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Posted by BeauHD

alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: Today's cutting-edge theory -- quantum gravity -- suggests that even space and time aren't fundamental. They emerge from something deeper: pure information. This information exists in what physicists call a Platonic realm -- a mathematical foundation more real than the physical universe we experience. It's from this realm that space and time themselves emerge. "The fundamental laws of physics cannot be contained within space and time, because they generate them. It has long been hoped, however, that a truly fundamental theory of everything could eventually describe all physical phenomena through computations grounded in these laws. Yet we have demonstrated that this is not possible. A complete and consistent description of reality requires something deeper -- a form of understanding known as non-algorithmic understanding." "We have demonstrated that it is impossible to describe all aspects of physical reality using a computational theory of quantum gravity," says Dr. Faizal. "Therefore, no physically complete and consistent theory of everything can be derived from computation alone. Rather, it requires a non-algorithmic understanding, which is more fundamental than the computational laws of quantum gravity and therefore more fundamental than spacetime itself." "Drawing on mathematical theorems related to incompleteness and indefinability, we demonstrate that a fully consistent and complete description of reality cannot be achieved through computation alone," explains Dr. Mir Faizal, Adjunct Professor with UBC Okanagan's Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science. "It requires non-algorithmic understanding, which by definition is beyond algorithmic computation and therefore cannot be simulated. Hence, this universe cannot be a simulation." The findings have been published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Posted by BeauHD

Google and Magic Leap have extended their partnership for another three years to develop Android XR glasses. They also showed off a new prototype concept that combines Google's Raxium microLED light engine with Magic Leap's AR optics, resulting in a lightweight, stylish pair of glasses that blends real-world vision with multimodal AI. 9to5Google reports: As noted by Android Central, a press release shared by Magic Leap adds some further technical details. This includes mentioning that Google's "Raxium microLED light engine" integrates with Magic Leap's tech to bring "digital content seamlessly into the world." As pictured above, the "display" portion of the lens is visible at some angles, but it's largely impossible to see. Magic Leap and Google will show an AI glasses prototype at FII that will serve as a prototype and reference design for the Android XR ecosystem. The demo shows how Magic Leap's technology, integrated with Google's Raxium microLED light engine, brings digital content seamlessly into the world. The prototypes worn on stage illustrate how comfortable, stylish smart eyewear is possible and the video showed the potential for users to stay present in the real world while tapping into the knowledge and functionality of multimodal AI. During the presentation, text on the nearby screens suggests that Magic Leap is mainly working with Google on the technology here, rather than bringing its own glasses to market. Magic Leap further hints at this in its press release, calling itself "an AR ecosystem partner" focused on "supporting global technology leaders that want to enter the AR market and accelerate the production of AR glasses."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Where To PIN The Blame

Oct. 31st, 2025 01:00 am
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Posted by Not Always Right

Read Where To PIN The Blame

Customer: "You’ll have to do something here, it won’t let me use my card."
Me: "No problem, I’ll just reset the card machine, and you can try it again."
A few moments later…
Customer: "This machine isn’t having it at all. I knew I should have gone to a real till."

Read Where To PIN The Blame

[syndicated profile] dailykos_feed

It isn’t really surprising that Trump has shuttered refugee admissions, as he is a bone-deep racist and seems to think that people who seek asylum are literally coming from asylums.

But there is one very special group that Trump does want to come to the United States, and that’s white people. Well, a very specific group of white people: white South African Afrikaners.

This isn’t subtle or just some sort of inference. It’s in the Federal Register that the administration announced it would cap refugee admissions at 7,500.

“The admissions numbers shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa,” it explicitly states.

Young Afrikaner refugees from South Africa holding American flags arrive, Monday, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
White Afrikaners arrive in the United States on May 12.

You know who doesn’t qualify? People of color from South Africa. Got it. And white people who are not descendants of the Dutch colonizers who brutally repressed the Black majority and implemented decades of apartheid don’t count either. 

Trump has latched onto the entirely fake idea that there is a “white genocide” in South Africa. This racist lie has been pushed—surprise, surprise—by rich, white South Africans like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel

In reality, white farmers are not under siege. Indeed, of the 27,000 murders per year in the country, white people make up 1% of that. White people make up 7% of the population but own half of the country’s farmland.

Nonetheless, Trump cornered South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during an Oval Office visit, waving around a sheaf of papers he said were about violent attacks against white Afrikaner farmers. 

"I don't know, all of these are articles over the last few days, death of people, death, death, death, horrible death," he said.

Honestly, this is just embarrassing. Trump is a doddering racist who was lucky enough to seize the levers of power, but all he knows how to do is hate. 

Trump’s cap of 7,500 refugee admissions is the lowest since the program started. In contrast, former President Joe Biden set the goal at 125,000 for fiscal year 2024. That’s still too low, of course, but not criminally low—or transparently racist—like Trump’s number here. And, of course, under Biden, refugees came from everywhere—Africa, East Asia, Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, and South Asia. You get the picture. 


Related | Trump's racist ambush of South African president gets even more bonkers


Trump originally thought that 30,000 victims of the imaginary white genocide would race to our shores, but he’s got one big problem: Most Afrikaners don’t want to come here. Their dream is to build whites-only enclaves in South Africa.

So they basically want apartheid back in their own country rather than having to relocate to the United States. Because sometimes you just want your racism at home in familiar surroundings, you know?

Dropping the cap down to 7,500 helps obscure the fact that Afrikaners are not racing to the United States. It’s far less embarrassing to say you hit a low refugee cap than admit that nowhere near 30,000 Afrikaners are clamoring to come here. 

Instead, Afrikaners are coming to the United States in dribs and drabs, a few dozen at a time, to spread racist lies—just like Trump wants. 

Can’t wait for little pockets of apartheid everywhere.

[syndicated profile] dailykos_feed

A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know.

Trump plans to set off nukes

A very normal, presidential move.

'No legal mechanism' to stop kids from starving, says House speaker

“There’s nothing I can do,” says man who has tried absolutely nothing.

The surveillance state is here—and it’s bleak

You’re living in a dystopian society, and the Trump administration is watching.

Cartoon: A track record

If not Nazi, then why Nazi-like?

Trump's terrifying new plan to unleash the military on Americans

This “quick reaction force” is bad news.

Illinois governor begs ICE to ‘let children be children’ on Halloween

Chicago kids are facing real-life terror while they trick-or-treat.

A major roadblock to Trump's legal victories? Naked cruelty.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is fighting to expose the administration’s vindictiveness.

Trump admits he maybe probably can’t be president forever

Reality bites.

Buttigieg says what we're all thinking about wannabe 'mob boss' Trump

Threatening to cancel projects and gut funding is a mafioso move.

Click here to see more cartoons.

[syndicated profile] slashdot_feed

Posted by BeauHD

PC Mag's Michael Kan writes: A "Keep Android Open" campaign is pushing back on new rules from Google that will reportedly block users from sideloading apps on Android phones. It's unclear who's running the campaign, but a blog post on the free Android app store F-Droid is directing users to visit the campaign's website, which urges the public to lobby government regulators to intervene and stop the upcoming restrictions. "Developers should have the right to create and distribute software without submitting to unnecessary corporate surveillance," reads an open letter posted to the site. [...] Google has described the upcoming change as akin to requiring app developers to go through "an ID check at the airport." However, F-Droid condemned the new requirement as anti-consumer choice. "If you own a computer, you should have the right to run whatever programs you want on it," it says. Additionally, the rules threaten third-party app distribution on F-Droid, which operates as a "free/open-source app distribution" model. In its blog post, F-Droid warns about the impact on users and Android app developers. "You, the creator, can no longer develop an app and share it directly with your friends, family, and community without first seeking Google's approval," the app store says. "Over half of all humankind uses an Android smartphone," the blog post adds. "Google does not own your phone. You own your phone. You have the right to decide who to trust, and where you can get your software from."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Posted by BeauHD

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Guardian: When Google and Amazon negotiated a major $1.2 billion cloud-computing deal in 2021, their customer -- the Israeli government -- had an unusual demand: agree to use a secret code as part of an arrangement that would become known as the "winking mechanism." The demand, which would require Google and Amazon to effectively sidestep legal obligations in countries around the world, was born out of Israel's concerns that data it moves into the global corporations' cloud platforms could end up in the hands of foreign law enforcement authorities. Like other big tech companies, Google and Amazon's cloud businesses routinely comply with requests from police, prosecutors and security services to hand over customer data to assist investigations. This process is often cloaked in secrecy. The companies are frequently gagged from alerting the affected customer their information has been turned over. This is either because the law enforcement agency has the power to demand this or a court has ordered them to stay silent. For Israel, losing control of its data to authorities overseas was a significant concern. So to deal with the threat, officials created a secret warning system: the companies must send signals hidden in payments to the Israeli government, tipping it off when it has disclosed Israeli data to foreign courts or investigators. To clinch the lucrative contract, Google and Amazon agreed to the so-called winking mechanism, according to leaked documents seen by the Guardian, as part of a joint investigation with Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call. Based on the documents and descriptions of the contract by Israeli officials, the investigation reveals how the companies bowed to a series of stringent and unorthodox "controls" contained within the 2021 deal, known as Project Nimbus. Both Google and Amazon's cloud businesses have denied evading any legal obligations.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

[syndicated profile] dailykos_feed

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rejected a request from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to pause immigration raids on Halloween so children can trick-or-treat in peace, dismissing concerns over the psychological and physical trauma children are being subjected to.

Pritzker sent a letter to Noem Wednesday asking for the so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” operation in his state to be paused. 

Three sisters, whose single mother fears being mistakenly detained by federal immigration agents because she is of Puerto Rican descent and speaks Spanish, walk into Funston Elementary School after being dropped off for the start of the school day, in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Three children, whose mother fears being detained by ICE because she’s of Puerto Rican descent and speaks Spanish, walk into school in Chicago on Oct. 15.

“No child should be forced to inhale tear gas or other chemical agents while trick-or-treating in their own neighborhood,” Pritzker wrote in the letter.

That was a reference to an incident that occurred Saturday in a residential neighborhood in Northwest Chicago. Illinois state Sen. Graciela Guzman said that, after she responded to reports of a citizen being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the area, agents used tear gas against her and her team during a Halloween event.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin admitted that “crowd control measures” were deployed during the confrontation.

When asked about Pritzker’s letter during a news conference on Thursday, Noem flatly denied the request.

“We’re absolutely not willing to pause any work that we’re doing to keep communities safe. The fact that Governor Pritzker is asking for that is shameful and I think unfortunate that he doesn’t recognize how important the work is that we do to ensure that we’re bringing criminals to justice,” she said.

ICE and Border Patrol agents have participated in the sustained abuse and denigration of immigrants and their communities—including U.S. citizens and even military veterans. Noem and her agency have frequently offered up lies about the criminal threat that immigrants pose.

As Trump’s handpicked anti-immigrant enforcer, Noem has been the front person for an abusive regime, and her latest comments prove that even children’s holiday events aren’t safe in Trump’s America.

[syndicated profile] dailykos_feed

The National Guard presence in Washington, D.C., isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered troops to remain in the capital until at least February—and possibly longer—extending what was supposed to be a temporary mission.

Politico says the original orders were supposed to end in November, but Hegseth quietly signed off on keeping the troops in D.C. for much longer. An anonymous defense official told Politico the deployment will continue “until the mission is considered complete,” in the outlet’s words.

As of Wednesday morning, CNN reports that 2,387 National Guard troops are stationed across D.C., including service members from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, and D.C. itself. The operation costs roughly $1 million a day, which is rough optics during the GOP’s government shutdown.

Trump first ordered the guard into Washington in August, claiming the city needed help fighting crime—even though crime rates had recently hit a 30-year low before his intervention. 

The troops operate under Title 32 orders, which allow them to perform law enforcement duties while remaining under state control. Politico notes that similar domestic deployments typically fall under Title 10 orders, which federalize troops and prohibit them from engaging in law enforcement activities.

A member of the District of Columbia National Guard picks up trash on the National Mall, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A member of the District of Columbia National Guard picks up trash on the National Mall on Aug. 16.

In practice, the troops haven’t been patrolling for crime. Over the past two months, they’ve spent much of their time picking up trash, spreading mulch, and performing other “beautification” projects around the National Mall and other heavily trafficked areas. According to guard statistics, units assigned to “Task Force Beautification” have collected 1,099 bags of trash and spread more than 1,000 cubic yards of mulch.

Local officials have criticized the deployment as wasteful and unnecessary. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has sued the Trump administration, arguing the city never consented to the federal presence. A federal judge heard arguments in the case last week.

CNN, which first reported the extension, noted growing frustration among guard members over the open-ended mission. Many are leaving behind better-paying civilian jobs to serve.

The situation in D.C. is also part of a broader legal and political battle over Trump’s National Guard deployments. The administration has sent troops to cities including Los Angeles and Memphis—moves that drew strong pushback from Democratic governors like California’s Gavin Newsom. 

Court orders have stymied similar deployments in Portland and Chicago.

Despite repeated rulings that such actions exceed the president’s constitutional authority, the White House is reportedly preparing to deploy as many as 23,500 guard troops nationwide as part of a supposed public-safety campaign. 

Vice President JD Vance spelled out the administration’s position in August.

“If the president of the United States thinks that he has to extend this order to ensure that people have access to public safety, then that’s exactly what he’ll do,” he said.

What began as a temporary deployment has become a stark example of Trump’s expansion of federal authority in the nation’s capital. As early as July, he was openly floating the idea of taking over D.C. And by September, he was threatening to seize control of its police department after city officials refused to cooperate with federal immigration efforts.

Now, that vision is playing out on the ground: Thousands of armed troops stationed in the capital, an aimless mission, and taxpayers footing the bill for an expensive operation with no clear end in sight.

[syndicated profile] dailykos_feed

After receiving an intelligence briefing from the Pentagon Thursday, Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado said he has “deeper concerns” about the Trump administration’s escalation of extrajudicial killings targeting alleged “narcoterrorists” in South America.

“I'm not satisfied,” he said. “Our job is to oversee the use of lethal force by our military outside of the United States. And I'm walking away without an understanding of how and why they're making an assessment that the use of lethal force is adequate here.”

Crow, an Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran, continued, “I heard no strategy, no end game, no assessment of how they are going to end the flow of drugs into the United States.”

He then added that the briefing left him with “deeper concerns” about whether the Trump administration is serious about addressing drug trafficking at all. 

“I heard no serious, comprehensive plan for addressing drugs in the United States,” he said. “So I'm very concerned.”

A Risk Of Meow-ware

Oct. 31st, 2025 12:00 am
[syndicated profile] notalwaysright_feed

Posted by Not Always Right

Read A Risk Of Meow-ware

One day I emailed myself over ten emails in a short amount of time while I was on my lunch.
I come back and find an IM from someone I don’t know. When I look at their title, I see they are in IT Security.

Read A Risk Of Meow-ware

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Posted by Sarah Brown

Cats can't help but get a little curious when the Halloween candy comes out. The rustling wrappers, the sweet smells, the shiny colors… it's basically a feline sensory overload. Every pumpkin bucket becomes a treasure chest, and every candy bar suddenly looks like the world's most exciting toy.

While their humans are busy trading chocolate and caramel, these mischievous little meowsters are plotting their own kind of heist. One paw reaches out, a little nose sniffs closer, and before you know it, there's a kitty trying to steal a mini Snickers like it's a prize catch. They have no idea they can't actually eat it. They just want to be part of the fun.

Whether it's sitting in the middle of the candy stash or proudly batting a wrapped treat across the floor, cats just want in on Halloween's sweetest chaos. So while the hoomans enjoy their sugar rush, the felines will happily settle for cat treats, attention, and a front-row seat to all the spooky-season action.

The Red Menace

Oct. 30th, 2025 11:00 pm
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Posted by Not Always Right

Read The Red Menace

Customer: "How old are you?"
Me: "My age has nothing to do with this conversation, and I won’t be disclosing it, since it doesn’t affect the matter at hand."
Customer: "I know who you are. I always see you. And you’re not MAN ENOUGH to be in charge of anything!"

Read The Red Menace

[syndicated profile] icanhascheezburger_feed

Posted by Sarah Brown

When a young cat started hanging around a new apartment complex, one couple couldn't help but take notice. At first, he seemed like a friendly neighborhood visitor. Social, sweet, and curious about everyone who walked by. But after a few days of seeing him wander alone and realizing no one claimed him, concern turned into care.

They started small, offering food, water, and a warm spot on their porch. Soon enough, the cat, now affectionately named Gary, began trusting them more, greeting them with purrs and choosing their company over the cold outdoors. He'd wander out during the day but always come back, sometimes tapping at the window for his nightly visit.

The couple plans to scan for a chip and post flyers just in case, but deep down, they know what's happening. Gary's not just passing through. He's home shopping. And it looks like he's already made his choice. With every meal, cuddle, and safe night inside, this once-stray sweetheart is settling into his new life and his new family.

[syndicated profile] icanhascheezburger_feed

Posted by Briana Viser

You might think cats and Christmas don't mix due to their capricious, destructive, and cunning nature. The Christmas tree is a common and understandable point of contention for cat owners. The lights, decorations, and beautifully wrapped boxes sitting pretty underneath the sprawling pine needles are all fair game for a mischievous kitty absolutely set on attacking everything you've worked so hard to prop up. Though it's barely Halloween, there are people (and cats) out there who simply need a taste of Christmas already. It's never too soon for the spirit of Christmas, the jolly caroling through the soft and wintery streets, the slowness of falling snow, and the cozy firelit cuddles with your kitty. 

For Christmas and cat lovers alike, these adorable and premature Christmas cat memes are sure to get you into the holiday spirit. So when you're preparing your Christmas present list, your list of who's naughty and nice, and your Christmas cat meme scroll, enjoy these to set you in good spirits for the holidays. 

[syndicated profile] slashdot_feed

Posted by BeauHD

Universal Music Group has settled its copyright lawsuit with AI music startup Udio and struck a licensing deal to launch a new AI-powered music platform next year. The Verge reports: The deal includes some form of compensation and "will provide further revenue opportunities for UMG artists and songwriters," Universal says. Udio, the company behind "BBL Drizzy," will launch the platform as a subscription service next year. Universal, alongside other industry giants Sony and Warner, sued Udio and another startup Suno for "en masse" copyright infringement last year. Universal -- whose roster includes some of the world's biggest performers like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Ariana Grande -- says the new tool will "transform the user engagement experience" and let creators customize, stream, and share music. There's no indication of how much it will cost yet. Udio's existing music maker, which lets you create new songs with a few words, will remain available during the transition, though content will be held "within a walled garden" and security measures like fingerprinting will be added.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

[syndicated profile] dailykos_feed

Singer Billie Eilish used her spotlight at WSJ Magazine’s Innovator Awards Wednesday night to turn the heat on billionaires.

“We’re in a time right now where the world is really, really bad and really dark and people need empathy and help more than, kind of, ever, especially in our country,” the 23-year-old said while accepting the Music Innovator Award. “I’d say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things, maybe give it to some people that need it.”

She then added, “Love you all, but there’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties.”

By a few people, she was likely referring to Mark Zuckerberg, who was sitting in the crowd with his wife, Priscilla Chan. Zuckerberg reportedly did not clap along with the crowd when she made that statement.

The Meta CEO is worth a whopping $228 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world as of publication.

While Eilish—a millionaire herself—gave $11.5 million of the profits from her recent tour to various organizations supporting food equity and climate justice, Zuckerberg and Chan seem to be keeping things close to his chest, at least for now.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sits beside President Donald Trump during a dinner at the White House on Sept. 4.

The two have reportedly pledged 99% of their Meta shares to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a for-profit company working to cure, prevent, and manage all diseases by 2100.

But if CZI sounds familiar for reasons other than a vague mountainous goal, it might be because it made headlines in May for cutting part of its grant program that was helping to build affordable housing. And two months before that, it cut grants for racial equity and immigration reform. According to Chan, these cuts were made to focus on the scientific arm, where the resources were paying off the most.

But the changes came at a suspicious time, as Zuckerberg has been capitulating to President Donald Trump and his war on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Zuckerberg’s descent into conservatism became abundantly clear when he donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration committee. He also updated Meta’s “hateful conduct” policy, which appeared to give people free reign to harass LGBTQ+ people.

He has even cooperated with the Department of Homeland Security in removing Facebook groups that helped to identify and warn people of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ presence. 

Zuckerberg might claim that he’s making strides for the greater good with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, but his actions consistently prove otherwise.

And one thing is very clear: Even millionaires like Eilish understand that billionaires simply shouldn't exist.

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