Virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa ๐ค make life super convenient, but they could also expose us to sneaky hacks! ๐ฎ๐ Researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo found that a security flaw in device microphones allows hackers to send commands via laser beams! ๐ฆโจ
Hereโs the wild part: virtual assistants respond to light waves the same way they do to sound waves! ๐ฑ๐ก By aiming a laser at the microphone, hackers can trick the device into โhearingโ commandsโeven though human ears pick up nothing. ๐๏ธ๐ Cybersecurity expert Randy Pargman explains itโs like โspeaking over a light beamโ that only the mic can detect.
After 7 months of testing, the researchers showed that devices like Google Home, Alexa, and Siri could be manipulated from hundreds of feet away using tools as simple as $14 laser pointers or flashlights. ๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ๐ป A little reminder to stay vigilant in this high-tech world! ๐โจ factsfun fact
We were taught that 71% of Earth's surface is covered in water ๐, but here's the surprising partโhumans can only use a tiny 0.007% of that water! ๐ฆ According to National Geographic ๐ฐ, that's because only 2.5% of Earth's water is fresh, and just 1% of that is accessible ๐๏ธ. The rest is locked up in glaciers and snowfields โ๏ธ factfactsfun factscience
๐ฆธโโ๏ธ Capโn Crunch isnโt just a catchy name, his full title is Horatio Magellan Crunch! ๐ Heโs been teased for only wearing the bars of a Navy commander, but he defended his title on Twitter, saying that captaining the S.S. Guppy ๐ณ๏ธ with his crew โmakes him an official Capโn in any book!โ ๐๐ฌ factsfun fact
In an astonishing discovery, researchers have figured out how to transform plastic bottles into vanilla flavoring using genetically modified bacteria, as revealed in a 2021 study in Green Chemistry ๐งช๐ฌ. Vanillin, the compound responsible for the vanilla flavor, is in high demand due to its use in foods ๐ฐ, cosmetics ๐, medicines ๐, cleaning products ๐งฝ, and even herbicides ๐ฟ. But while this method shows that itโs possible to convert plastic into vanilla flavor, donโt expect to taste plastic-bottle-flavored ice cream just yet ๐ฆ. The study only proves the process works, but doesn't confirm if it's safe for humans to consume ๐. factsfun factscience
Humans arenโt the only ones with dreams! ๐๐ญ Studies show that rats ๐ dream about finding food ๐ or running through mazes ๐๐โโ๏ธ. Since most mammals ๐๐ experience REM sleep ๐ดโthe phase when dreams happenโitโs likely they all have their own dreamy adventures! ๐โจ factsfun factanimalsscience
Having perfect pitch means you can recognize musical notes instantlyโlike hearing a D minor and naming it right away! ๐ต๐ค This amazing ability is so rare, with only 1 in 10,000 people having true perfect pitch. ๐คฏ Experts debate whether it's a natural gift or something that can be learned with practice. Some studies suggest that with dedication and training, you might be able to develop it yourself! ๐ถโจ factsfun fact
Imagine becoming the French-language Scrabble World Champion ๐ without knowing a word of French! ๐คฏ Thatโs exactly what New Zealandโs Nigel Richards accomplished. He memorized the entire French Scrabble dictionary ๐โall 386,000 wordsโin just nine weeks! ๐ง ๐ Nigel is also a Scrabble legend in English, having won the World Championship three times, the U.S. national title five times, and the U.K. Open six times. ๐ฏ His Scrabble journey began 20 years ago, proving his unmatched dedication to the game! ๐ช๐ factsfun fact
Kamala Harris
The Problem of solving a Problem is not a Problem, but when a Problem solves a Problem without any Problem, then the Problem is not a Problem at all
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Ever seen someone pop their eyes out? ๐ That's possible with a condition called globe luxation, where the eyes protrude from their sockets! ๐ฒ While it's an incredibly rare party trick, it can be caused by conditions like thyroid eye disease, shallow orbit, and floppy eyelid syndrome. ๐ฌ Sadly, it can also lead to optic neuropathy if left untreated, so regular visits to the eye doctor are a must! ๐ฉโโ๏ธ๐จโโ๏ธ factsfun factscience
Here's a mind-blowing fact! ๐โจ While there might be 100 to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy ๐ , there are actually 3.04 trillion trees ๐ณ on Earth, according to a 2015 study in Nature ๐ฟ. That's a whole lot more greenery than you might think! ๐ฑ๐ factsfun fact
Yep, you heard it! Instead of Andrew Gold's iconic โThank You for Being a Friendโ ๐๐ต, the producers initially wanted to use Bette Midler's โFriendsโ ๐ถ. However, according to Jim Colucci, author of Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai ๐, the rights to The Divine Miss Mโs song were just too expensive ๐ธ. And the rest? Well, thatโs sitcom history ๐บ
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Forget the idea of weightless clouds! ๐ฅ๏ธ According to the USGS, an average cumulus cloud can weigh up to 1 million pounds ๐๏ธโroughly the same as a fully loaded jumbo jet โ๏ธ. Thatโs a lot of water vapor floating above our heads! ๐๐จ ๐ง๏ธ๐ factsfun factscience
Did you know that one teaspoon of soil contains more microorganisms than there are humans on Earth? ๐๐ฅ According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, soil is buzzing with life, hosting millions of species and billions of organismsโfrom bacteria ๐ฆ and algae ๐ฟ to earthworms ๐ชฑ, beetles ๐, ants ๐, and fungi ๐. It's the densest biomass concentration on the planet! ๐โจ factsfun factscience