Beyond Infinity

Companies claiming to be able to crack iPhone security measures for law enforcement are getting more commercial and now openly tout their services.

Some say Sir Fred Hoyle, an English astronomer famed for his work on nucleosynthesis, the process by which elements are created within stars, was not an easy man to get along with. Physicist Dr. Tony Heyes discusses Sir Fred's theories, collaborations, and controversies; concluding he deserved, and should have received the Nobel Prize.

Some say Sir Fred Hoyle, an English astronomer famed for his work on nucleosynthesis, the process by which elements are created within stars, was not an easy man to get along with. Physicist Dr. Tony Heyes discusses Sir Fred's theories, collaborations and controversies. He reckons he deserved, and should have received, the Nobel Prize.

Whether it's antibiotics polluting the world's major rivers, illicit drugs - especially ice - showing up in sewerage processing facilities or excrement on our beaches, the world's waterways are increasingly under threat from human effluent.

An app-based 'deadbeat debtors' map can warn users if they're in close proximity of anyone on a government financial blacklist. It's another way pressure is applied to those who fall foul of China's powerful social credit system.

Simon Young, founder and CEO of Lithodomos VR, updates us on his company's exciting expansion into museums around the world, where you can put on VR goggles and plunge into what life was really like thousands of years ago. He explains how the Lithodomos Explore app gives access to the company's large library of historical landmarks exactly as they were, in VR or panoramic 360 mode. (As a gift to Beyond Infinity listeners, keep an ear out for the Lithodomos Explore app's complementary access code!)

Uber names Melbourne, Australia as the first market for Uber Air outside the US, after Dallas and New York. Riders could get from the CBD to the airport in 12 minutes for about the same price as an Uber X. Testing from now and beginning services in 2023, subject to regulatory approval.

"Imagine this for a second....whoever controls the data controls the future" - thus didn't speak the Zuck... but it's hard to tell when his speech and face are faked. PLUS: the global social experiment of putting a smart phone in billions of hands and totally addicting everyone rolls on, with barely known (and scary) consequences.

Big improvements are on the way for the popular navigation service, including the ability to quickly report car accidents and traffic hazards, speed camera locations, local speed limits across 40 countries and AR-assisted navigation for walkers.

The tech giant is taking a stand to force Chrome browsers to view its ads. But will people just switch to the faster-loading Firefox, which allows ad blocking add-ons?

Physicist Dr Tony Heyes explains the equation inscribed on Stephen Hawking's grave in Westminster Abbey and how it refers to the temperature of a black hole. And it wasn't the equation the late eminent physicist, mathematician and author had wished for.

Looks like heart disease drug Ticagrelor could double as a new kind of antibiotic that's effective against drug-resistant bacteria.

John explains what happened when thousands of attempts, possibly originating in the Russian Federation, were made to break into our program website beyondinfinity.com.au. It's an unfortunate sign of the times and a salutary reminder of the importance of security awareness and vigilance.

Mark Sirangelo, Special Assistant to the NASA Administrator, was hired to get America back to the Moon in 2024. He resigned just 6 weeks into the job, after Congress knocked back extra funding for the effort. A 21st century manned lunar landing continues to recede into the distant future due to political infighting, budget constraints and confusion over long-term plans for American human spaceflight.

10,000 computers operated by City Hall continue to be locked up in a ransomware scandal that has exposed just how unprepared Baltimore is to cyber attack. Parking fines can't be processed, houses can't be sold, bills remain unpaid and public services have been curtailed. There is no data back up, no insurance and no budget to even pay the ransom.

Early investors in blockchain start-up Block.One stand to make 6,500% in 3 years care of a buyback. But some are hanging in there, believing "the success story is just beginning". The company boasts its technology will put ownership of data back in the hands of users and it will soon announce a social media product.

Researchers at Washington State University have invented an environmentally-friendly foam made from nanocrystals of cellulose that is a better insulator than polystyrene.

Adobe has warned Creative Cloud users they're no longer licensed to use older versions of the popular software and could be sued if they do so.

Physicist Dr. Tony Heyes offers his thoughts on the now famous image obtained of the super massive black hole at the centre of neighbouring galaxy M87. It was taken by the Event Horizon Telescope, a planet-wide array of eight ground-based radio telescopes and released in April 2019.

The wireless technology is incredibly useful and integrated into a host of devices, but the underlying specifications run to 3000 pages and are almost unintelligible. There are security vulnerabilities, especially for business and corporations. And the advice for everyday users: turn Bluetooth off when not in use.