Monday, March 17, 2008

A hacked heart?

How's this for an unusual target for hackers: Artificial hearts and other implantable medical gadgets.

Computer scientists at the University of Washington, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Harvard Medical School have found that those devices, which use wireless technology so doctors can monitor them, can be taken over and reprogrammed by computer-savvy evil-doers.

While I don't imagine these gadgets are a high priority target for the typical scruffy-haired, free-the-Internet type hackers in the United States, there are certainly others who could no doubt use the knowledge for devious ends.

Is there a digital gleam in the CIA's eye?

The scientists point out there are ways to make these devices more secure, and overall the goal is just to let the industry know that this could be a problem.

According to an article on Science Daily:

"We hope our research is a wake-up call for the industry," said Tadayoshi Kohno, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington. "In the 1970s, the Bionic Woman was a dream, but modern technology is making it a reality. People will have sophisticated computers with wireless capabilities in their bodies. Our goal is to make sure those devices are secure, private, safe and effective."

Here's the full story link:

Implantable Medical Devices May Expose Patients to Security, Privacy Risks

Cheers,
-SueVo

Friday, March 7, 2008

Is using technology really cheating?

OK, if this is really true, it is ridiculous.

Apparently a student at Ryerson University in Toronto is facing 147 accusations of academic misconduct because he organized a study group on Facebook, the social networking site.

The student said the group was designed as a normal study group - where students discuss problems and help each other in the learning process.

Granted, this is more stupid academia than a stupid study, but really - if universities don't adapt to changing technology, that really gives students a huge disadvantage when they go out into the real world.

According to a story on London's vunet.com:

Kim Neale, Ryerson Student Union advocacy co-ordinator, said that the move makes no sense.

"All these students are scared s***less about using Facebook to talk about schoolwork, when actually it's no different than any study group working together on homework in a library," he said.

"That's the worst part. It's creating a culture of fear. If I post a question about physics homework on my friend's [Facebook bulletin board] and ask if anyone has any ideas how to approach this, and my prof sees this, am I cheating?

"No one did post a full final solution. It was more the back-and-forth that you get in any study group."

The university has refused to comment while the case is ongoing.

The full story link is here:

Student faces explusion for Facebook study group

Blah,
-SueVo

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Hexapus on parade

Scientists at Britain's Blackpool Sea Life Centre have found a new octopus that falls a bit short in the octo category.

It only has six legs, making it a hexapus.

He may be the first documented hexapus, but he's not really a new species, the scientists' noted. He's more of a genetic mutant.

Do I hear creepy monster movie music in the background?

The critter was found off the coast of Wales a few weeks ago, but despite his apparent weirdness, the aquarium folks still think he's pretty darned cool, according to a story on National Geographic's Web site:

"He's a lovely little thing," an aquarium spokesperson told AFP.

Here's the story link:

Six-legged "Hexapus" Discovered


Cheers,
-SueVo

Here's a pic from National Geographic of our hexapus friend:


Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Up the food chain and licking frogs

A scientist who just finished her master's degree from Cornell University is trying to figure out where, exactly, frogs get their poison from.

Her method? She licks them.

Valerie Clark is trying to trace how frogs in tropical forests send signals to predators that say "don't eat me." The thought is that poisons move up the food chain before they get into the frogs - from plants that are eaten by ants that are eaten by frogs.

In an article on National Geographic's Web site, Clark notes:

"What would be really amazing is to see the frogs eating the ants, and the ants and other insects eating the plants, and then we get lucky and the [samples of all three] that we've collected and filmed all have the same toxins," she said.

Frog-licking isn't for the weak, but it does help scientists determine certain toxins without the need to ship frog samples to a lab. You do have to be careful, though, she said in the story:

"I don't recommend this," the biologist cautioned, "because if you lick the wrong frog it can be very bad."

Check out the full story here:

For Frog-Licking Scientist, the Tongue Says It All

Cheers,
-SueVo