How Soviet Russia Banished Their Version of Santa Claus, Then Brought Him Back to Spread Communist Cheer
MSN | March 24, 2020 | Madeline RoacheAround the world there are different versions of the jolly, bearded man who gives gifts to children in December or, in some countries, January.
Unlike the bloated, red-coated father Christmas of the West, Russia’s Santa Claus, known as Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), is slender with a wizard-like flowing beard and he wears a long robe that comes in different colors, such as blue and white.
He is assisted not by elves, but by his beautiful granddaughter Snegurochka (Snow Maiden). His sleigh is powered not by reindeers, but three steely horses.
What really sets Russia’s Santa Claus apart from his Western counterpart is the turbulent century that he’s faced. He has survived a violent social and political revolution that saw him go from beloved to banned as a subversive element, then beloved again and hailed as a symbol of the true Russian spirit.
Archive of entries posted on 29th December 2020
Follow the Scientists
“E pur si muove.”
— Galileo (according to legend), after being forced to recant his scientific belief that the Earth moved about the Sun.
Or, perhaps, after the inquisitors demanded he use the pronoun “xi” for the Earth, rather than “si.”
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“So many new ideas are at first strange and horrible though ultimately valuable that a very heavy responsibility rests upon those who would prevent their dissemination.”
— J. B. S. Haldane, English scientist and author
Terrific Way To Meet a Bunch of Joe Pesci Wanna-Be’s
Casino Gets Hacked Through Its Internet-Connected Fish Tank Thermometer
The Hacker News | April 16, 2018 | Wang WeiWe have another great example that showcases how one innocent-looking insecure IoT device connected to your network can cause security nightmares.
Nicole Eagan, the CEO of cybersecurity company Darktrace, told attendees at an event in London on Thursday how cybercriminals hacked an unnamed casino through its Internet-connected thermometer in an aquarium in the lobby of the casino.
According to what Eagan claimed, the hackers exploited a vulnerability in the thermostat to get a foothold in the network. Once there, they managed to access the high-roller database of gamblers and “then pulled it back across the network, out the thermostat, and up to the cloud.”
Although Eagan did not disclose the identity of the casino, the incident she was sharing could be of last year, when Darktrace published a report, referencing to a thermometer hack of this sort on an unnamed casino based in North America.
