A Look Inside the U.S. Military’s “Doomsday Plane,” Built to Withstand the Aftermath of a Nuclear Blast
The plane is officially known as the U.S. Air Force’s E-4B, but most people just call it the “doomsday plane.” The aircraft is used to take the Secretary of Defense all over the world, and it is a monster of an airplane. The plane is also known as the National Airborne Operations Center.
. . . . . #e4b #doomsdayplane #instaaviation #avgeek #avgeeks #pilotviews #boeing747 #queenoftheskies #pilot #pilotlife #jetsetter #piloteyes747 #pilotslife #pilotviews #pilotsofinstagram #piloteyes #instaplane #aviationpics #cockpit #crew #aviationdaily #aviator #aviation #aviationphoto #boeing #nightwatch #aviation4u #cockpitview #picoftheday #yourgrace #b742 #boeingThe E-4B is almost six stories tall, has four enormous engines, and can withstand the immediate aftermath of a nuclear explosion. How’s that for technology? A member of the U.S. Air Force said, “It’s like a backup Pentagon. There’s always one plane on alert and ready to go 24 hours, seven days a week.”
Just like its sister aircraft Air Force One, the E-4B is like a flying command center, and many of the plane’s capabilities are classified. There are four “doomsday planes” that have been in operation since 1980, and they are based at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.
The aircraft truly is a marvel of technology. The large hump on top of the E-4B is called a “radome” and houses satellite dishes and antennas that allow people onboard to contact submarines, ships, aircraft, and phone lines anywhere in the world. Because of the humongous fuel tanks and the ability to refuel while flying, the E-4B can stay in the air for several days without ever having to land.
The plane can accommodate up to 112 people. It has three levels, 18 bunks, 6 bathrooms, a briefing room, and a conference room. Interestingly, the E-4B is not up-to-date technologically and relies on analog technology.
A crew member said, “It’s a common misconception, but this plane doesn’t have digital touch screens in the cockpit or elsewhere. The conditions that this plane is meant to fly in call for analog, since digital tech would fry during a nuclear war.”
Yikes…
The post A Look Inside the U.S. Military’s “Doomsday Plane,” Built to Withstand the Aftermath of a Nuclear Blast appeared first on UberFacts.
This Samsung AI Can Create a Fake Video of You From Just One Photo
Samsung researchers have developed a new software that requires just a single source image to create “living portraits” using just one photo of a person’s face.
Photo Credit: Egor Zakharov
The program works by using a dataset of multiple talking head videos featuring people with a wide variety of facial features. Researchers then trained the program to identify the “landmark” features of those faces: the eyes, the shape of the mouth, and their noses. Instead of pasting one face onto another and using the expressions of a specific person (which is what most deepfakes currently do), the new program uses common human facial expressions to puppeteer a new face on its own. It even works on the Mona Lisa!
Hopefully, they don’t figure out how to make the hair look real… or else.
The post This Samsung AI Can Create a Fake Video of You From Just One Photo appeared first on UberFacts.
Amsterdam Enacts a Ban on All Gas and Diesel Vehicles
Pollution is the global issue of our time, and around the world more and more cities are trying to take measures to reduce their carbon impact.
Most recently, the city of Amsterdam has taken a MAJOR step towards cleaner air: the Dutch city has announced that it is planning to phase out all gas and diesel vehicles by 2030.
Amsterdam wants to ban all diesel and petroleum-engine vehicles by 2030 pic.twitter.com/gXnVxg0oVQ
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) May 9, 2019
Amsterdam’s traffic councillor recently said, “Pollution often is a silent killer and is one of the greatest health hazards in Amsterdam.” You might be surprised that such a world-renowned bike-friendly city (30% of Dutch commuters travel by bike) has such an awful pollution problem, but air pollution in the Netherlands is worse than European rules permit. This is mainly due to the heavy traffic in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Amsterdam to ban fossil fuel cars by 2030, from the entire city!
2022: no fossil fuel buses in the city center
2025: all ferries and recreational boats, trucks, taxis, buses in the whole city to be emission-free. Only electric scooters allowed.https://t.co/YgNo804ZxF— Kees van der Leun (@Sustainable2050) May 3, 2019
The city’s plan is to replace all gas and diesel engines with electric or hydrogen cars, or other emission-free alternatives, by 2030. The plan will begin next year when diesel engines built before 2005 will be banned from Amsterdam. The plan then calls for gradual banning of more vehicles from city streets.
The current levels of nitrogen dioxide and particle matter in Amsterdam’s air can cause respiratory illnesses and shorten life expectancy by more than a year. The city plans to get rid of public buses that run on gas by 2022, to increase the number of electrical charging stations to 23,000 by 2025, and to offer subsidies and special parking permits to encourage residents to make the switch to electric and hydrogen cars sooner than later. We all know how crucial a nice parking spot can be, right?
Hopefully, other cities around the globe will take note – and in fact Brussels, Belgium, is already looking to follow Amsterdam’s lead.
The post Amsterdam Enacts a Ban on All Gas and Diesel Vehicles appeared first on UberFacts.
Scientists Discovered a Way to Treat Burns Using Fish Skin
Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write: a team of Brazilian scientists has figured out how to treat burns using fish skin. This is absolutely insane, and more than a little creepy and also… who in the world even comes up with an idea like that?!?
Ok, in all seriousness, it’s actually a really cool invention!
Researchers at the Federal University of Cearà in Brazil came up with this innovation. They use tilapia skin, which is high in collagen (a healing protein) and moisture. It reportedly speeds up healing and reduces the need for pain medication.
Burns can be treated with fish skin — here's how pic.twitter.com/f598HTJAJo
— INSIDER (@thisisinsider) April 15, 2019
In modern medicine, burns are often treated with grafts of human or pig skin, both of which transfer collagen to burn victims’ healing skin. The alternative is to use burn creams and gauze strips that have to be changed out frequently, which involves a lot of pain for victims.
But in Brazil, it’s not easy to get human or pig skin for grafts. Thus, the foray into fish skin. Fish skin works similarly to other tissues — and it may even be MORE effective.
Even better, tilapia is a cheap, abundant fish. It costs 75% less than the burn cream used in Brazil. While it’s still under study and has yet to catch on mainstream, it has been used experimentally in the US on bears.
Two bears whose paws suffered burns during the California wildfires were treated with experimental fish skin bandages and released back into the wild. https://t.co/TATCnLdi04 pic.twitter.com/M6nrp8FblF
— ABC News (@ABC) January 27, 2018
And yes, it does look really bizarre. But the tilapia skins are sterilized first, so it’s totally safe.
The post Scientists Discovered a Way to Treat Burns Using Fish Skin appeared first on UberFacts.
15 People Share Their Generation’s Version of Trusting Technology
You know how, in this day and age, someone saying “I don’t use a computer” would literally make you stop in your tracks? Well, even though the world has changed and technology has advanced like crazy, it turns out that every generation has had their hold-outs – and below are 15 examples of what the “cool” kids might not have been doing along with everyone else.
#1. The mark of the beast.
I’m not an older generation, but my grandparents are very old-fashioned for their generation, if it counts.
My grandfather worked as a grocery manager for years. He finally quit when his small Mom & Pop store buckled down on bar scans and electronic cash registers.
He was convinced that bar codes were going to be the “mark of the beast” from Revelations, and that if people use computers to access porn, then all computerized items must be banned. So there’s that.
#2. Ice was a luxury.
My grandmother drinks only hot decaf coffee. 95 degrees with 100% humidity? Hot decaf coffee. Feeling parched after a day of hard work? Hot decaf coffee. And what to drink with your hamburger and French fries? Hot decaf coffee. Every meal, every day.
“When I was growing up, we never had ice. That was a luxury. Cold drinks aren’t good for your stomach.”
Edit: Grandma’s from the States. Grew up during the Depression.
#3. I get paid by check.
I am the web designer for a local organisation. Their treasurer refuses to accept card payment via their website. People have to print out forms, fill them out and post them with a cheque. I also get paid by cheque with a handwritten note. They would be a much more popular and successful business if they just modernised a little!
#4. Such an amazing sentence.
When remote control TVs came out, I suggested that my father buy one, and he said said, “It will be a cold day in Hell when I’m too lazy to tell one of you boys to get up and change the channel.” It was such an amazing sentence that I committed it to memory, and I still remember it word for word 50 years later.
#5. People thought they were unnecessary.
When I was a kid (late 50’s early 60’s) seat belts in cars were an option. Lots of people thought they were unnecessary and refused to pay extra for them
Heaters and windshield defoggers were likewise optional (my parents bought a new 1964 Plymouth Valiant and didn’t get the option).
#6. She didn’t want to mess up her hair.
My dad once told me a story about his grandmother refusing to fly in planes because she didn’t want to get her hair all messed up from the wind.
#7. The forward pass.
My dad is 65. He remembers old folks complaining about the forward pass in football.
#8. I was given a typewriter.
My grandparents laughed at the idea of a mobile phone or sending messages through the phone line when fax machines were a thing. My grandparents didn’t like computers they still had a typewriter or wrote by hand. I was given a typewriter as a kid but by then I was using windows 95.
#9. She wouldn’t use it.
Back in the 80s I knew an old lady who used one of those really old toasters that could only toast one side of the bread at a time. As a present, we went out and bought her a modern pop-up toaster, but she wouldn’t use it. She preferred to use her old one.
#10. He called them machines.
My grandmother is 89. When she was a kid, she had an uncle who hated cars. He called them machines and refused to drive one. It could’ve been job security though, her whole family worked for the railroad.
#11. They were laughing.
Some people still had outdoor toilets and were laughing at those who had them installed inside because “they are shitting their own houses”.
#12. A depression-era baby.
My 89 yr old mom pays for cable but insists on watching only PBS and occasionally NBC, CBS or ABC. The other channels are too much technology to find on the remote. She also buys multiple boxes or cans of food, dates them in sharpie marker, records the price (less coupon or sale special) and has a rack of all her finds. She will never eat all the oatmeal or beans in our collective lifetimes. But she was a depression era child so I get why the urge to stock up on food is strong.
#13. A time when literacy wasn’t a given.
My grand-aunt still believes that 15 is the age of adulthood, that schooling isn’t necessary beyond that point. She grew up in a time when literacy wasn’t a given.
#14. The age of answering machines.
My grandparents refused to get an answering machine.
My mother, who has a smartphone and uses email, still refuses to communicate via text messages.
#15. She got promoted.
My mom was just telling me about when answering machines were new, and how people were so fearful of them and refused to leave a message.
She got promoted at a job because she didn’t mind calling clients and leaving messages.
Hipsters, man. I guess they don’t know there’s nothing new under the sun.
The post 15 People Share Their Generation’s Version of Trusting Technology appeared first on UberFacts.
Bluetooth technology is named….
Bluetooth technology is named after Harald Bluetooth, the 10th-century king of Denmark who united various Danish tribes into a single kingdom. The symbol is a combination of the runes representing his initials.
8 Awesome Facts That’ll Make You Seem Like The Smartest Person in the Room
I think it’s pretty important to learn something new every day. It makes you a better-rounded person, and also makes you a much better partner in a conversation.
So, enjoy these 8 facts that’ll make you feel smarter right away!
1. Hmmmm
Photo Credit: did you know?
2. Obese pharaohs
Photo Credit: did you know?
3. Gay griffons
Photo Credit: did you know?
4. I notice this all the time
Photo Credit: did you know?
5. Just in case
Photo Credit: did you know?
6. Oh, great!
Photo Credit: did you know?
7. Xennial
Photo Credit: did you know?
8. Panic in the streets
Photo Credit: did you know?
Say it again, “I did not know that!”
The post 8 Awesome Facts That’ll Make You Seem Like The Smartest Person in the Room appeared first on UberFacts.
This Passenger’s Conversation with Jet Blue Airline Is Absolutely Terrifying
Are you the type of person who believes in conspiracy theories and doesn’t trust 90% of what the government says? Then you may not want to read about this conversation between airline passenger MacKenzie Fegan and Jet Blue Airlines.
She went to the airport and was in line to board her flight, ready with her boarding pass in hand. But it turned out she didn’t need it – all she had to do was look into camera. No one asked her for her pass. No one asked her if she wanted to opt out or in to whatever was going on, and MacKenzie went along, because that’s what we do when we’ve been trained to keep the line moving and people are waiting.
She started to think about it later, though, and sent the company a tweet.
I just boarded an international @JetBlue flight. Instead of scanning my boarding pass or handing over my passport, I looked into a camera before being allowed down the jet bridge. Did facial recognition replace boarding passes, unbeknownst to me? Did I consent to this?
— MacKenzie Fegan (@mackenzief) April 17, 2019
The ensuing thread should make each and every one of us wonder what’s ours, what can the government claim without asking, and how will things like our images be used without our consent.
You're able to opt out of this procedure, MacKenzie. Sorry if this made you feel uncomfortable.
— JetBlue Airways (@JetBlue) April 17, 2019
Follow up question. Presumably these facial recognition scanners are matching my image to something in order to verify my identity. How does @JetBlue know what I look like?
— MacKenzie Fegan (@mackenzief) April 17, 2019
The information is provided by the United States Department of Homeland Security from existing holdings.
— JetBlue Airways (@JetBlue) April 17, 2019
So to be clear, the government provided my biometric data to a privately held company? Did I consent to this? How long is my data held by @JetBlue? And even if I opt out at the scanners…you already have my information, correct?
— MacKenzie Fegan (@mackenzief) April 17, 2019
We should clarify, these photos aren't provided to us, but are securely transmitted to the Customs and Border Protection database. JetBlue does not have direct access to the photos and doesn’t store them.
— JetBlue Airways (@JetBlue) April 17, 2019
Would love more info about how my image was matched to a name on the flight manifest. I looked at the camera & a few seconds later the gate opened. Was my image, in the space of those seconds, sent to CBP, run through a database, matched to a name, and then sent back to @JetBlue?
— MacKenzie Fegan (@mackenzief) April 17, 2019
You can learn more about the process here: https://t.co/wDZYiNNhoY.
— JetBlue Airways (@JetBlue) April 17, 2019
“There is no pre-registration required.” I’ll say! This press release really doesn’t tell me anything about how it works. @EFF, can you shed some light on this? How concerned should I be?
— MacKenzie Fegan (@mackenzief) April 17, 2019
“It took her photo, comparing her picture to a preloaded photo database of all the passengers with tickets on this flight.” It sounds like opting out isn’t really an option. I can not go through the scanner, but my data will have already been accessed and loaded into a database.
— MacKenzie Fegan (@mackenzief) April 18, 2019
Not that there’s anything we can do about it, apparently, but…the more you know?
The post This Passenger’s Conversation with Jet Blue Airline Is Absolutely Terrifying appeared first on UberFacts.
21 Seniors Give the Hilarious Reasons Why Their Generation Doesn’t Trust Technology
The question on reddit was this: Older generations of Reddit, who were the “I don’t use computers” people of your time?
But it wasn’t just the older generations of reddit that answered. Over 19,000+ peeps decided that they wanted to share, and so we get these 21 amazing answers as to what people think is just too much technology.
1. Adulthood
My grand-aunt still believes that 15 is the age of adulthood, that schooling isn’t necessary beyond that point.
She grew up in a time when literacy wasn’t a given.
2. Digital clocks
They’re lazy!
My grandfather insists that if you can’t tell time by the minute and hour hands, it’ll make you dumb.
Okay grandpa…
3. Optional car features… like life.
When I was a kid (late 50’s early 60’s) seat belts in cars were an option. Lots of people thought they were unnecessary and refused to pay extra for them
Heaters and windshield defoggers were likewise optional.
My parents bought a new 1964 Plymouth Valiant and didn’t get the option.
4. The “web”
My senior year of high school, I had a series of newspaper articles in the local paper explaining how the web wasn’t a fad, and wasn’t going away.
Nobody but one guy at the paper believed it. It was 1995.
5. Hot decaf coffee
My grandmother drinks only hot decaf coffee. Every meal, every day.
95 degrees with 100% humidity? Hot decaf coffee.
Feeling parched after a day of hard work? Hot decaf coffee.
“When I was growing up, we never had ice. That was a luxury. Cold drinks aren’t good for your stomach.”
6. Why u no Insta?
I’m 22 and people definitely think something’s odd when they ask for my Snapchat or Instagram and I say I don’t have one.
WHY ARE PHONE NUMBERS SO FORMAL ALL OF A SUDDEN?
7. The times have changed, and so has mom…
My mother (now 80) was practically a Luddite.
She didn’t want an answering machine for the house phone for years “if it’s important they will call back”.
Now she has an iPhone and surfs the net nonstop on the Linux pc I set up for her.
8. This is amazing!
When remote control TVs came out, I suggested that my father buy one, and he said said, “It will be a cold day in Hell when I’m too lazy to tell one of you boys to get up and change the channel.”
It was such an amazing sentence that I committed it to memory, and I still remember it word for word 50 years later.
9. Fresh food only!
An acquaintance of mine told me her grandmother doesn’t own a refrigerator because refrigerators are harmful and for lazy people that don’t want to cook fresh food.
That must have been one busy grandma!
10. She is always listening…
I’m still 100% against having an Alexa in my house.
I just think as it as bugging my house.
Can’t trust anyone now a days.
11. This is insane!
My mother told me some old people from her neighborhood in the 60s didn’t have washing machines because they said those were for lazy women.
Decent women wash by hand on a rock by the river!
12. Sexy computers…
I have a coworker about 52 yo.
He absolutely refuses to use a computer because he caught his wife sexting in a chat room on their computer.
So he destroyed it.
13. The reading conspiracy
“I don’t read novels.”
My grandfather thought they were a plot by the elites to both ruin our eyesight and keep us locked away in a fantasy world.
14. Frickin lasers!
My grandmother didn’t like to use the remote control for her television, because she was afraid it would break somehow and function as a laser dangerous enough to set things on fire.
15. She doesn’t know how planes work…
My dad once told me a story about his grandmother refusing to fly in planes because she didn’t want to get her hair all messed up from the wind.
16. Color TV
When they became common in the mid-60s a lot of older people believed they emitted harmful rays.
When Mom finally got one circa 1972 it was kept in her bedroom and we were ushered in to watch it only on special occasions.
And we had to sit at least ten feet away.
17. Adorable!
My Mother In Law.
When she wanted me to look something up for her, she would ask me to check “your friend, the net.”
18. Shitting inside
Some people still had outdoor toilets and were laughing at those who had them installed.
Why?
Because “they are shitting their own houses”.
19. Calculate this!
I was told constantly in school that I “won’t have a calculator around all the time”.
20. Bold prediction!
I never wanted touchscreen phone because I thought they’re unreliable and will break easily.
One of those things was true.
21. That’s cold…
My grandparents refused to get air conditioning.
They were convinced it would only make people sick.
Fast forward 30 years and their daughter ended up in the hospital for weeks with legionaries disease from an a/c unit.
What tech do you think is going too far?
Personally, I think it’s cloning.
Not because of any spiritual thing, I just think DNA can’t be replicated without retaining the age of the DNA. So the clone is likely to suffer a much shorter lifespan, which isn’t fair to them.
The post 21 Seniors Give the Hilarious Reasons Why Their Generation Doesn’t Trust Technology appeared first on UberFacts.