science

The Internet Just Ran Out of Numbers

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The MIT “Technology Review” has an interesting article all about IPv4 finally running out of numbers, and what to expect next now that this has happened. here are some highlights from it …

Every available Internet protocol address has now been spoken for—which could mean huge trouble down the line.
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The problem is that the current system for IP addresses, IPv4, uses numeric addresses that are 32 bits long—giving a total of just over four billion potential numbers, which must have seemed like a lot when IPv4 was introduced in 1981. But there are now seven billion people on Earth, and more and more of them—and their devices—are going online all the time. Fortunately, engineers realized the limitations of IPv4 a long time ago and lined up a successor, called IPv6, in 1998.
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For ISPs, it’s a straightforward business dilemma: the two addressing schemes are not directly compatible, which means it would take a significant investment to let IPv4 users connect to IPv6 services. And having relied on the same system for as long as 30 years, they may not feel the need to change.

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$1 Million is yours … if you can prove that Homeopathy works

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To win $1 Million all you need to do is to prove to the James Randi Educational Foundation that Homeopathy actually works. That sounds like easy money, because obviously it works … surely it must, it can’t be a con. Think about it now, almost all pharmacies sell Homeopath remedies, in fact the UK has … Read more

Flu breakthrough

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Every year I take time off to make a trek to a local clinic for a flu shot (OK, so this year was different, I did honestly intend to go, I just never got around to it). So why do I keep doing this most years (when I remember) , why can’t I just do … Read more

Exercise Improves Memory and Brain Health

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That old book of fables, the bible claims, “Bodily exercise profiteth little”,  science has now yielded further information that clearly demonstrates this is simply not true at all. A new study shows that one year of moderate physical exercise can increase the size of the brain’s hippocampus in older adults, leading to an improvement in … Read more