The Weekly Weird - 2014-12-19

This week brought to you by this CNBC headline: Japan's Butter Shortage: Tired Cows to Blame?

• Joke of the week: What do dipoles say in passing?

  "Have you got a moment?" - I, for one, welcome our new googlebot AI overlords:

  • http://www.technologyreview.com/news/532876/googles-intelligence-designer/
  • and
  • http://www.technologyreview.com/view/533496/why-neural-networks-look-set-to-thrash-the-best-human-go-players-for-the-first-time/

• Living in a cyberpunk universe sure is 'fun':

  • http://securelist.com/files/2014/11/Kaspersky_Lab_whitepaper_Regin_platform_eng.pdf
  • https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/12/13/belgacom-hack-gchq-inside-story/

• but at least it has an upside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NOncx2jU0Q

• How do you make a typewriter for a language with thousands of characters? http://blog.gatunka.com/2009/09/30/japanese-typewriters/
• From the SQUEEE department: http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/nasa-study-proposes-airships-cloud-cities-for-venus-exploration (and some real wonkery at http://selenianboondocks.com/2013/11/venus-isru-introduction/ )
• Dear Seattle, thanks for making the MTA look good by comparison. Sincerely, NYC http://grist.org/cities/seattles-unbelievable-transportation-megaproject-fustercluck/
• Should you see the new Alan Turing movie? http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2096
• Let me tell you about New York City: http://the-toast.net/2014/12/16/let-tell-new-york-city-poem/
• 1 New York Plaza has (according to Google anyway) an alternate name: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Helicoidal+Skyscraper,+New+York,+NY+10004&output=classic&dg=ntvo