June 19, 2013

These Goggles Sure Aren’t Sexy, But They Block Facial Recognition Algorithms

Researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Informatics have developed goggles that jam facial recognition systems.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

If you are an infrared camera with a facial recognition system, this is your worst nightmare. Researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Informatics have developed goggles that jam facial recognition systems with a burst of light that is invisible to the human eye.

Watch here:

(h/t Fast Company)

[Image via Diginfo.tv]

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A statue of a thoughtful, seated philosopher on the right seems to be contemplating a calling, while a standing figure holding a lyre on the left adds harmony against the textured background.

Thinking

Everyday Philosophy: Can you have a “calling” without a caller?

If you’re an atheist with a vocation, who laid that path for you?

Close-up image of a human iris featuring vibrant blue and yellow hues with a dark pupil in the center.

The mystery at the heart of consciousness

“Is it possible that consciousness is a much more basic phenomenon in nature and is essentially pervading everything?”

▸

10 min

—

with

Annaka Harris

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Does the CMB really “prove” the Big Bang?

Since the mid-1960s, the CMB has been identified with the Big Bang’s leftover glow. Could any alternative explanations still work?

A wasp illustration in blue on grid paper is overlaid on a close-up image of effervescent bubbles in a golden alcoholic liquid.

Health

The first known animal that’s “immune” to alcohol intoxication

Could studying the Oriental hornet lead to a treatment for people with alcohol use disorder?

Collage showcasing a stratospheric balloon soaring over Earth and a close-up of fingers, with "The Nightcrawler" emblazoned at the top, capturing the spirit of a creative renaissance.

Business

How AI is ushering in a creative renaissance

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Up Next

Politics & Current Affairs

NASA To Asteroids: We’re Gonna Find You

One way or another: This week the agency announced an ambitious plan to locate and monitor any asteroid — even the relatively small ones — that could pose a danger to the planet.