , “Integrity: We are ethical, honest, independent, and provide an objective perspective.” core values Press added that all of the image datasets used by the agency are subject to “ ” regulations. Human Subjects Protection When asked if NIST has had any recent discussion about the ethics of these involuntary subjects being made part of a permanent dataset, Press said, “Yes, this is an active area of consideration within NIST and among data experts.” A Look at NIST’s Collections The National Institute of Standards and Technology is set apart from most federal agencies by the wide array of standards and measurements that it works on for many industries. Founded in 1901, NIST is part of the Department of Commerce and to help boost American commercial competitiveness by defining and maintaining measurements and standards that would help the U.S. catch up to more established European industrial leaders. was created NIST’s mission: “To promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.” Diving into NIST’s website yields all sorts of interesting collections of data. NIST is the official keeper of . NIST maintains a large amount of physics data, including tables of , properties, and isotopic compositions for all known elements. time for the U.S. government atomic weights There’s a collection of in the known universe, where you can find the precise values of the speed of light in a vacuum (299,792,458 meters per second) or the Rydberg frequency (3.289 841 960 2508(64) × 1015 Hz). fundamental physical constants NIST also has its own , where industrial labs can order “standard reference material” for a dizzying array of items, both mundane and exotic. For $1,107 you can buy 170 grams of peanut butter. Looking for a good source of industrial sludge? online store For $780, NIST can set you up with 70 grams, shipped to your door. You can also order “ ,” “ ,”  “ ,” and “ .” Lake Superior Fish Tissue Urban dust Organic Contaminants in Smokers’ Urine (Frozen) Slurried Spinach From a purely bureaucratic perspective, this mugshot database perhaps seemed to fit neatly beside these items as yet another “standard reference material” in NIST’s collections. But today, decades after the photos were taken, their presence reminds us that the recent leaps forward in machine learning are fueled by mountains of data, and that includes real human faces. The practice of involuntary personal data collection used to train algorithms is not only limited to those people in the criminal legal system but is also happening to all of us. Access to Special Database 18 may be on pause, but that broader problem remains. Sincerely, Jon Keegan Investigative Data Journalist The Markup By Jon Keegan Also published here Photo by on Campaign Creators Unsplash

Special Database 18: What Is It and How Does It Work?

AN ABSENT LOVER RETURNS.

As technology advances, we consistently face the growing challenge of cyber threats. While technological advancements have brought incredible innovations to our doorstep, they've also summoned a myriad of sophisticated cyber adversaries. Today, robust measures are not just an option, they are the very backbone and foundation of any modern digital enterprise. As we navigate this digital panorama, it becomes crystal clear that safeguarding our virtual territories is paramount cybersecurity Banking and Finance: Reinventing Digital Fortresses Money, power, and secrets. The trifecta that defines the banking and finance sectors also makes them tantalizing targets for cyber miscreants. Here, where the digital vaults safeguard colossal sums and sensitive data, even the slightest breach can be catastrophic. Modern banking has thus transcended beyond traditional security, harnessing tools like multi-factor authentication, which adds layers of verifications for users, ensuring genuine access. Dive deeper, and you find the power of deep learning acting as the industry's vigilant watchman, scanning for fraudulent patterns and activities. Encrypted transaction layers, on the other hand, ensure that every monetary movement remains concealed from prying eyes. But, in a domain where time is money, the true power lies in the agility of continuous security updates and lightning-fast response systems. They're the silent guards, always alert, always ready, ensuring that the finance citadels remain impregnable E-commerce: Balancing User Experience and Tight Security As the digital marketplace expands, its bustling alleys filled with shoppers from every corner of the world, the demand for unyielding security becomes evident. E-commerce, a realm that once started as a mere convenience, has evolved into an economic giant. Yet, with great power comes immense responsibility, particularly in ensuring the safety of both merchants and consumers. Tokenization techniques are now employed to protect card details, transforming sensitive data into indecipherable tokens, and thereby securing transactions. Meanwhile, AI-driven mechanisms tirelessly monitor platforms for any anomaly, ensuring no suspicious activity flies under the radar. Much like e-commerce platforms like Amazon prioritize safeguarding customer data, the online entertainment industry, including sectors like casinos, emphasizes implementing similar high-level security measures. This ensures that users can indulge in their favorite digital pastimes with confidence and peace of mind. Healthcare: Guarding the Sanctity of Personal Health Data There's something intrinsically personal about health data. It's a reflection of our vulnerabilities, our battles, our very essence. Understandably, this makes health data a lucrative target for cyber perpetrators. The modern healthcare industry recognizes the holiness of this data, leading to revolutionary measures in its defense. Blockchain technology, often associated with cryptocurrencies, is now being harnessed to bolster patient data security, creating an immutable ledger of records that remains immune to unauthorized changes. The anonymization of health records ensures that personal details are detached from the core data, making it invaluable to potential hackers. In a connected healthcare ecosystem, where devices communicate seamlessly, it's pivotal to establish encrypted communication channels, ensuring no data interception occurs. The surge in telehealth platforms such as Teladoc and American Well, remote patient monitoring systems, and wearable health devices has brought forth another layer of challenges. Ensuring these platforms are breach-proof is not just about technology, but also about preserving the very trust between medical professionals and patients.

Advanced Cybersecurity Strategies in Modern Industries

So, you've developed an app or a SaaS and are grappling with the challenge of attracting your initial users. It's a common struggle, and the first 100 users are undeniably the toughest to acquire. I've compiled insights from leading SaaS companies, outlining a set of actionable strategies. The key to gaining early-stage customers often lies in undertaking activities that aren't easily scalable. One prevalent mistake at the outset is an excessive focus on the future. This is a common scenario—I frequently observe founders yearning for virality and rapid scalability, envisioning massive success. However, getting lost in these dreams can divert attention from what truly matters. In reality, a fledgling founder should concentrate on comprehending their customer base. Conducting research doesn't require a large user base; a handful of individuals is sufficient. Obtaining the first few dozen users is more feasible through manual actions—activities that, although not scalable, lay the foundation for sustainable growth. Now, let's delve into some examples of these manual actions. Massive following people on Twitter This strategy proved instrumental in Suhail's efforts to launch Mixpanel, the analytics tool. https://twitter.com/Suhail/status/1009454402048937986?embedable=true Remember that you can follow up to 400 persons per day. Start with an email newsletter The concept is to curate a list of individuals who appreciate your content and then leverage this audience as a launching pad for your product. One of my favorite instances of employing this strategy involves Ryan Hoover's experience from a decade ago. He initiated a daily email newsletter featuring intriguing startups he discovered. Over time, he cultivated a list of 170 highly engaged individuals. These recipients not only responded to Ryan but also expressed their enjoyment of his curated digests. This positive interaction sparked the idea to develop a product. Enter the infamous Product Hunt. With the support of this initially small yet enthusiastic audience, the new website swiftly gained momentum, transforming into the premier social network for startup enthusiasts. "The Collinson Installation" Paul Graham writes: "At YC, we use the term Collinson installation for the technique they invented. More diffident founders asked: 'will you try our beta?'. And if the answer is yes, they say 'great! We will send you the link'. But Collinson brothers weren't going to wait. When anyone agreed to try Stripe, we would say 'right then, give me your laptop!'. And set them on the spot." Source: (must read btw) http://paulgraham.com/ds.html Product forums Zapier serves as a tool that seamlessly connects different applications, such as Salesforce with MailChimp or Dropbox with Google Drive. Now, who constitutes Zapier's user base? That's right—the users of these diverse apps. Where do you find these users? Often, on the product forums of platforms like Salesforce, MailChimp, and others. And here's where the strategy unfolds. Zapier's CEO employed a simple yet effective plan. He frequented product forums for companies like Dropbox, Salesforce, and Evernote, scanning for posts like: "I love MailChimp! It would be awesome if you had Wufoo Integration!" Capitalizing on these opportunities, he presented Zapier as a solution. While each link brought in only 10 visits, the traffic was modest. However, the CEO recognized that he was attracting the right customers—50% of these visitors signed up for the beta. A remarkable success rate! The takeaway here is clear: targeted outreach is the key. You don't necessarily need a thousand customers to kickstart your venture; you just need the right 10. Source: https://read.first1000.co/p/zapier Direct sales "Content marketing doesn't work nearly as well for a new product. Direct sales killed it." says Nathan Barry, the founder of ConvertKit. While we all detest spam, there's an acknowledgment that, when executed correctly, it can yield results. The key lies in meticulous research before approaching a potential client, enabling a personalized and compelling offer. Let's compare two scenarios. First scenario:
"Hello, dear sir/madam! Your company has a decent website, but it could be better. Please buy my professional website speedometer tool." Now, consider the second approach:
"Hello, Alex. I learned about your company while watching your latest podcast show with James. You were discussing website performance extensively. Out of curiosity, I tested your website on my speedometer tool, and it only scores 18 out of 100. Want to know what exactly needs improvement?" The difference is evident, isn't it? Nathan Barry introduces another intriguing concept called "concierge migrations": "The biggest objection in the sales process for us has always been. 'But it's so much work to switch!'So we did the ultimate thing that doesn't scale and offered to switch them out of their ConvertKit. Totally for free. Yes. It costs us a lot of time and money, but the referrals and ongoing revenue give an incredible ROI." Great tactic that works for the type of products that are hard to move from. For example, a website builder (my case 🙂). Source: https://nathanbarry.com/2015-review/ Keyword in domain name The next strategy is truly ingenious, and it's surprising that more people aren't utilizing it nowadays. This gem dates back to 2013 when the team at Doordash aimed to validate the demand for quick food delivery. Despite having limited resources for marketing, they came up with a brilliant plan. Their approach was to target individuals in Palo Alto searching for food delivery on Google. Doordash strategically chose the domain name "PaloAltoDelivery.com," anticipating that the domain would secure top positions in Google searches for the keywords "Palo Alto delivery." Essentially, the keyword became the domain name, and it proved to be a highly effective move. Source: https://read.first1000.co/p/case-study-doordash I personally employed a similar strategy with success. My side project, uigenerator.org, has generated over $20,000 in profit since 2022, with the majority of the traffic originating from Google. You can probably guess the keyword. Moreover, just a couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine used the same tactic to garner free traffic from Google. He created a website, allgpts.co, which now ranks at the top for the "all gpts" keyword. So, yes, the "keyword in domain" trick remains a viable and potent strategy. ​ This post was originally an which was then flavored with memes and turned into a . Originally published . 𝕏 thread YouTube video here

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