He wants to know why can't bring his emotional support life-sized cutout of Trump with him to treatments

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/florida-man-is-upset-he-cant.html

Thirty years ago today, the Voyager 1 spaceprobe had completed its ncounters with the outer planets and was careening out of our solar system. The time came to shut off the probes' cameras to preserve power and memory for the other onboard scientific instruments. But before engineers flipped the switch, one last photo opportunity was not to be missed. From my liner notes to the Voyager Golden Record vinyl box set:

Astronomer and educator Carl Sagan, a member of the Voyager Imaging Team, had persuaded NASA engineers to turn Voyager 1’s cameras back toward the sun and take the first-ever portrait of our solar system from beyond its outer boundary. Sixty frames, taken on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1990, were combined into a single mosaic, known today as the “Solar System Portrait,” albeit with Mars and Mercury lost in the sun’s glare. Centered in a ray of scattered light in the camera’s optics is a tiny speck, just .12 pixels in size: Earth from 6 billion kilometers away—a “pale blue dot,” as Sagan called it. It’s an iconic image that holds the power to shift our perspective in an instant.

“There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world,” Sagan wrote in Pale Blue Dot (1994). “To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

Please join us in celebrating Carl Sagan's valentine to humanity:

(image: NASA) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/carl-sagans-pale-blue-dot-im.html

This video has the internet legitimately divided .

Dude is in the last seat on the plane. Seat doesn’t recline.

Hers does. And she reclines.

He’s upset, and is punching her seat incessantly— so she records.

Who is right?!Who is wrong?!

See you at 7p on #FOX5LION@fox5dc pic.twitter.com/jjjTLLwvEc

 Marina Marraco (@MarinaMarraco) February 12, 2020

Remember Wendi Williams, the woman who videotaped the man behind her who wouldn't stop punching her seat because she had reclined it?

Well, TMZ has a photo of a "passenger disturbance notice" that a flight attendant handed to Williams, warning her that she could be federally prosecuted for not complying with the flight attendant's order to delete the video she'd taken of the seat puncher. The attendant also threatened to kick Williams off the plane if she didn't delete the video. Williams says she deleted the video, but was able to recover it and post it to Twitter.

According to TMZ, Williams believes she may have suffered damage from the repeated punches, because she says she has had a number of back surgeries in the past as well as titanium implants in her vertebrae. She wants the seat puncher identified and prosecuted.

Williams told TMZ she took the video as a way to stop the man from continuing to violently punching her seat, and that once the man realized he was being taped, he reduced the force of the punches so that they were just an "irritation."

Here's the TMZ video interview with Williams:

Image: Twitter screengrab Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/american-airlines-threatened-t.html

While scientists have studied Moon rocks for 50 years, researchers have for the first time conducted deep analysis on a single grain of lunar dust, atom by atom. Using a common materials science technique called atom probe tomography that's not widely used by geologists, the Chicago Field Museum's Jennika Greer and colleagues probed the grain of soil -- about the width of a human hair -- and were able to learn about the Moon's surface its elemental composition. From the Field Museum:

In that tiny grain, she identified products of space weathering, pure iron, water and helium, that formed through the interactions of the lunar soil with the space environment. Extracting these precious resources from lunar soil could help future astronauts sustain their activities on the Moon...

Once the sample was inside the atom probe at Northwestern University, Greer zapped it with a laser to knock atoms off one by one. As the atoms flew off the sample, they struck a detector plate. Heavier elements, like iron, take longer to reach the detector than lighter elements, like hydrogen. By measuring the time between the laser firing and the atom striking the detector, the instrument is able to determine the type of atom at that position and its charge. Finally, Greer reconstructed the data in three dimensions, using a color-coded point for each atom and molecule to make a nanoscale 3D map of the Moon dust...

Studying soil from the moon's surface gives scientists insight into an important force within our Solar System: space weathering.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/the-scientific-secrets-inside.html

We've written here at Boing Boing before about Mike Bloomberg's awful memes, which the 2020 presidential hopeful's campaign machine crapped out on Facebook and Instagram this week with awful accounts like FuckJerry.

Facebook said Friday it will allow 'influencers' like FuckJerry to produce sponsored content for political campaigns, as long as the posts are clearly identified as ads, but sponsored political content will not be placed in Facebook’s political Ad Library, unless they're "boosted" by the influencer as a paid post, the company announced on Friday.

So, they're ads for political campaigns, but they're not political ads. Got it.

One of the other accounts getting paid by Bloomberg's 2020 campaign is @kalesalad, a meme account run by BuzzFeed employee Samir Mezrahi.

What?

Reports Makena Kelly at The Verge:

Before Friday, Facebook didn’t have any guidelines for influencers who create sponsored content for politicians and political campaigns. But after Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign was found to have paid popular Instagram meme pages for posts, Facebook decided to allow these paid political partnerships.

Sponsored political content will not be placed in Facebook’s political Ad Library unless the creator pays to boost their posts, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed to The Verge. Facebook does not receive any money for sponsored posts unless they are boosted.

These rules will only apply in the United States for now, Facebook said. “Branded content is different from advertising, but in either case we believe it’s important people know when they’re seeing paid content on our platforms,” a Facebook spokesperson told The Verge.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/facebook-bloomberg-campaign-m.html

"From Russia with love..." Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/trailer-for-stranger-things-4.html

Leaked images, many of them graphic nude photos, were from imaging firm NextMotion in France

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/databases-leak-exposed-900k-pl.html

Creative technologist Nicole He modified OpenAI's GPT-2 language model to generate questions for happy mutant pop star Billie Eilish and also write Eilish-esque lyrics. Vogue Magazine published Eilish's answers to the AI's wonderfully odd questions like: "Who consumed so much of your power in one go?" and "Have you ever seen the ending?"

"What I really loved hearing Billie say was that human interviewers often ask the same questions over and over," He tweeted, "and she appreciated that the AI questions don’t have an agenda in the same way, they’re not trying to get anything from her."

Though of course, as with all AI, there was a high level of human intervention—it was trained by me (with GPT-2), and the questions were also hand-picked from the results. I think it’s a good example of how AI can help enhance human creativity." Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/watch-billie-eilish-interviewe.html

Become the best binge-watcher on the block when you add this sweet smart TV to your living room. Not only is this LG television big—hello, 86"—but it's also packed with cutting-edge tech that will finally justify all those hours you spend watching The Mandalorian. Why not take advantage of Presidents' Day sale pricing and snap one up while it's 28% off?

Boasting an a7 Intelligent Processor for rich colors and details, 4K Ultra HD resolution with 8.3 million pixels, wide color gamut, and Ultra Surround sound with audio from 7 virtual channels (requiring only the built-in speakers), this smart TV will make you feel like you're part of the action. Also inside its sleek and slim 3.7" frame are features like Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, advanced tone mapping for scene-by-scene optimization, in-plane switching to maintain a more consistent contrast ratio even at wide viewing angles, and built-in Channel Plus service that offers free streaming of full-length movies and today's top 130+ popular channels.

Its award-winning OS makes working through the interface super easy, whether you're looking for your favorite app or linking up your compatible smart home devices. Speaking of, AI ThinQ technology allows for voice interaction, so you can tell your TV what to do—at least when it comes to said devices (Alexa, Google Assistant).

So if you missed out on those postseason football TV sales, now's a great time to pull the trigger on a serious upgrade to your home entertainment (you'll save loads of money on going out), because the LG 86" 4K HDR Smart LED UHD TV with AI ThinQ is down to $2149.99. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/save-over-25-on-the-lg-86-4.html

RompHim, the rompers-for-men company that achieved viral success a couple of years back, is going out of business. CNN reports that the initial focus on marketing to straight bros limited their appeal from the outset. Remaining stock is 75% off if you want one. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/romphim-goes-out-of-business.html

Now acquitted by the Senate, the president can glibly admit to what he was accused of. In a chat last night with Geraldo Rivera, Donald Trump says he sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to dig for dirt on political opponents, a fact he insisted was not so during his impeachment trial.

"Here's my choice: I deal with the Comeys of the world, or I deal with Rudy," Trump said, referring to former FBI Director James Comey. Trump explained that he has "a very bad taste" of the US intelligence community, because of the Russia investigation, so he turned to Giuliani.

"So when you tell me, why did I use Rudy, and one of the things about Rudy, number one, he was the best prosecutor, you know, one of the best prosecutors, and the best mayor," Trump said. "But also, other presidents had them. FDR had a lawyer who was practically, you know, was totally involved with government. Eisenhower had a lawyer. They all had lawyers."

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/trump-admits-sending-giuliani.html

One Zachary Bisenio created a handy chart illustrating age differences in Disney couples. There are some interesting surprises, to be sure, but also lots of statutory rape. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/age-differences-in-disney-coup.html

Staff at a Wendy's in Greenville, Michigan, are out of a job after video of someone taking a bath in the kitchen sink there went viral.

A 23-second video shared on Facebook, originally posted to the TikTok social media platform, shows a young man partially submerged in a ware-washing industrial sink system — normally used to wash kitchen items — laughing and joking inside the restaurant with other employees. ... In the video, one employee wearing a Wendy’s uniform jokingly says “wash yourself” to the individual in the sink. That individual responds with, “It feels like, it feels like a hot tub. I’m just enjoying life,” as a third person recorded the video while additional laughing can be heard in the background.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/wendys-fires-staff-after-sin.html

Pyongyang claims that North Korea has no cases of coronavirus, having closed its border with China and suspended all tourism. Experts are skeptical, reports the Daily Mirror, and South Korean media claims that an official returning from China was executed on the spot after it was learned he visited a public spa while there.

The trade official, who had been placed in isolation after traveling to China, was arrested and immediately shot for risking the spread of the deadly disease, the Dong-a Ilbo news outlet in South Korea reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to “rule by military law” against anyone who leaves quarantine without permission.

Photo: North Korean media Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/coronavirus-north-korea-execu.html

The wonderfully talented artist and illustrator, Michelle Rial, posted this D & D character alignment chart to her Twitter feed.

I need a new hobby pic.twitter.com/bRn5QJ4u90

 Michelle Rial (@TheRialMichelle) February 14, 2020

Which alignment are you? Would you use different candy hearts?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Image: Used with Permission Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/d-d-character-alignments.html

This is so amazing. Watch what happens when a blacksmithing anvil is lowered into a large vat of pure liquid mercury.

[H/t Alberto Gait'an via Bryce Lynch]

Image: Screengrab from GIF Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/14/watch-how-a-heavy-anvil-floats.html

China's government health commission in Hubei province reported on Friday that the daily death toll from coronavirus rose by 116.

The Hubei province health commission did not report the total number of deaths from the newly identified virus, which was 1,310 on Thursday.

From Reuters:

Of the new deaths, 88 occurred in the provincial capital of Wuhan, where the flu-like virus is believed to have originated late last year.

A further 4,823 cases had been detected in Hubei, taking the total in the province to 51,986. Over four fifths of the province’s new cases were in Wuhan.

The daily toll rose by a record of more than 240 on Thursday after the commission began counting cases diagnosed through new clinical methods.

More from Twitter, below.

The Hubei health authority has reported that 116 more people died of the coronavirus in Hubei province on Thursday.

This brings the total number of deaths in mainland China to at least 1,483, with a global total of 1,486. https://t.co/l48rloavyC

 CNN International (@cnni) February 14, 2020

China's Hubei province reports 116 new coronavirus deaths https://t.co/1m1LQT2iuG pic.twitter.com/qp5MAMFiAM

 Reuters (@Reuters) February 14, 2020

#Coronavirus latest updates: death rate in China's Hubei slows after spike – live news https://t.co/Ecgq86xn5C

 Guardian US (@GuardianUS) February 14, 2020

PHOTO, top: Provided by the Government of China through Xinhua, the official state media outlet.

A doctor wearing goggles is seen at Xianghu Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, Feb. 6, 2020.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/13/china-116-new-coronavirus-dea.html

Canned air is a big help in dusting tight spaces, particularly keyboards, shelves or servers. But the first thing you should know about canned air is that it's not air at all. More likely, what's blowing out of that bottle is fluorocarbons or other mildly toxic substances.

Luckily, there's an easy alternative: The X3 Hurricane Variable Speed Canless Air Duster.

Like canned air, this system is compact enough to tackle all your tight workspaces. And it's just as quiet, with a trigger that lets you control the power level - ideal for busy offices where you don't want your cleaning routine to disturb your workmates.

The big difference is that its motor uses the ambient air instead of some "canned" substitute, blowing it efficiently at up to 260 mph or more. Best of all, it's rechargeable and reusable, which a big advantage over canned air both environmentally and economically.

Speaking of economical, the X3 Hurricane Variable Speed Canless Air Duster is now on sale for almost 25% off the MSRP. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/13/this-portable-duster-blows-tra.html

Robert Pattinson is The Batman in director Matt Reeves's take on the dark knight. Pattinson is best known from the Twilight series while Reeves was behind the lens on Cloverfield (2008), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).

The Batman's cinematographer is Greig Fraser with a score by Michael Giacchino. Costume design is by Jacqueline Durran, Glyn Dillon, and David Crossman.

Release date: June 25, 2021. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/13/first-look-robert-pattinson-i.html

Here are seven of my favorite DIY/maker tips published this year in my weekly newsletter, Gareth's Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales.

Etching Metal with a 9v Battery Etching is easier than you think. Leah of See Jane Drill demonstrates how easy it is to etch a metal surface using little more than a 9v battery and wires, vinegar, salt, and Q-tips.

Finding the Thickness of a Wire Emory Kimbrough was one of the winners of my Tips book drawing in December. I asked contestants for one great tip. Emory sent me ten. And then, a few days later, he sent me another five – all publication-worthy. I’m excited to share them. Look for more Emory tips in the coming months. Here’s the first one:

If you need to find the thickness of a wire but don’t have a micrometer or calipers, wrap the wire around a dowel many times in a tight helix leaving no gaps between the coils. Now, just measure the width of, say, thirty coils with an ordinary ruler and divide by thirty. The more coils you wind, the more accurate your measurement. And even if you do use top-quality digital calipers, it’s even more accurate if you use this wind-and-divide method than if you measure a single thickness.

Organize Cables in Dollar Store Pencil Cases The column I’m currently working on for HackSpace magazine will cover workshop storage and organizing. As part of my research, I asked for relevant storage ideas on my Facebook page. My friend Jake Hildebrandt shared this idea. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/13/seven-top-tips-from-makers-so.html