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20 May

In 2011, RSA was hacked: the worst breach of a security firm to that date. The hack, carried out by Chinese spies, pulled the rug out from under the world’s model of security. For 10 years, RSA execs have been bound to silence by NDAs—which just expired 1/ wired.trib.al/ffxPoam

The intruders were able to steal the “seeds” underpinning RSA’s SecurID tokens: fobs that let you prove your identity by entering the six-digit codes that update on their screens. The hack erased a critical safeguard protecting 40 million accounts worldwide 2/

RSA’s customers included government agencies, defense contractors, and corporations across the globe.

The new accounts capture the experience of being targeted by sophisticated state hackers who meticulously take on high-value networked targets on a geopolitical scale 3/

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19 May

Early in the pandemic, health officials insisted that Covid-19 spread through droplets—through coughs and sneezes. In the medical canon, that’s how most respiratory infections were thought to spread. 1/ wired.trib.al/PFGbUeR

Some researchers disagreed. Linsey Marr, an aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech, suspected the coronavirus could hang in the air, infecting anyone who breathed in enough of it. 📷:Matt Eich 2/

As evidence mounted that Covid was airborne, Marr and other scientists teamed up to try to convince the WHO and CDC to update their guidelines—to advise people to wear masks and improve ventilation. 3/

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17 May

Forget snakes on a plane. How about a robot snake in a pool?

Carnegie Mellon roboticists approximated the biomechanics of a serpent—then loaded the thing with propellers. The result is a bot the US Navy might use to inspect ships and submarines 1/ wired.trib.al/csEMNB7

Unlike a sea snake, which uses its whole sinuous body to swim, this robot uses modular pieces of itself to maneuver. Its aft thruster produces forward movement while its lateral thrusters offer stability control. Also unlike a sea snake, it has a camera on its face 2/

At the moment, the robot’s swimming isn’t particularly sophisticated, but the team’s idea is to refine the algorithms that control its movement by using machine learning: By building a digital version of the robot in simulation, an AI can try many ways of swimming 3/

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16 May

Take a break and dive into the minute world of chemical reactions. Using infrared thermal imaging techniques and high-speed and time-lapse microphotography, Wenting Zhu and Yan Liang explore the molecular beauty of the elements surrounding us 1/ wired.trib.al/Q8hTR8m

Behold the beauty of chromium chloride and sodium hydroxide swapping ions. The positively charged chromium and negatively charged hydroxide molecules form tight bonds, freezing them into place and producing a solid that doesn’t have room for its water molecules to fit neatly 2/

These odd-looking rings show what happens when silver nitrate is added to potassium dichromate. The two compounds trade ions, forming silver chromate. Many scientists believe the substance then becomes supersaturated and diffuses to create a chemical, circular pile-up zone 3/

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15 May

The Cicadas have returned. Known as Brood X, these insects tunnel through dark soil, feeding on sap until they emerge from the earth. While some people just want to be rid of them, restaurants are having a different reaction: Grab a knife and fork. 1/ wired.trib.al/jevIuEn

Brood X offers something beyond noise and wonder. It offers a source of free-range, no-cost, eco-friendly protein—one so good that chefs are already out foraging with plans to add cicadas to the menu. 2/

Around the world, edible insects have been a part of rich culinary traditions for years, from Mexico’s crunchy chapulines to beondegi, Korea’s silkworm pupae street food. Not only is it cost-efficient, but it’s also environmentally friendly. 3/

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14 May

@Sony

The #PS5 is well on its way to being a success story for @Sony. By the end of March, the company had sold 7.8 million of the new video game consoles worldwide—enough, in both units and dollars, to make it the biggest console launch in US history. 1/ wired.trib.al/BoVOIdM

Bigger than the Nintendo Wii. Bigger than the Xbox One. Bigger than even the PS4. 2/

But success hasn’t come without some challenges. It’s been particularly difficult to keep up with the high demand during the pandemic, and after six months in the market, it’s still pretty hard to buy a PlayStation 5. 3/

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