Celestial Butterfly

SPACE WATCH (download wallpaper)
NASA – This celestial object looks like a delicate butterfly. But it is far from serene.

What resemble dainty butterfly wings are actually roiling cauldrons of gas heated to more than 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The gas is tearing across space at more than 600,000 miles an hour—fast enough to travel from Earth to the Moon in 24 minutes!

A dying star that was once about five times the mass of the Sun is at the center of this fury. It has ejected its envelope of gases and is now unleashing a stream of ultraviolet radiation that is making the cast-off material glow. This object is an example of a planetary nebula, so-named because many of them have a round appearance resembling that of a planet when viewed through a small telescope. more> http://tinyurl.com/ydyx397

Cyber War?

By Ella Chou/Jonathan Zittrain – We face paired dangers. The first is that our networks are successfully attacked. The second is that our fear of attack will cause us to destroy what makes the Internet special. Sadly, most experts are concerned with only one danger, and ready to deal with it by ignoring the other.

A note on definitions: the danger of network attack is both accentuated and obscured by the term “cyber.” It depicts a realm greater than the sum of its parts — hence cyberwar or cybersecurity sounding much more grave than “Internet war” or “Internet security.” The cyber- prefix — these days also used as a standalone noun — can mean too many things at once. So let’s break it out. more> http://tinyurl.com/4pnsfz7

related>

• Internet Cop
• A Civil Perspective on Cybersecurity
• Internet and ‘dictator’s dilemma’
• The Embarrassing Revelations of Cyber Security Firm HBGary Federal, John Hudson, Atlantic Wire http://tinyurl.com/4qkbbfd
• Controversial cybersecurity bill is reintroduced, Jon Swartz, USA TODAY http://tinyurl.com/4vq77qj
• Congress hears alarm bells about cybersecurity, Charley Keyes, CNN http://tinyurl.com/4qv9396
• What’s Better than an “Internet Kill Switch”? Regular Security Updates, Chris Palmer, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) http://tinyurl.com/4ml5uas
• Rights groups decry bill giving feds control of Internet in emergency, Robert Stigile, Maine Campus http://tinyurl.com/48m4jeh
• House Hearing: [VIDEO] What Should the Department of Defense’s Role in Cyber Be? Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities http://tinyurl.com/6e6rugl

IMF ‘In Awe’ of Rich Nations Missed Coming Crisis

By Sandrine Rastello – A report gauging the IMF’s performance from 2004 through 2007 said its economists were sometimes “in awe of” the authorities’ reputation and expertise in larger nations.

“IMF staff felt uncomfortable challenging the views of authorities in advanced economies on monetary and regulatory issues, given the authorities’ greater access to banking data and knowledge of their financial markets, and the large numbers of highly qualified economists working in their central banks,” according to the IMF audit released today (2/9/11). more> http://tinyurl.com/4hj8v9g

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“The IMF’s ability to detect important vulnerabilities and risks and alert the membership was undermined by a complex interaction of factors, many of which had been flagged before but had not been fully addressed. The IMF’s ability to correctly identify the mounting risks was hindered by a high degree of groupthink, intellectual capture, a general mindset that a major financial crisis in large advanced economies was unlikely, and inadequate analytical approaches. Weak internal governance, lack of incentives to work across units and raise contrarian views, and a review process that did not “connect the dots” or ensure follow-up also played an important role, while political constraints may have also had some impact.”

• IMF Performance in the Run-Up to the Financial and Economic Crisis: IMF Surveillance in 2004-07, IEO/IMF http://tinyurl.com/63yksex

Operating System for Safe and Secure Applications

By Joe Wlad, – When computing platforms are used in applications where safety or security is paramount, such as airborne and ground-based systems, special requirements may need to be addressed.

Modern microprocessors and operating systems provide memory protection that helps developers identify and contain application faults. In avionics systems, operating systems also provide time partitioning so that multiple applications can execute on a single CPU. Standards such as ARINC 653 have been published that define services an operating system shall provide when used in an environment with multiple applications. Additionally, developers use RTCA DO-178B and, in Europe, EUROCAE ED-12B as guidance documents to ensure their software complies with safety requirements. For applications with security requirements, the ISO 15408 standard is used for certification. more> http://tinyurl.com/4galbqw

Social networks credited with role in toppling Egypt’s Mubarak

VIDEO 2:40

By Sharon Gaudin – s Egypt’s embattled President Hosni Mubarak gave up his presidency Friday, analysts and some of the Egyptian protestors said he’d still be in charge if not for the power of social networking.

President Barack Obama this afternoon noted the role of technology in the uprising, praising Egyptians who used “their creativity, talent and technology to call for a government that represented their hopes and not their fears.”

When Egyptians who wanted Mubarak and his administration out began to mobilize, they turned to social networks, specifically Facebook. more> http://tinyurl.com/62wavv8

related>

• In Egyptian uprising, crowds learn quickly, Myra MacDonald, Reuters http://tinyurl.com/4rr6lob

Exploring Social Media