Daily Archives: August 15, 2009

Getting to the Root of the … Solution

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The Root Bridges of Cherrapungee

The root bridges, some of which are over a hundred feet long, take ten to fifteen years to become fully functional, but they’re extraordinarily strong – strong enough that some of them can support the weight of fifty or more people at a time. In fact, because they are alive and still growing, the bridges actually gain strength over time – and some of the ancient root bridges used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunjee may be well over five hundred years old.

Picky, Picky, Picky

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Schneier on Security: Lockpicking and the Internet

Earlier this year, Schlage launched a series of locks that can be opened either by a key, a four-digit code, or the Internet. That’s right: The lock is online. You can send the lock SMS messages or talk to it via a Website, and the lock can send you messages when someone opens it — or even when someone tries to open it and fails.

Sounds nifty, but putting a lock on the Internet opens up a whole new set of problems, none of which we fully understand. Even worse: Security is only as strong as the weakest link. Schlage’s system combines the inherent “pickability” of a physical lock, the new vulnerabilities of electronic keypads, and the hacking risk of online. For most applications, that’s simply too much risk.

Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson

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Deet, de de de deet deet, de de deet deet de de deet.

The DEET alarmism story you didn’t see in the newspaper

[F]or people who use DEET in the recommended manner, there are simply no problems, and the new study does nothing to change that, Lorin said. Indeed, after a review of published and unpublished literature of DEET’s toxicity in 2003, the American Academy of Pediatrician raised the recommended level of DEET concentration in repellents used on children to 30 percent from 10 percent, and lowered the minimum age for use from 2 year to 2 months.

In other words, the body of scientific literature suggested DEET was considerably safer than previously believed.

On side note, I had a tough time finding anything with 25% DEET in it last summer; most of the “family” sprays were 7%. I happened across some of the tougher stuff this spring and snapped up two bottles. And I hardly ever hallucinate.