Month: July 2002

Compendium of tech-interview riddles

I’ve never had the misfortune of getting these types of questions in a job interview. Resorting to riddles always struck me as a sign of an unprepared interviewer that wants to make the geek squirm and take them down a notch. Crikey, they’re nervous anyway so what’s the point them feel worse if the only thing standing between them and making the month’s rent is the “manhole problem.”

Anyway, there were some great links buried in the Slashdot comments. TechInterview.org also compiles tech interview questions, and the Sells Brothers compiles stories just about Microsoft interviews.

[via Slashdot]

Defeating the Computer Assisted Passenger Screening system (CAPS)

Interesting paper on the weaknesses of the airport screening system and how the dependence on passenger profiles is the system’s biggest flaw. An algorithm called “Carnival Booth” demonstrates how a terrorist cell can defeat the CAPS system.

[via Boing Boing]

God reboots in single-user mode and types “fsck -y ^M reboot”

Everyone is mentioning this story, so I’m obliged to join in. Asteroid 2002 NT7 is on a “collision course” with Earth with the closest approach on February 1, 2019. NT7’s orbit is still not refined enough to judge whether or not an impact is certain, but it’s a close one. If anything, since 1 Feb 2002 is a Friday we’ll have the whole weekend to recover from our hangovers.

Today’s Astronomy Picture Of The Day is worth checking out too. Sure, space is empty, but that plot of the inner solar system would give even the sharpest air traffic controller the Mother Of All Anxiety Attacks.

[via everyone]

Want to know who’s polluting your neighborhood? Let Scorecard tell you

Punch in your zip code and Scorecard will tell you just how polluted your neighborhood is and who’s doing the dumping.

Of course I had to run it on home…

Based on EPA’s most current data, this county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the US in terms of the number of people living in areas where cancer risk from hazardous air pollutants exceeds 1 in 10,000.

2,805,785 people in ORANGE County face a cancer risk more than 100 times the goal set by the Clean Air Act.

89% of the air cancer risk is from mobile sources
10% of the air cancer risk is from area sources
0.46% of the air cancer risk is from point sources

In 1999, this county ranked among the dirtier 40% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of pm-10 24-hour average concentration.

In 1999, this county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of noncancer risk score (air and water releases)

2 Superfund sites in ORANGE County caused contamination of drinking water sources

16% of surface waters in ORANGE County have beneficial uses which are impaired or threatened. (Reports may be incomplete)

Some Rivers, Streams and Creeks are impaired by Pathogens and Nutrients
Some Lakes, Reservoirs and Ponds are impaired by Nutrients and Metals
Some Estuaries, Bays and Coasts are impaired by Pathogens and Metals

The leading sources of water quality problems are Nonpoint Sources, Construction, and Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers

Now that’s a government logo! DARPA’s Information Awareness Office

darpa-logototal information awareness useful for preemption; national security warning; and national security decision making.” needs a giant eye-in-the-pyramid.

Either they have a wicked sense of humor, or they’re totally serious. Scarily, I think they’re serious…

[via Boing Boing]