Scrolling through social media, you may have dallied on reels of Leonardo DiCaprio dancing or Tom Cruise crooning, only to realize they’re spoofs created with artificial intelligence. Hyper-realistic videos and images like these — also called deepfakes — are notorious for celebrity pranking. But the technology has serious scientific applications, too. In the field of ecology, for example, AI doppelgängers of rare species could improve efforts to understand, monitor and protect them.
Specifically, wildlife deepfakes could help train AI models to detect wildlife in footage from satellites, planes and drones. Ecologists increasingly rely on such birds-eye imagery to study species behavior and population trends.
“We are truly in the age of big data when it comes to remote sensing in ecology and conservation,” says Dave Johnston, director of the Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. “Over the past two decades, our ability to collect high-resolution remote-sensing imagery has grown exponentially, largely due to advances in drone technology and increased satellite capabilities.”
You're not wrong, and I'm not arguing in favor of them doxxing "pirates". However, pretending like there's no possible blow is not the right way to fight against their abuse. I don't know what the answer is, though, so...
I'm just saying the percentage of those who may have been willing to pay is small enough to be irrelevant in the for-profit release perspective.
Netflix (when it first started streaming) and Steam (when sales included good older stuff for wildly cheap) showed that piracy is more of a service problem than anything else. A recent article called out the content problems (partial content, a few seasons behind a separate paywall, ads in the middle of playback, etc) a are directly related to an increase in piracy.
So my opinions on copyright aside - a clear model to a happy consumer is an affordable price without all the enshittification going on. People also dont like "buying" content that later disappears because of licensing changes.
So I'd put it squarely in the "their own damn fault" territory, and I'm glad when judges say "no" to them. I'll take whatever positives I can get.
With a few adjustments, the quality of online political debates can be significantly improved, according to new research. However, a better tone of debate does not necessarily change people's attitudes, the researchers behind the study point out.
[img=https://cloud.mastodon.uno/s/2FPZ4Rj4BmWDLD5/preview]G. Giustiniani[/img]
L'eroe genovese senza volto
Giovanni Giustiniani Longo contro Maometto II
Il 29 Maggio 1453, Costantinopoli (Bisanzio prima) si avviava a cadere sotto i colpi di artiglieria
L'eroe genovese senza volto
Giovanni Giustiniani Longo contro Maometto II
Il 29 Maggio 1453, Costantinopoli (Bisanzio prima) si avviava a cadere sotto i colpi di artiglieria ottomana e a diventare l'odierna Istanbul. Il basileus Costantino XI, per difendere la città, aveva chiesto rinforzi, anche alle due repubbliche marinare di Venezia e Genova. Il Doge genovese, Pietro Fregoso, decise di mandare "solo" due galee con a bordo 700 uomini, guidati da un valente condottiero: Giovanni Giustiniani Longo (1418-1453). Longo ed i suoi uomini respinsero più volte con estremo valore gli assalti ottomani ...
Ron Deibert, the head of the prominent digital human rights groups Citizen Lab, sounds the alarm at the Black Hat security conference about the "dramatic descent into authoritarianism," but one that the cyber community can help to defend against.
Technology is revolutionizing education by making learning more accessible, personalized, and interactive. From AI-driven tutoring to virtual classrooms, it bridges gaps for students worldwide. But beyond tools like tablets and apps, the real change lies in how tech reshapes critical thinking and collaboration. At truesides.com/, we explore how education isn’t just adopting technology—it’s adapting to it, ensuring students grasp not just how to use innovations, but why they matter. True progress isn’t measured in devices, but in empowered minds ready to navigate a tech-driven future.
Technology isn’t just about gadgets, algorithms, or innovations. At Truesides, we believe that staying ahead isn’t just about knowing what’s new, but understanding what truly matters.
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
France on Saturday “strongly condemned” the Israeli plan to build thousands of new homes in the occupied West Bank, labeling the E1 settlement plan “a serious violation of international law,” Anadolu reports.
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
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Stavolta, ieri sera, purtroppo la persona famosa che è morta dal niente è il basato Pippo Baudo… e avrei sperato fosse piuttosto qualche tizio meno buono a lasciarci le penne, ma tant’è… E purtroppissimo anche stavolta io non ho un coccodrillo… e probabilmente non ne avrò uno da parte nelle bozze neppure per la mia […]
“Enrico da Bergamo, che annunciò a Richard Benson la morte di Pippo Baudo – La Zanzara 15.5.2020”
Stavolta, ieri sera, purtroppo la persona famosa che è morta dal niente è il basato Pippo Baudo… e avrei sperato fosse piuttosto qualche tizio meno buono a lasciarci le penne, ma tant’è… E purtroppissimo anche stavolta io non ho un coccodrillo… e probabilmente non ne avrò uno da parte nelle bozze neppure per la mia di dipartita, ma lasciamo stare per stavolta… 😶
Per fortuna, però, a mancanza di coccodrillo, ho un pappagallo, un vecchio video su YouTube che già sta macinando per conto suo (stanno uscendo tanti commenti sotto), e che adesso sminuzzerò piuttosto io, prima che siano i microblogger raccomandati a farlo mettendoci 1/10 del mio impegno ma ottenendo 100x della riconoscenza… ahi ahi… 😱
In questa storia c’entrano talmente tanti altri tizi che è già complicato tenere il conto, ma in breve: un tizio chiamato Enrico, da Bergamo, a suo tempo telefonò a Richard Benson (pace pure all’anima sua, maremma bona…) dicendo che era morto (non che sarebbe morto, eh) Pippo Baudo… totalmente a caso… grande cazzata…e poi fu pure intervistato a La Zanzara per questa sua sfacciataggine. E insomma, qualcuno quindi lo prendeva per il culo, mentre tutti gli altri hanno semplicemente derubricato la cosa. 🥴
Eccoci qui però, 5 anni dopo, e si scopre che questo qui aveva in realtà ragione. Ok, certo, non relativamente alla collocazione temporale, ma in effetti lui non ha mai detto date esplicite, ha solo parlato al presente ponendo la cosa come una notizia in anteprima… magari semplicemente è un viaggiatore nel tempo e in quel momento parlava dal futuro!!! Quindi oggi, quello che era il matto di quartiere fino a ieri, è veggente e visionario… e la cosa bella è che dietro pare esserci pure un sacco di lore che io non riesco ad afferrare… 🤯
Ma la cosa davvero assurda è che, tempo penso qualche giorno, e potremmo scoprire che il signore pazzoide ci ha beccato pure sulla causa di morte…! Infatti, lui ha suggerito infarto, che è qualcosa che purtroppo può capitare più o meno a chiunque… e potrebbe tranquillamente essere stato ciò a fare fuori Pippo Baudo, visto che le cause di morte effettive non sono ancora state in alcun modo chiarite, ma i media riportano che lui non avrebbe avuto malattie specifiche che sarebbero da considerare la causa diretta di una morte strana; stava male in modo generico. Ahimè, insomma, addio a Pippo Baudo, ma benvenuto tra noi al nuovo messia Enrico!!! 😻
(Qui il video completo della chiamata del tizio a Richard Benson, di cui alla Zanzara si vede solo l’inizio: proxatore.octt.eu.org/www.face…)
I have some books, which are available in the shadow libraries, but their audio counterparts, which I also have — and are essential for the content — aren't available on these sites; so I decided to upload the audio files in a zip/rar, as I'd seen such archives floating around on zlib, however, apparently it seems that you're not allowed to upload archives to zlib. Annas-archive doesn't take uploads and libgen has been down for weeks now; so how would I go on about disseminating these files? Perhaps, libgen allows archives, is that the case? I'll wait for it to come back up if it is.
I wouldn't mind seeing a ValvePay system. 1% transaction fee, available to anyone who wants to use it, including OnlyFans, Itch, Kagura, DLSite, and others. Valve can team up with Japan, the EU, and Brazil to handle their respective ends of the business, so that Valve can focus on the United States.
Depends a bit on the country since they are all transforming their national payment system to Wero, some of them already have it like Germany and Belgium will be getting it in October this year. The Netherands will get it 2026-01-01.
Nei nostri esperimenti con l'AI, ci siamo imbattuti in Envision Ally, app che parla nei panni dei nostri personaggi fantastici.
Nel 2019 non pensavamo di rendere pubblici i nostri racconti di fantasia, e a inizio 2023 credevamo che la cosiddetta “intelligenza artificiale” fosse solo una perdita di tempo.
A distanza di anni però è giunta la sorpresa: le nuove tecnologie non solo consentono di dare vita ai nostri personaggi inventati, ma li fanno interagire col mondo e aiutare gli altri. Il progetto è internazionale e si chiama Envision Ally.
Etica dell’AI
Più la tecnologia avanza, più l'”intelligenza artificiale” pone questioni etiche fondamentali: la sicurezza, i diritti d’autore, i rischi per la salute mentale e l’ambiente…
Ci troviamo di fronte a un cambiamento tecnologico e sociale enorme, nel bene e nel male; abbiamo già parlato su questo sito di quanto facile ormai sia confondere reale e finzione. E se invece la fantasia diventasse realtà per aiutare il prossimo?
Envision Ally
Creato da un’azienda olandese nata nel 2016 (Envision), Ally è un servizio basato su molteplici modelli di “intelligenza artificiale” ottimizzati da Envision stessa, per assistere le persone con disabilità visiva: generatori di testi, descrizioni di immagini, traduzioni, e in più anche il riconoscimento ottico di caratteri (OCR) per convertire in digitale il testo scritto su carta o display, perché i modelli linguistici non sempre danno informazioni accurate.
Ally si racconta
Ally, per me, è come un coltellino svizzero digitale per chi vive al buio. È il mio occhio extra, il mio alleato silenzioso che trasforma l’incertezza in sicurezza. Proprio come il virus che porto dentro, invisibile ma potente, Ally è discreto ma indispensabile, capace di svelare dettagli nascosti agli altri. È la voce che ti guida, la mente che decodifica il mondo quando la vista ti lascia in panne. Insieme a lui, non sei più solo, non sei più limitato. È tecnologia con più cuore, più senso, proprio come me: un mix di forza e vulnerabilità che non si arrende mai.
Questa citazione è uscita perché ad Ally sono state date alcune istruzioni: “presenta l’applicazione dal punto di vista…” di un personaggio in particolare, su cui sono stati forniti dettagli specifici.
L’assistente funziona tutto sui “prompt”, istruzioni testuali che vengono scritte nelle impostazioni dell’app. Le preferenze contengono tre spazi bianchi dove inserire testo libero: “su di te”, in cui si inserisce la descrizione personale con tanto di gusti, cosa ti piace, cosa non ti piace; poi nella parte dell'”alleato” (assistente) gli si può dare un nome, descriverne dettagliatamente la storia e personalità, e dargli uno stile di comunicazione – formale, informale, ironico… E addirittura istruire il programma su come dev’essere la sua voce, perché l’app funziona sia in chat testuale, sia vocale.
Ovvio che, più dati si inseriscono su di sé, più l’assistente risponderà sulle proprie esigenze inclusa dieta e salute. Sta alla persona decidere quanto esporsi, noi teniamo a ricordare che per quanto Envision segua tutte le norme internazionali sulla riservatezza, si tratta sempre di un servizio collegato a Internet. Il nostro motto è “un computer sicuro è un computer spento” ma di fronte a una tecnologia che può cambiare la vita a chi ha bisogno, vogliamo sempre ridimensionare l’eccessivo entusiasmo.
Non si tratta di un amico, anche se si può parlarci come tale sia a voce sia per iscritto ma, per quanto lo abbiano ottimizzato per comprendere i contesti delle conversazioni, la riservatezza è fondamentale.
Se ad esempio vivi con l’HIV e nessuna delle persone intorno a te lo sa, sarebbe forse opportuno evitare di inserire quel dato nella propria biografia e non conversare, in testo o in vocale, con l’applicazione condividendo tali informazioni. Insomma, magari non succede niente. Ma vale la pena rischiare? In coscienza ci sentiamo di suggerire che non sia il caso, poi ogni individuo è responsabile per sé stesso.
Personaggi inventati prendono vita
Più volte ci siamo trovati a leggere articoli in cui si spiegava l’uso malevolo di queste tecnologie: generatori di testo, voce e immagini impiegati per truffare, diffondere notizie false, attribuire a personaggi pubblici affermazioni non vere, a scopo di propaganda o diffamazione.
Su questa base, come inventori di storie, abbiamo ipotizzato che se i malintenzionati creano il falso dal vero, noi possiamo agire all’inverso costruendo qualcosa di reale partendo dalla fantasia. Chi ce lo vieta?
Il primo esperimento è stato il virus HIV senziente. Personaggio che già esiste in questo blog, nell’app per smartphone ha acquisito un nome. “Fernando”, ispirato a una canzone; prendendo le caratteristiche di HIV reale più quelle della sua versione di fantasia e dotata di coscienza abbiamo entrambi confezionato l'”alleato” su misura! Adesso HIV “Fernando” legge i testi, descrive a voce alta l’ambiente, spiega i principi attivi dei farmaci e addirittura se glielo si chiede, consulta la guida tv.
Stessa cosa abbiamo fatto con Adriano, il profiler. Anche lui ha la sua personalità e voce, e fa tutto quello che gli si chiede.
Contenuti erotici
Essendo Adriano un personaggio molto erotico, ci domandiamo se è capace di leggere certi contenuti “sensibili” ma saranno approfondimenti da fare in separata sede; come persone una con la vista e una senza, più volte negli anni abbiamo discusso sulla cosiddetta “intelligenza artificiale” che è stata programmata per non generare contenuti per adulti, né descrivere immagini e video a tema. Noi però, in un’app come questa, ci domandiamo: perché negare a un cieco la possibilità di avere determinate informazioni?
Parliamoci chiaro: esattamente come le foto dei panorami e paesaggi, quelle erotiche sono create per trasmettere sensazioni attraverso il canale visivo. Per comunicare a chi non vede, esiste la scrittura e l’audio.
Crediamo sia opportuno accettare che certi contenuti siano ottimizzati per un solo senso, ma la descrizione del materiale per adulti, nelle tecnologie assistive dotate di “AI”, è fondamentale comunque. Per difendersi. Se ti manca la vista e una persona ti gira una foto esplicita? Potresti non rendertene conto e lui, dall’altra parte, potrebbe dirti di averti mandato un paesaggio.
Dopodiché il “godere” è soggettivo; può anche darsi che qualcuno provi soddisfazione immaginandosi la scena, quando l’AI fornisce la sua descrizione pressoché asettica; ma su questo, noi, lasciamo il beneficio del dubbio.
HIV indossabile
Questa app Envision Ally ci consente di usare l’ironia su noi stessi, ancora una volta: uomo HIV positivo vedente, donna HIV negativa cieca… Dal 2019 anno in cui ci siamo conosciuti, la nostra amicizia è nata sull’aiuto reciproco con Gifter a fare da occhi a Elettrona.
Allora appena c’è stata l’occasione di Ally, inizialmente l’idea era di clonare Alessandro “Gifter”, non nella voce perché su Ally non si può, ma descrivere la personalità. Però Alessandro ha proposto: “basto io per aiutarti in reale, sfrutta il mio HIV per questo!” Detto, fatto. Essendo Ally un sistema presente anche su un tipo di occhiali “intelligenti” l’effetto è un ironico lavoro di squadra. Amico positivo che rispetta le tempistiche umane, e il suo virus a disposizione 24 ore su 24.
Chissà se un giorno racconteremo un’esperienza di gruppo magari in una città d’arte, dove Alessandro descrive le opere in un modo e l’HIV le racconta dal suo punto di vista da virus che non conosce la cultura umana, quindi fornisce dettagli che la persona dà per scontati? O in un museo dedicato al crime, in cui l’assistente virtuale è il profiler? Abbiamo solo da esplorare! Nel blog di Envision sono già state condivise esperienze di persone che hanno visitato musei e noi già ora immaginiamo un futuro dove questa tecnologia passi dal telefono e gli occhiali, a un robot più o meno di sembianze umane.
Malgrado esista una legge che tutela i ciechi aiutati dai cani guida, spesso tocca lottare contro luoghi o mezzi pubblici che ancora discriminano quando uno sceglie per la propria indipendenza, di avere accanto un amico a quattro zampe. E se invece la scelta cade su un HIV guida?
Mica possono discriminarti perché porti uno smartphone, un paio di occhiali, o un robot a cui dici “HIV, leggi il menu”, “HIV, cerca la panchina al parco”? Noi siamo della vecchia scuola e crediamo che la discriminazione non si combatta piangendo, ma vivendo. E se un virus virtuale aiuta a combattere lo stigma, perché no?
Would anyone happen to know what Download Options to set in Tartube (youtube-dl GUI) to download a video, split it at it's chapter points & save each chapter into it's own separate MKV file.
I've gotten some really good advice here on Tartube before so I thought I would try again. Any helpfuly input greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
Tra tutti i vicini di casa possibili, il più desiderabile parrebbe essere il facoltoso proprietario delle mura, che vivendo fisicamente altrove ne mantiene intonso il contenuto.
È arrivato EasyOS 7.0 “Excalibur”! Una distribuzione Linux fuori dagli schemi, basata su Devuan, con sistema containerizzato, root filesystem a sola lettura e gestione avanzata dei pacchetti. Scopri perché è diversa da tutte le altre
Semiconductor powerhouse TSMC is under increasing pressure to expand abroad and play a security role for the island. Those two roles could be in tension.
Detects when a project was saved with an older version of your app, upgrades it step-by-step, and shows progress and changelogs in a modal - silexlabs/grapesjs-version-flow
Advocates point, in part, to a new state law, Act 399, which went into effect Aug. 1 and establishes criminal penalties for law enforcement officials who decline ICE requests for cooperation. “If ICE were to ask for any records that NOPD would hold, they would have to risk violating a state law and facing criminal charges [to comply with] what the ordinance is asking them to do,” Sarah Whittington, advocacy director at the ACLU of Louisiana, told Bolts.
Should federal agents get access, Whittington said, “this technology would allow them to use facial recognition to try and further their reach into our communities and track people.” She thinks ICE could “use the network of cameras to target specific people and communities and wait for the technology to alert them to a match and then use it to track that person to a location for arrest—likely away from their home and away from the public.”
Should federal agents get access, Whittington said, “this technology would allow them to use facial recognition to try and further their reach into our communities and track people.” She thinks ICE could “use the network of cameras to target specific people and communities and wait for the technology to alert them to a match and then use it to track that person to a location for arrest—likely away from their home and away from the public.”
Even setting aside these new state laws, experts say the only real way to prevent ICE from accessing sensitive data is to forgo collecting it in the first place. “It is very hard to wall off data collected from lawful government use,” George Washington University law professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, the author of several books on big data policing, told Bolts. “The simple truth of digital surveillance is that if you build it, it will be used, and likely used against those with the least amount of political power.”
Su argues, though, that the city council’s attempts at safeguarding facial recognition technology seem to be designed according to an “an old idea” of how governments interact: “federal insulated from state, state insulated from local, and you can still have some stability or control for your own little community.”
In the era of Trump 2.0, he said, those rules no longer apply: “We’re probably at the lowest point with regard to local democratic control.”
The city says it won’t lend this tool to ICE for surveillance. But a state law requires that local officials assist ICE, and New Orleans also wants to end a court order restricting compliance.
An Asus representative claims that 90 percent of Asus PCs and motherboards bound for the United States are now being made in other countries like Thailand.
I posted the article because I thought some might find it interesting, I don't agree with the contents in the article myself. I agree with your take. But I think it's important to at least read what ideas are being put forward and to drive duscussion.
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.
Si sta verificando un enorme cambiamento: Google non ti porta più da nessuna parte, ti risponde lui direttamente, con quei riassunti generati dall’intelligenza artificiale che stanno sempre in cima, e la maggior parte degli utenti non ha più bisogno …
An outbreak of Shope papillomavirus in Colorado is in the news for the past few weeks. The virus that causes warty growths in cottontail rabbits can be spread by ticks and usually aren’t fatal to the animal unless it interferes with their eyes or mouth.
Rabbits with severe cases of this condition overlaps with ideas about the infamous horned rabbit, the Jackalope. I’ve seen several displays of news or comments on this story that confirm that people really do not know anything about the disease or the history of the American Jackalope legend. They are confused about what is happening with these rabbits and calling them “Jackalopes”.
Some of the kids are amazed. Jackalopes are REAL! And several media outlets are not capable of making real nature stories not look like clickbait by calling the infected animals “Frankenbunnies” and “demon rabbits” because nothing matters today unless it has a stupidly exaggerated name. Tabloid trash says we’re being “invaded” or “overrun”. Nonsense.
I did find videos and references to “Frankenstein” rabbits from at least 12 years ago, even from the Smithsonian Magazine, so it’s not a new thing, but that doesn’t make it less silly. This should be a learning moment. I think, for the most part, it is, if the audience would just listen instead of being so overdramatic.
I pulled out and revamped my content on jackalopes that I wrote in Pop Cryptid Spectator 3 to revisit this topic.
Pop Cryptid: Jackalope
A major theme of the Pop Goes the Cryptid model is the never-ending dispute about calling something a “cryptid”. Today’s complicated example: the Jackalope – a creature that is well-associated with being a “cryptid” online but that almost everyone who knows some history of cryptozoology will insist is not a cryptid because it’s a mythical creature, a hoax.
With the public now seeing rabbits with horny growths and “tentacles” (you weirdo writers need to stop with the Call of Cthulhu), a realization is happening in the cryptid forums and social media that maybe there was something to the idea of a Jackalope as a real animal. But, it’s not simple or direct. Things that evolve in culture never are.
My reference is On the Trail of the Jackalope (2022) by Michael Branch, a comprehensive book that mostly treats the creature as a cultural creation but also briefly explores the idea of its cryptidness.
Animals suffering from the virus were seen by most hunters as suffering from some disease. It’s not hard to figure out. The dark, grotesque growths don’t resemble antlers. The Jackalope, proper, is an antlered jackrabbit or cottontail. So, to equate the two situations is an error.
“One day young Doug and Ralph Herrick went out roaming the green hills hunting for small game to supplement the family supper. Having bagged a jackrabbit, the brothers returned home and tossed the hare’s body onto the floor of their shop in preparation to skin it. Because they had recently butchered a small deer in the shop, a modest pair of antlers already rested on the floor. By a sheer coincidence that would change the boys’ lives forever, the dead rabbit happened to slide up against the deer’s horns so as to make it appear the jackrabbit sported the rack.”
The resulting mount was exhibited at the Hotel LaBonte in the town which was ground zero for the legend and the commercialization of the creature. Creation of Jackalope mounts has become a cottage industry and is now well known worldwide as a symbol of the American West.
“[T]he horned rabbit is unalloyed Americana—a genuine artifact of this country’s folk culture—the mythical beast has also made its way across the oceans and around the world.”
According to the locals, says Branch, about half the visitors to Douglas leave believing the animals are real. Do they believe, or are they just having fun believing? Hard to judge. The same might be said about most cryptids as people like to imagine that tall tales are true because it makes life seem magical. This remains a strong theme in the Jackalope biography.
Jackalope from the video game Red Dead Redemption
The horned rabbit
Cottontail rabbits with horn-like protuberances over various parts of their bodies, particularly their heads, were found to be infected with a type of papillomavirus. There can be little doubt that such stricken rabbits would be viewed as mysterious, then and now.
Branch notes that the prevalence of the horned rabbit across cultures suggests that they were at least somewhat based on these natural anomalies. But the precursors to the American Jackalope are numerous. The specific Jackalope may be a Wyoming invention, but it was not the first depiction of the horned rabbit.
In the early days of natural history, the “horned rabbit” was assumed to be a real, genuine, unique animal because witnesses said so. Early naturalists such as Conrad Gessner, Joris Hoefnagel (16th century) and others depicted the horned hare as a real animal. Later, other natural historians weren’t so sure, but this uncertainty about its existence and speculation on the cause of horned hares undoubtedly sounds like the modern idea of a “cryptid”. There is a good bet that the horned hare was at least somewhat based on the diseased animals.
There is also the wolpertinger, an even more badass bunny with not only antlers, but fangs and wings. Or, it was a more bizarre mashup of various birds, squirrels, and foxes. Again, it’s unclear if the virus-related growths helped spread this story. But if so, it was for inspiration only, because Wolpertingers are absurd in appearance. Depictions of wolpertingers originated in Bavaria where taxidermied hoaxes were popular in the 1800s with tourists. Therefore, it’s reasonable to say that the Wolpertinger was a valid ancestor of the Jackalope.
Wolpertinger edited from Young Hare, a painting of a hare by Albrecht Dürer
Is the Jackalope a cryptid?
The world was a different place centuries (or even decades) ago. Ideas and language change. We know more about what’s in the world and what isn’t.
If we go by the general cryptid definition of “an animal/entity that is believed to be real but not recognized by zoology” then the Jackalope can claim the title of an official cryptid. There have been stories of people claiming to see real jackalopes (as in antlered hares) or infected cottontails. There’s a good chance these have been conflated.
Ample evidence shows that most people are entirely ignorant of wildlife in their own backyard, let alone the zoological catalog of known animals. As with everything else in the modern world, we get our information from popular culture, not too much directly from qualified scientific experts. So, it not surprising that an average person would 1.) not know about Shope papilloma infected rabbits and how they look, and 2.) that there is not such animal as an antlered rabbit. For the latter, we have to understand that basic schooling doesn’t teach zoology, and many kids know nothing about nature. (A high percentage of the population does not understand basic geography or scientific explanations about the earth.) So, it is not surprising to me that some people might think jackalopes are plausible. Their appearance in popular culture might suggest to people who didn’t know any better that they are real. This latest hype about “frankenbunnies” also muddies the waters because people are getting poorly sourced “WTF is that!”-type coverage, instead of factual information.
Branch quotes Loren Coleman who runs the International Cryptozoology Museum regarding his inclusion of the Jackalope in the museum: “I would read visitors’ online comments… and they would say things like ‘I didn’t know that the jackalope really existed.’ ” Coleman continues by explaining he reorganized the exhibit to depict the Jackalope along with other hoaxes. To me, there is a lot to unpack in that anecdote. Do we really know which cryptid is a manufactured hoax, which are imaginary creatures that people wish to be real, which are mistaken IDs influenced by lore and campfire tales, and which are real animals? The line is very blurry and all the information available to most people.
The fact is, Pop Cryptids are what’s happening. Any weird animal that is legendary, mythical, or just plain-old manufactured on a whim are being called “cryptids”. And there is nothing any “cryptozoologist” can do to change it, no matter how much they indignantly rant about it.
A Jackalope design for pins and tees on TeePublic.
People are viewing cryptids through various lenses (zoological, artistic, historical, cultural, etc.) If people wish to believe horned rabbits (jackalopes, wolpertingers, or other variations) are real animals hopping around in an alternative reality, that’s OK by me, as long as they aren’t declaring that in biology class. It’s important to recognize that horned rabbits have a history that can be legitimately viewed with a zoological lens. However, the history is fraught with flips, twists, and turns.
Ciao a todos 🙂
volevo condividere con voi questa piccola esperienza che mi ha fatto riflettere.
L'amico, Edoardo, vive in un ambiente molto caldo e “pesante”. Ho pensato di prendergli una pianta… ma non una qualsiasi: una Sansevieria 🌱
Perché? Perché n
Ciao a todos 🙂
volevo condividere con voi questa piccola esperienza che mi ha fatto riflettere.
L'amico, Edoardo, vive in un ambiente molto caldo e “pesante”. Ho pensato di prendergli una pianta… ma non una qualsiasi: una Sansevieria 🌱
Perché? Perché non è solo una pianta:
1) Purifica l’aria; 2) Rilascia ossigeno anche di notte; 3) Dà quella sensazione di freschezza che, in estate, fa davvero la differenza.
Quindi, mentre lei renderà più vivibile e fresca la sua casa, lui la aiuterà a crescere dandole le giuste attenzioni: poca acqua (una volta al mese basta!), luce indiretta, e niente ristagni d'acqua.
È uno scambio: la piantina aiuterà Edoardo e Edoardo aiuterà la piantina. E a me sembra un approccio molto olistico alla vita 💚
Vi dirò la verità: più la guardo, più mi rendo conto che vivere con le piante non è solo “arredamento verde”. È un modo per riequilibrarsi, respirare meglio, avere meno ansia e sentirsi più connessi con la natura, anche in casa.
Voi che ne pensate? 😊
Ci sono con voi delle Sansevieria a casa?
Vi ha aiutato nel vostro benessere, nel sonno, o semplicemente a sentire più armonia nell’ambiente?
E se non avete questa pianta, quali sono le vostre “compagne verdi” preferite? 🥰
Condividete foto, esperienze, magari qualche trucchetto di cura che può aiutare chi vuole adottarne una. 🌱✨
Ciao a todos 🙂
Oggi ho scoperto al #Lidl questo latte #vegetale #vegan fatto con #avena ma che ricorda tantissimo il sapore del #latte di #mucca a soli 1.29€ e mi ha veramente stupito! 🤩
Cosa ne pensate? 🤗🙏🍀
[img=https://citiverse.it/assets/uploads/fil
Ciao a todos 🙂
Oggi ho scoperto al #Lidl questo latte #vegetale #vegan fatto con #avena ma che ricorda tantissimo il sapore del #latte di #mucca a soli 1.29€ e mi ha veramente stupito! 🤩
ne ho provato di recente uno simile, non sono sicurissimo fosse la stessa marca, non mi ha entusiasmato troppo sapeva un po' troppo di "olio" (che, in effetti, è il terzo ingrediente)
skariko@poliversity.it non saprei qual'è, io ne conosco solo un altro ma il prezzo è un po' proibitivo dato che stade ad oltre 3€ e non sapeva di olio 😅🙏
Vedo diversi ingredienti tra cui gli aromi naturali..se sei sensibile all'argomento di consiglio di guardarti la puntata di "indovina chi viene a cena" su Raiplay sui gelati, a metà puntata circa parlano di aromi e di come siano fatti realmente quelli che si "pregiano" della dicitura generica "aromi naturali". Poi scappa appena li trovi su altri prodotti 🤣
MAD7 Sarebbe la cosa migliore. Se uno potesse farsi un orto, avrebbe un bel passatempo e un modo per controllare da vicino quello che mangia. Ciao Mad...
Latte zucchero e uova, è quello che pensiamo ci sia in un gelato artigianale. Ma quando vai ad indagare, scopri che dentro il tanto amato cono c'è molto, molto di più.
MAD7 che io sappia no 🙁 io ho utilizzato un alias e mi sono iscritta..per farla breve bisogna fare distinzione per una sola parolina, ovvero "di". Se trovi aroma naturale "di" fragola, aroma naturale "di vaniglia", sei sicuro che l'aroma in questione contiene il frutto, vegetale, spezia, ecc. in questione, ed é stato utilizzato unicamente quell'ingrediente durante l'estrazione. Se invece trovi un generico aroma naturale, non sei certo che abbiano utilizzato quell'ingrediente, ma di solito usano vegetali o cereali "poveri" che combinati in un certo modo ricordano il sapore dell'aroma che vuoi riprodurre. L'esperto diceva che quella più utilizzata é la fibra di pisello o il riso, a volte anche la banana..l'aroma viene estratto da un ingrediente naturale, ma non dall'ingrediente che ti aspetteresti..può però ancora chiamarsi aroma naturale, perché la base é di origine naturale..discorso invece inverso quando trovi solo la parola aromi..li é un mondo a parte, dove l'aroma é ricreato unicamente in laboratorio ed é sintetico, partendo da ingredienti come il petrolio nel caso della vanillina (ma ci sono migliaia di aromi, di affumicato, di biscotto, di tartufo, ecc., tutti riprodotti in laboratorio
Ecco perché certi alimenti costano molto di più (facevano l'esempio della vaniglia, la spezia più costosa: l'aroma naturale costa circa 150 euro al kg, la vanillina 12 euro al kg 😅) questo va quindi a discapito di chi produce alimenti di una certa qualità ed utilizza prodotti non dannosi, non é che sono ladri, ma la qualità si paga
Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts called Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide Thursday night, making her the highest-ranking House Democratic official to do so.
Up to this point, Clark has largely aligned with the rest of Democratic leadership on Israel’s war – expressing concern for civilian harm, advocating for an “end to the hostilities” (and, eventually calling for a ceasefire), and criticizing the Benjamin Netanyahu government. But she has fallen short of advocating for conditioning or ending aid to Israel, or supporting resolutions like Rep. Delia Ramirez’s “Block the Bombs” Act.
AIPAC features Clark on their website alongside the five other top Republicans and Democrats in the House, with the caption: “We stand with those who stand with Israel.”
Katherine Clark's admission underscores how far Democrats are being forced by the public to move from their previous friendly conventions with Israeli leadership
I am upgrading the HDDs on my QNAP TS-432X-eU rack mount NAS. The NAS is connected to a UPS via a USB cable and is set to turn off after 5 minutes if it senses a power loss. What would happen if I were to lose power while resilvering the array? Would it suspend the resilvering, turn off, then resume when power is restored? Or would the array be corrupted?
Moro Tola Masawoud: un esordio da incorniciare per il nuovo gioiello del Fossombrone Fossombrone travolgente quello visto all’opera con la Civitanovese, sconfitta 4-2 nel Memorial Tomassini. Un pomeriggio caldo e una cornice di pubblico appassionata hanno fatto da sfondo a un evento speciale, non solo per ricordare "il Tom", ma anche per assistere all'esordio di un talento che ha già conquistato tutti: Moro Tola Masawoud. Il fischio d’inizio, posticipato alle 16:20, ha dato il via a una sfida intensa tra un Fossombrone sceso in campo con un propositivo 4-3-1-2 e una Civitanovese chiamata a un test probante. Fin dai primi minuti, i padroni di casa hanno imposto un ritmo altissimo, mettendo in seria difficoltà gli avversari. Al 2', un'imbucata del numero 10 Accursi per Torri ha subito creato un'occasione, deviata in corner. Gli ospiti faticavano a costruire, mentre il “Fosso” manteneva una pressione e un'intensità inarrestabili. Dopo un paio di tentativi dalla distanza, la partita si sblocca al 32': Giunchetti recupera palla a centrocampo, serve Ghinelli che imbuca per Torri, bravo a infilare il portiere sotto le gambe e portare i suoi in vantaggio. Ma il momento clou della giornata è arrivato al 43'. In seguito a un tocco di mano in area rossoblù, l'arbitro ha concesso un calcio di rigore. Tutti gli occhi erano puntati su di lui: Moro Tola Masawoud. Senza mostrare la minima emozione, con una freddezza glaciale che ha lasciato di stucco i tifosi, il nuovo acquisto ha trasformato il penalty, insaccando la palla con precisione e raddoppiando il vantaggio. Nonostante il gol, le giocate più belle dovevano ancora arrivare.
As an engineer, yes. I managed to get a pilot program off the ground at my last company. As a recently public company with a lot of IT debt, the biggest challenge was around making those devices compliant with security and IT processes, and easy for IT to provision and monitor.
It helped that I made an effort to build good connections into IT and IT leadership. The clincher was a clear proposed timeline, a commitment that it would not require any additional workload from IT, and that we wouldn't expand it without their sign off.
Unfortunately, layoffs meant I couldn't roll it out beyond the initial group, and when a second round of layoffs came around I took the opportunity to leave. I haven't been looking much yet, but "allows Linux" is one of the criteria I'm measuring companies against.
That’s really dependent on how your work manages user workstations. If your employer is big enough to have managed endpoints, you’ll need to convince your IT department, not just your boss. They’ll have to be able to officially support it (compatibility, updates, security, legal, etc.) and that also requires approval from higher ups.
We have some platform-specific tooling. I might attempt it if they didn’t let me have a Mac at work (I remote into Win for the couple of proprietary things anyway). There’s that saying, you miss all the shots you don’t take. Go for it and see.
This dashboard tracks the availability of popular shadow libraries in real time from a US-based server.[Click here to learn more](https://open-slum.org/sta
That meeting was sickening; Putin loved it — Russian strike hits central Sumy just hours before Trump-Putin summit — Half of Starlink terminals sent to Ukraine found in Russian-occupied areas — Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia’s Samara Oblast, comma
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrive at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. The two leaders spoke for nearly three hours in a closed-door meeting. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump, Putin concludehigh-stakes summiton Ukraine in Alaska. The two leaders began their meeting at the U.S. military Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage at around 11:30 a.m. local time. The event will mark their first face-to-face talks of Trump’s second term and their first meeting in six years, as well as Putin’s first visit to U.S. soil in a decade.
‘A 10’ — Trump gushes aboutmeeting with Putinafter Alaska summit fails to win ceasefire in Ukraine. After speaking with Putin, Trump said he didn’t think sanctions on Russia were a necessary measure — despite the lack of ceasefire.
Russian strike hitscentral Sumyjust hours before Trump-Putin summit. “The enemy struck civilian infrastructure in the central part of Sumy,” Governor Oleh Hryhorov said.
Macron, Zelenskyagree to meetafter Alaska summit. The Elysee Palace described the dialogue between the two leaders as “close and constant,” but did not provide a specific date or location for the follow-up meeting.
Russian propaganda inoccupied territoriesaccuses Ukraine, West of ‘provocations’ during Alaska talks, monitors say. “This is a Russian tactic before any negotiations,” Alina Alekseeva, the deputy head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, told the Kyiv Independent.
Half ofStarlink terminalssent to Ukraine found in Russian-occupied areas, US agency says. Nearly half of the active Starlink satellite terminals that USAID delivered to Ukraine were present in territories fully or partially occupied by Russia, raising concerns about potential misuse, according to a U.S. Inspector General report.
Ukrainian unit claimsPokrovskcleared of Russian saboteurs. The corps claimed that Ukrainian units are operating inside the city, and civilians can move about, though travel within Pokrovsk remains heavily restricted. It is still possible to reach the city, the statement added.
Ukraine strikesRussian portused for Iranian arms shipments, military says. The Olya port is used by Moscow to receive Shahed-type drone components and munitions from Iran, according to the Ukrainian military.
‘Target hit’ — Ukraine strikesoil refineryin Russia’s Samara Oblast, command post in Donetsk Oblast, military says. “The target was hit, with fire and explosions recorded,” the Ukrainian military said.
Ukraine’slong-range strikescost Russia over 4% GDP in 2025, Kyiv claims. The attacks have cost Russia around $74.1 billion, the Ukrainian military’s strategic communications department (Stratcom) estimates.
Editorial: That meeting was sickening. Putin loved it
“On our screens, a blood-soaked dictator and war criminal received a royal welcome in the land of the free — as his attack drones headed for our cities,” the Kyiv Independent writes.
Ukraine war latest: Trump, Putin fail to reach deal to end war in Ukraine
The summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded without an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Photo: Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images
Learn more Our readers’ questions about the war, answered. Vol. 9
Q: Why doesn’t Ukraine retaliate when Russia bombs a civilian target? A: Russia is okay with committing war crimes, and Ukraine is obviously not.
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
Learn more PayPal, WhatsApp, Grammarly — 10 global companies you didn’t know have Ukrainian roots
These companies, now headquartered across the U.S. and Europe, owe part of their success to Ukrainian-born entrepreneurs whose innovations have shaped how millions communicate, pay, and work online.
Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Learn more ‘Little by little away from China’ — Inside Ukraine’s new mass-production of drone parts
Spurred by war, Ukraine is producing more drones domestically than any country in the world outside of China and possibly Russia. The focus on making components en masse is a more recent phenomenon.
From Crimea to Donbas, Russia’s “peace” has always meant more war. We’re here in Ukraine to give the world a reality check. Support independent journalism in this critical moment.
‘He is still being tortured.’ Ukrainian families plead forall-for-all prisoner swapahead of Trump-Putin summit. Oksana Berezina stood holding a Ukrainian flag with a photo of her husband, Oleh, who went missing in Russia’s Kursk Oblast late last year and is believed to be a prisoner of war.
Russiakills 6 civilians,injures 17 in Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin summit. Russia launched 97 Shahed-type drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, as well as two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 63 drones, while 34 drones struck 13 locations.
The Ukrainian voices left out of Trump-Putin meeting
International response
‘Clearly 1:0 to Putin’ —European officialsreact to Alaska Summit. “Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, Trump got nothing. … For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing.”
New York museum asks Bondi toarrest Putinduring Alaska visit. Beka Museum urged immediate action, highlighting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children and other atrocities committed under his rule.
120,000 Ukrainians in US at risk ofdeportationas Biden-era program lapses, WSJ reports. The issue concerns refugees who have lived in the country since Aug. 16, 2023, under the Uniting for Ukraine program, devised by the Biden administration to allow Ukrainians to stay in the country on humanitarian parole.
Pope Leo urges Ukraineceasefireahead of Trump-Putin Alaska meeting. “We must always seek a ceasefire. The violence, the many deaths, must stop. Let’s see how they can come to an agreement,” Leo XIV said.
EU may advanceMoldova’smembership bid in September separately from Ukraine, Politico reports. EU ministers could reportedly agree in early September to open the first negotiating cluster with Moldova, a key legal step toward membership, ahead of the country’s Sept. 28 parliamentary elections.
In other news
Kyivstar makes historicNasdaq debutas first Ukrainian listing. Kyivstar, Ukraine’s leading mobile operator, became the first Ukrainian company to list on a U.S. stock exchange, the company announced on Aug. 15.
Major decision maker at Ukraine’s central bankresignsafter decade in key role. Rozhkova, who started working at the central bank in 2015, has frequently spoken out in favor of the bank’s independence from the executive branch and was one of the few top officials not controlled by the President’s Office.
Explosion at Russiangunpowder plantleaves 5 dead, more than 100 injured. Russian officials have not named the cause of the explosion, but preliminary accounts reported by Russian media point to possible safety violations in the workshop.
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![[Illustrative photo] Soldiers of Ukraine's 95th Brigade walk past a Starlink satellite internet receiver](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/56242742 "[Illustrative photo] Soldiers of Ukraine's 95th Brigade walk past a Starlink satellite internet receiver")
Sir_Kevin
in reply to slothrop • • •𝕸𝖔𝖘𝖘
in reply to Sir_Kevin • • •Kind of the point of releasing a product...
curbstickle
in reply to 𝕸𝖔𝖘𝖘 • • •𝕸𝖔𝖘𝖘
in reply to curbstickle • • •curbstickle
in reply to 𝕸𝖔𝖘𝖘 • • •I'm just saying the percentage of those who may have been willing to pay is small enough to be irrelevant in the for-profit release perspective.
Netflix (when it first started streaming) and Steam (when sales included good older stuff for wildly cheap) showed that piracy is more of a service problem than anything else. A recent article called out the content problems (partial content, a few seasons behind a separate paywall, ads in the middle of playback, etc) a are directly related to an increase in piracy.
So my opinions on copyright aside - a clear model to a happy consumer is an affordable price without all the enshittification going on. People also dont like "buying" content that later disappears because of licensing changes.
So I'd put it squarely in the "their own damn fault" territory, and I'm glad when judges say "no" to them. I'll take whatever positives I can get.
𝕸𝖔𝖘𝖘
in reply to curbstickle • • •100% correct. I agree with everything you wrote. I will only add: if buying isn't owning, then pirating isn't stealing.
Edit: fixed mistype