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78
Technology, Computers, & Electronics / Customs forces NASA scientist to unlock his phone
« on: February 15, 2017, 07:52:54 PM »
Sidd Bikkannavar flew back into the United States after spending a few weeks abroad in South America. An employee of NASA, Bikkannavar had been on a personal trip, pursuing his hobby of racing solar-powered cars.
Bikkannavar says he was detained by US Customs and Border Patrol and pressured to give the CBP agents his phone and access PIN. Since the phone was issued by NASA, it may have contained sensitive material that wasn?t supposed to be shared. Bikkannavar?s phone was returned to him after it was searched by CBP.
Bikkannavar?s entry into the USA should not have raised any flags. He a natural-born US citizen, & he?s also enrolled in Global Entry, a program through CBP that allows individuals who have undergone background checks to have expedited entry into the country. He hasn?t visited the countries listed in the immigration ban and he has worked at NASA for 10 years. There, he works on ?wavefront sensing and control,? a type of optics technology that will be used on the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.
A CBP officer escorted Bikkannavar to a back room, and told him to wait for additional instructions. About 40 minutes went by before an officer appeared and called Bikkannavar?s name. ?He takes me into an interview room and sort of explains that I?m entering the country and they need to search my possessions to make sure I?m not bringing in anything dangerous,? he says. The CBP officer started asking questions about where Bikkannavar was coming from, where he lives, and his title at work. It?s all information the officer should have had since Bikkannavar is enrolled in Global Entry. ?I asked a question, ?Why was I chosen?? And he wouldn?t tell me,? he says.
The officer explained that CBP had authority to search his phone. Bikkannavar did not want to hand over the device, because it was given to him by JPL and is technically NASA property. He even showed the officer the JPL barcode on the back of phone. Nonetheless, CBP asked for the phone and the access PIN. ?I was cautiously telling him I wasn?t allowed to give it out" says Bikkannavar. ?I told him I?m not really allowed to give the pass code... I have to protect access. But he insisted they had the authority to search it.?
Courts have upheld customs agent's power to manually search devices at the border. More importantly, travelers are not legally required to unlock their devices, although agents can detain them for significant periods of time if they do not. ?In each incident that I?ve seen, the subjects have been shown a Blue Paper that says CBP has legal authority to search phones at the border, which gives them the impression that they?re obligated to unlock the phone, which isn?t true,? Hassan Shibly, chief executive director of CAIR Florida, said. ?They?re not obligated to unlock the phone.?
Bikkannavar was not allowed to leave until he gave CBP his PIN. The officer insisted that CBP had the authority to search the phone. The document given to Bikkannavar listed a series of consequences for failure to offer information that would allow CBP to copy the contents of the device. ?I didn?t really want to explore all those consequences,? he says. ?It mentioned detention and seizure.? Ultimately, he agreed to hand over the phone and PIN. The officer left with the device and didn?t return for another 30 minutes.
Once he arrived in Los Angeles, he went to NASA and told his superiors what had happened. He says the cybersecurity team at JPL was not happy about the breach. NASA employees are obligated to protect work-related information.
He?s left wondering the point of the search, and he?s upset that the search potentially compromised the privacy of his friends, family, and coworkers who were listed on his phone. He has since gotten a completely new device from work with a new phone number.
He said, ?It was not that they were concerned with me bringing something dangerous in, because they didn?t even touch the bags. They had no way of knowing I could have had something in there,? he says. ?You can say, ?Okay well maybe it?s about making sure I?m not a dangerous person,? but they have all the information to verify that.?
Bikkannavar says he was detained by US Customs and Border Patrol and pressured to give the CBP agents his phone and access PIN. Since the phone was issued by NASA, it may have contained sensitive material that wasn?t supposed to be shared. Bikkannavar?s phone was returned to him after it was searched by CBP.
Bikkannavar?s entry into the USA should not have raised any flags. He a natural-born US citizen, & he?s also enrolled in Global Entry, a program through CBP that allows individuals who have undergone background checks to have expedited entry into the country. He hasn?t visited the countries listed in the immigration ban and he has worked at NASA for 10 years. There, he works on ?wavefront sensing and control,? a type of optics technology that will be used on the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.
A CBP officer escorted Bikkannavar to a back room, and told him to wait for additional instructions. About 40 minutes went by before an officer appeared and called Bikkannavar?s name. ?He takes me into an interview room and sort of explains that I?m entering the country and they need to search my possessions to make sure I?m not bringing in anything dangerous,? he says. The CBP officer started asking questions about where Bikkannavar was coming from, where he lives, and his title at work. It?s all information the officer should have had since Bikkannavar is enrolled in Global Entry. ?I asked a question, ?Why was I chosen?? And he wouldn?t tell me,? he says.
The officer explained that CBP had authority to search his phone. Bikkannavar did not want to hand over the device, because it was given to him by JPL and is technically NASA property. He even showed the officer the JPL barcode on the back of phone. Nonetheless, CBP asked for the phone and the access PIN. ?I was cautiously telling him I wasn?t allowed to give it out" says Bikkannavar. ?I told him I?m not really allowed to give the pass code... I have to protect access. But he insisted they had the authority to search it.?
Courts have upheld customs agent's power to manually search devices at the border. More importantly, travelers are not legally required to unlock their devices, although agents can detain them for significant periods of time if they do not. ?In each incident that I?ve seen, the subjects have been shown a Blue Paper that says CBP has legal authority to search phones at the border, which gives them the impression that they?re obligated to unlock the phone, which isn?t true,? Hassan Shibly, chief executive director of CAIR Florida, said. ?They?re not obligated to unlock the phone.?
Bikkannavar was not allowed to leave until he gave CBP his PIN. The officer insisted that CBP had the authority to search the phone. The document given to Bikkannavar listed a series of consequences for failure to offer information that would allow CBP to copy the contents of the device. ?I didn?t really want to explore all those consequences,? he says. ?It mentioned detention and seizure.? Ultimately, he agreed to hand over the phone and PIN. The officer left with the device and didn?t return for another 30 minutes.
Once he arrived in Los Angeles, he went to NASA and told his superiors what had happened. He says the cybersecurity team at JPL was not happy about the breach. NASA employees are obligated to protect work-related information.
He?s left wondering the point of the search, and he?s upset that the search potentially compromised the privacy of his friends, family, and coworkers who were listed on his phone. He has since gotten a completely new device from work with a new phone number.
He said, ?It was not that they were concerned with me bringing something dangerous in, because they didn?t even touch the bags. They had no way of knowing I could have had something in there,? he says. ?You can say, ?Okay well maybe it?s about making sure I?m not a dangerous person,? but they have all the information to verify that.?
79
Science, Astronomy, & Physics / A new Hubble repair mission?
« on: February 15, 2017, 07:25:37 PM »
The Hubble space telescope probably has done more science, & we gained more knowledge from it than anything else or anybody we have ever sent to space. It's sad that we can launch probe to Pluto & other planets, but we can't build a spacecraft to carry a repair mission beyond the very low orbit of the space station to maintain this very excellent & important scientific device.
But that may change someday. There is now at least a slight possibility of there being another maintenance mission to Hubble.
According to a report, the servicing would provide an insurance policy in case the James Webb Space Telescope, fails or malfunctions.
Sierra Nevada, a private spaceflight company, has worked for years on a miniature space shuttle called the Dream Chaser, based on older designs generated in the early days of NASA. The craft is only cleared for automated flights and may resupply the ISS as soon as 2019. The Hubble mission would require a human-piloted variant relying on infrastructure that already exists in the ship's design.
The possibility is currently in the (very) preliminary stages. It would represent a public-private venture that would drive down federal government costs by teaming up with private spaceflight companies, a model that is expected to be utilized in the administration in general.
Along with the Webb telescope, NASA has two telescopes based on modified versions of the Hubble design donated by the National Reconnaissance Office. One such mission, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, will be utilized as an exoplanet and dark matter hunter to be launched in the mid-2020s. Plans for the other telescope have not yet been announced.
But that may change someday. There is now at least a slight possibility of there being another maintenance mission to Hubble.
According to a report, the servicing would provide an insurance policy in case the James Webb Space Telescope, fails or malfunctions.
Sierra Nevada, a private spaceflight company, has worked for years on a miniature space shuttle called the Dream Chaser, based on older designs generated in the early days of NASA. The craft is only cleared for automated flights and may resupply the ISS as soon as 2019. The Hubble mission would require a human-piloted variant relying on infrastructure that already exists in the ship's design.
The possibility is currently in the (very) preliminary stages. It would represent a public-private venture that would drive down federal government costs by teaming up with private spaceflight companies, a model that is expected to be utilized in the administration in general.
Along with the Webb telescope, NASA has two telescopes based on modified versions of the Hubble design donated by the National Reconnaissance Office. One such mission, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, will be utilized as an exoplanet and dark matter hunter to be launched in the mid-2020s. Plans for the other telescope have not yet been announced.
80
Paranormal, Aliens, & UFOs / I saw my dead relatives
« on: February 15, 2017, 04:50:08 PM »
Had a strange dream this morning. I dreamed that I was sleeping in my bed, woke up, but couldn't move, or speak. At the foot of my bed stood my brother, who just passed away last year. But not like I remember him. He was well dressed & looked at least 10 years younger. I tried to speak to him but couldn't move or speak. His only message seemed to be just to acknowledge that he still existed & was fine, but it all was too short. My cat decided to take that moment to jump on me & wake me up... which they never do anymore when I'm sleeping. When I woke up, the cat was staring in the direction my brother was standing in the dream.
I fall back to sleep. I start dreaming again that I'm in bed sleeping, & can't move or speak. My brother shows up at the foot of the bed again looking the way he did before, & still dressed the same. But this time he was there with my other brother too, who passed away a few years ago. He also was well dressed & looked at least 10 years younger than when I saw him last.
Shocked, but unable to move or speak, I managed to just barely slowly whisper out the words, "I thought you were dead!". My brother smiled & said, "We are".
Suddenly there were loud crashing/banging noises. I woke up because the dumpster truck outside was emptying the dumpster in back, making lots of loud metal banging noises. That was supposed to be done yesterday morning, so he was a day late. When I woke up, the cats were sitting beside me staring in the direction I just saw my brothers in the dream.
I dreamed about my Mom this weekend, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't remember any details about it. That time when I woke up, I had to go to the bathroom bad. With the kitties blocking me on the way, & wanting to play while I have to go, I lost almost all memory of that dream by the time I was done.
I wonder what's going on or will go on, for me to suddenly dream about them. Breathing pretty bad the past few days with my COPD. It made me think about my own mortality, & that I don't have much time left on earth. Maybe those thoughts triggered something.
I fall back to sleep. I start dreaming again that I'm in bed sleeping, & can't move or speak. My brother shows up at the foot of the bed again looking the way he did before, & still dressed the same. But this time he was there with my other brother too, who passed away a few years ago. He also was well dressed & looked at least 10 years younger than when I saw him last.
Shocked, but unable to move or speak, I managed to just barely slowly whisper out the words, "I thought you were dead!". My brother smiled & said, "We are".
Suddenly there were loud crashing/banging noises. I woke up because the dumpster truck outside was emptying the dumpster in back, making lots of loud metal banging noises. That was supposed to be done yesterday morning, so he was a day late. When I woke up, the cats were sitting beside me staring in the direction I just saw my brothers in the dream.
I dreamed about my Mom this weekend, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't remember any details about it. That time when I woke up, I had to go to the bathroom bad. With the kitties blocking me on the way, & wanting to play while I have to go, I lost almost all memory of that dream by the time I was done.
I wonder what's going on or will go on, for me to suddenly dream about them. Breathing pretty bad the past few days with my COPD. It made me think about my own mortality, & that I don't have much time left on earth. Maybe those thoughts triggered something.
81
Paranormal, Aliens, & UFOs / Re: Mysteries of WWII
« on: February 15, 2017, 02:53:08 PM »
Bermuda Triangle mass disappearance
Flight 19 was a group of five Bombers involved in a training flight off the coast of Florida in 1945. Sometime during the exercise, Lt. Taylor reported that his compass was malfunctioning and that he couldn?t ascertain the flight?s position. It was decided that all the planes would stick together and, when one ran out of gas and had to ditch in the ocean, all the planes would ditch together. The tower lost contact with the flight and it was presumed they had run out of gas and had to make an emergency water landing. A Mariner flying boat was dispatched to try to locate the ditched planes? location. Mysteriously enough, the tower lost contact with the Mariner as well. The planes and all of the men disappeared, six planes and 27 men in total, all assumed dead or missing, but how?
The Navy?s investigation originally placed the blame on Lt. Taylor; however, they later changed the official report to reflect the loss of planes to ?Cause Unknown.? They have never been able to determine with any certainty the reason for Flight 19?s disappearance, nor the loss of the PBM Mariner. No bodies and no aircraft have ever been found.
Flight 19 was a group of five Bombers involved in a training flight off the coast of Florida in 1945. Sometime during the exercise, Lt. Taylor reported that his compass was malfunctioning and that he couldn?t ascertain the flight?s position. It was decided that all the planes would stick together and, when one ran out of gas and had to ditch in the ocean, all the planes would ditch together. The tower lost contact with the flight and it was presumed they had run out of gas and had to make an emergency water landing. A Mariner flying boat was dispatched to try to locate the ditched planes? location. Mysteriously enough, the tower lost contact with the Mariner as well. The planes and all of the men disappeared, six planes and 27 men in total, all assumed dead or missing, but how?
The Navy?s investigation originally placed the blame on Lt. Taylor; however, they later changed the official report to reflect the loss of planes to ?Cause Unknown.? They have never been able to determine with any certainty the reason for Flight 19?s disappearance, nor the loss of the PBM Mariner. No bodies and no aircraft have ever been found.
82
Paranormal, Aliens, & UFOs / Re: Mysteries of WWII
« on: February 15, 2017, 02:26:25 PM »
Foo Fighters
The term was used by pilots during the war to describe UFOs they encountered, originally coined by America?s 415th Night Fighter Squadron. The term became formally adopted by the U.S. military in November 1944. Originally thought to be secret Nazi aircraft sent for reconnaissance, most pilots reported seeing strange glowing balls of light that maneuvered around their aircraft at night, flying at great speed. Sometimes the mysterious lights would chase the planes, other times just keeping pace with them. Usually radar operators were unable to see the mysterious UFO?s on their screens, but sometimes they could confirm their existence.
A postwar scientific panel was unable to adequately explain the phenomena. One theory concluded that the UFO?s were St. Elmo ?s fire ? a weather condition where a strong electric field causes a glowing discharge to emanate from certain objects. Another theory was that the phenomenon was just cases of ball lightning, which is just about the same thing. Most pilots who witnessed the strange glowing lights that chased their planes dismiss these theories.
The term was used by pilots during the war to describe UFOs they encountered, originally coined by America?s 415th Night Fighter Squadron. The term became formally adopted by the U.S. military in November 1944. Originally thought to be secret Nazi aircraft sent for reconnaissance, most pilots reported seeing strange glowing balls of light that maneuvered around their aircraft at night, flying at great speed. Sometimes the mysterious lights would chase the planes, other times just keeping pace with them. Usually radar operators were unable to see the mysterious UFO?s on their screens, but sometimes they could confirm their existence.
A postwar scientific panel was unable to adequately explain the phenomena. One theory concluded that the UFO?s were St. Elmo ?s fire ? a weather condition where a strong electric field causes a glowing discharge to emanate from certain objects. Another theory was that the phenomenon was just cases of ball lightning, which is just about the same thing. Most pilots who witnessed the strange glowing lights that chased their planes dismiss these theories.
83
Paranormal, Aliens, & UFOs / Re: Mysteries of WWII
« on: February 15, 2017, 01:57:42 PM »
Undersea Treasure
Field Marshal Rommel in 1944, when it looked like the tides of war were turning against Germany, attempted to hide treasures to avoid them being captured by encroaching enemy armies. The valuables were seized by German forces during the Tunisian campaign. Rommel entrusted four elite Waffen-SS divers with treasures that included 440lbs of gold bullion, silver, precious stones, and artwork. The divers were instructed to bury the stash deep in the sea. Many believe it was around the many underwater caves that can be found off the eastern coast of Corsica, in the Mediterranean Ocean. They say the treasure would be worth at least an estimated ?20 million ($26.8 million).
A British researcher, who has spent the past fifteen years searching for the missing treasure, believes the mystery might be close to being solved. An old photograph of a German soldier was discovered with mysterious writing on the back. It turns out it was a code, a code many now believe translates into coordinates that lead to the location of Rommel?s treasure. Plans are underway to narrow the search to an area less than a mile from the Corsican port of Bastia, off Marana Beach.
Field Marshal Rommel in 1944, when it looked like the tides of war were turning against Germany, attempted to hide treasures to avoid them being captured by encroaching enemy armies. The valuables were seized by German forces during the Tunisian campaign. Rommel entrusted four elite Waffen-SS divers with treasures that included 440lbs of gold bullion, silver, precious stones, and artwork. The divers were instructed to bury the stash deep in the sea. Many believe it was around the many underwater caves that can be found off the eastern coast of Corsica, in the Mediterranean Ocean. They say the treasure would be worth at least an estimated ?20 million ($26.8 million).
A British researcher, who has spent the past fifteen years searching for the missing treasure, believes the mystery might be close to being solved. An old photograph of a German soldier was discovered with mysterious writing on the back. It turns out it was a code, a code many now believe translates into coordinates that lead to the location of Rommel?s treasure. Plans are underway to narrow the search to an area less than a mile from the Corsican port of Bastia, off Marana Beach.
84
Paranormal, Aliens, & UFOs / Re: Mysteries of WWII
« on: February 15, 2017, 01:41:17 PM »
Ghost Plane
Ghost planes, went missing in action during the war, only to return and be sighted decades later. One common location where this is witnessed is the infamous Peak District in northern Derbyshire, in England. Over 50 planes have crashed there and it has gained a reputation for being a hotspot of ghost plane activity.
One of the first stories reported there involved Richard and Helen Jephson who were driving nearby, their car windows down, when they spotted a WWII-era bomber flying through the sky. They remembered it appeared to be flying very low but, remarkably, made no sound. They say the bomber just vanished as it flew by. A Royal Air Force veteran, who was nearby also witnessed the plane, believing it to have been a 4-engine American B-24 Liberator bomber. Another witness, who was golfing in the area, agreed it looked like a Liberator and was camouflaged. Local airport officials and the military confirmed that there were no historical planes in the air or nearby air shows. In fact, there were very few of these very loud B-24 bombers left over from the war and even less that were still operational. This was a classic ghost plane sighting and there have been many others documented over England. What could explain these sightings? Did these planes get lost in a dimensional portal, fated to forever fly in a time loop for eternity? Or, are they dedicated airmen still flying to defend the Allies, even in death?
Ghost planes, went missing in action during the war, only to return and be sighted decades later. One common location where this is witnessed is the infamous Peak District in northern Derbyshire, in England. Over 50 planes have crashed there and it has gained a reputation for being a hotspot of ghost plane activity.
One of the first stories reported there involved Richard and Helen Jephson who were driving nearby, their car windows down, when they spotted a WWII-era bomber flying through the sky. They remembered it appeared to be flying very low but, remarkably, made no sound. They say the bomber just vanished as it flew by. A Royal Air Force veteran, who was nearby also witnessed the plane, believing it to have been a 4-engine American B-24 Liberator bomber. Another witness, who was golfing in the area, agreed it looked like a Liberator and was camouflaged. Local airport officials and the military confirmed that there were no historical planes in the air or nearby air shows. In fact, there were very few of these very loud B-24 bombers left over from the war and even less that were still operational. This was a classic ghost plane sighting and there have been many others documented over England. What could explain these sightings? Did these planes get lost in a dimensional portal, fated to forever fly in a time loop for eternity? Or, are they dedicated airmen still flying to defend the Allies, even in death?
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