ML2 @[email protected]

Two variants have merged into heavily mutated coronavirus

The hybrid virus is the result of recombination of the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant discovered in the UK and the B.1.429 variant that originated in California and which may be responsible for a recent wave of cases in Los Angeles because it carries a mutation making it resistant to some antibodies.

If confirmed, the recombinant would be the first to be detected in this pandemic.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2268014-exclusive-two-variants-have-merged-into-heavily-mutated-coronavirus/

#covid

Anyone up for a challenge in helping investigative journalists hold power to account?
https://www.occrp.org/en/occrp-jobs/senior-product-engineer-data-team

@OCCRP is looking for a senior full-stack software engineer and product lead for Aleph, their data platform. It combines a powerful search engine, data forensics tool and collaborative workspace for investigators.

The data processed by Aleph includes sources as diverse as unstructured, leaked email dumps and large, structured datasets like company registries or real estate registries.

Happy to join Mastodon. Feels so much nicer and free-er compared to twitter!

These last few days have been amazing for web security: WhatsApp changes its privacy policy and privacy-friendly alternatives go viral right after. It's great to be part of this! 😀 ❤️
https://tutanota.com/blog/posts/whatsapp-privacy-policy-signal-growth

I've just deleted whatsapp, told a couple of my friends that aren't already using signal where to find me if they need me. Leaving whatsapp still isn't trending in my country but I hope that will change soon.

i feel like trump's second impeachment trial will be like the trial in the seinfeld finale. it's just a parade of witnesses telling us that the defendant has been an asshole THE WHOLE TIME, and we just didn't notice somehow.

>WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messenger that claims to have privacy coded into its DNA, is giving its 2 billion plus users an ultimatum: agree to share their personal data with the social network or delete their accounts.

I love the start of this article

@bluezhin Hi, and welcome to Mathstodon, a Mastodon instance largely focused on maths and related topics.

It's still pretty quiet here, but growing slowly, and we look forward to seeing what you choose to share. The more you say about what you're doing, the more likely you are to get people replying, following, and generally interacting.

So, tell us about yourself, using the hashtag #Introduction

Cheers!

Oculus Quest user breaks neck, then Facebook deletes his account - https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/kg1761/after_posting_about_breaking_my_neck_while/

FTC Issues Orders to Nine Social Media and Video Streaming Services - https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/12/ftc-issues-orders-nine-social-media-video-streaming-services-0

Suspected Russian hackers spied on U.S. Treasury emails: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-amazon-com-exclsuive-idUSKBN28N0PG

A must-read for everyone who still believes that backdoors would be a good idea! Here's our view on why we must never allow encryption backdoors: https://tutanota.com/blog/posts/why-a-backdoor-is-a-security-risk/

real talk:
climate change is serious, and we need to take serious, large-scale action to mitigate it.
when i say #bancars , this is shorthand. but: don't be stressing about your personal issues, *like that guardian article says*, addressing climate change is about society-wide choices. and as a society, we have chosen cars to transport us. this is not about you, or your job, or your kids.
reliance on personal automobiles needs to stop at the society level. this is not about you.