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The common “Qwerty” arrangement of keyboard letters is an in-joke by keyboard designer Qwertyuiop Asdfghjkl of Northern Zxcvbnm.

8 Things Autistic People Want You To Know

1. Autism is a fundamental part of who we are and how we experience the world and it cannot be separated from who we are as people. Autism is not something which is clearly separated from our identities and our personalities - it’s something which affects every aspect of how we think about, experience and interact with the world around us. Autism isn’t something we have or something we’re suffering from, it’s something we are. For the vast majority of autistic people, autism is a part of our identity which means that despite common belief most of us prefer to be called “autistic” as opposed to “people with autism.”  Do not tell us that we only have value if we can separate our identities and our personalities from autism.

2. The vast majority of autistic people do not want a cure, we want acceptance and accommodations. Do not put your time and money into researching how to cure autism and how to prevent it, put time and money into accommodating and accepting autistic people. We do not wish to become neurotypical, we wish to change society so that we can be accommodated, accepted and included as autistic people. Our goal isn’t to become as close to neurotypical as possible, it is to get the opportunity to live happy, fulfilling lives as autistic people. It is society that needs to chance, not us.

3. We do not support Autism Speaks or their campaign #LightItUpBlue and neither should you. If you want to support autistic people, check out ASAN or Autism Women’s Network instead. If you don’t know why autistic people don’t support Autism Speaks, check out the many resources linked in this post.

4. Functioning labels are at best inaccurate and at worst actively harmful.  Functioning labels (claiming that some autistic people are “high-functioning” while others are “low-functioning”) do more harm than good, not just because they aren’t able to give you an accurate impression of what supports an individual autistic person needs but because they’re mainly used to either silence or invalidate autistic people. Autistic people who speak up about the issues concerning them are labelled “high-functioning” to invalidate what they have to say as being inaccurate and irrelevant for other autistic people and so-called “low-functioning” autistic people are being silenced and spoken over because they are written off as too ‘low-functioning’ to have nuanced, relevant opinions or even communicate at all. Instead of forcing autistic people into one of two boxes, name the specific issues or strengths that you are referring to when you’re calling them low-functioning or high-functioning. Are they non-verbal? Say that instead of calling them low-functioning. Are they able to manage a job? Say that instead of calling them high-functioning.

5. Non-verbal autistic people can and do learn to communicate using other communication forms than verbal speech and they’re all individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, wants and opinions. You do not get to speak on behalf of non-verbal autistic people. You do not get to assume that you know exactly what they think, want and feel, especially not when you have never made any effort to communicate with any of them. Instead of assuming that you know what non-verbal autistic people think and feel, try listening to what they have to say by reading the words of some non-verbal autistic people such as @lysikan or Amy Sequenzia or Emma Zurcher-Long.

6. Applied Behavior Analysis, the most widespread and well-known therapy for autistic children, does more harm than good. The goal of ABA therapy is to train and force autistic people into hiding their autistic traits by all means possible as if passing for neurotypical should be the goal of all autistic people regardless of what consequences it might have for their general well-being and their mental health. If you don’t see why that is a problem, check out this masterpost by @neurowonderful.  

7. People diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome are just as autistic as people diagnosed with other variants of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Aspergers is autism and to emphasize this, aspergers and other variants of autism have been united under a broader diagnosis called “autism spectrum disorder” in the DSM-5, Back when aspergers was a separate diagnosis, the only difference between whether you got diagnosed with aspergers or autism was whether you spoke before you were three years old - something which says approximately nothing about your struggles and abilities later in life.  The common misconception that aspergers and autism is two different things is just that - a misconception.

8. If you want to learn more about autism, listen to autistic people - not our parents, our siblings, our therapists our or caregivers. Autistic people are the ones who know the most about being autistic, so if you want to learn about autism we’re the ones you should ask. If you want to learn more about the different aspects of autism, @neurowonderful‘s youtube series “Ask An Autistic” is a good place to start. Here is an index over all the episodes so that you can easily find the topic you want to learn about.  You can also visit @askanautistic where autistic people are ready to answer whatever questions you may have about autism.  

Please reblog this post. It’s time tumblr starts listening to autistic people.

Masterpiece by Mr. Golden Sun by carloyuen #SocialFoto

Dbl Trouble: Fix Falls Short for Backdoor in China-Made Devices

Dbl Trouble: Fix Falls Short for Backdoor in China-Made Devices

A hidden, backdoor account affects a line of VoIP gateways made by DblTek, researchers from TrustWave found. (Image courtesy of DblTek.) In-brief: A hidden, backdoor account affects a line of VoIP gateways made by DblTek, researchers from TrustWave found. The manufacturers fix, however, may not solve the problem.  (more…)

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10 Out of this World NASA Spinoff Technologies

What is a spinoff? Great question! A NASA spinoff is a technology, originally developed to meet our mission needs that has been transferred to the public and now provides benefits as a commercial product or service. Basically, we create awesome stuff and then share it with the world. Here’s a list of just a few NASA spinoff technologies (in no particular order): 

1. Enriched Baby Food

While developing life support for Mars missions, NASA-funded researchers discovered a natural source for an omega-3 fatty acid that plays a key role in infant development. The ingredient has since been infused in more than 99% of infant formula on the market and is helping babies worldwide develop healthy brains, eyes and hearts. 

2. Digital Camera Sensors

Whether you take pictures and videos with a DSLR camera, phone or even a GoPro, you’re using NASA technology. The CMOS active pixel sensor in most digital image-capturing devices was invented when we needed to miniaturize cameras for interplanetary missions. 

3. Airplane Wing Designs

Did you know that we’re with you when you fly? Key aerodynamic advances made by our researchers - such as the up-turned ends of wings, called “winglets” - are ubiquitous among modern aircraft and have saved many billions of dollars in fuel costs. 

4. Precision GPS

Uncorrected GPS data can be off by as much as 15 meters thanks to data errors, drift in satellite clocks and interference from Earth’s atmosphere. One of our software packages developed in the 1990s dials in these locations to within centimeters, enabling highly accurate GPS readings anywhere on the planet. One of our most important contributions to modern society, precise GPS is used in everything from personal devices and commercial airplanes to self-driving tractors. 

5. Memory Foam

Possibly the most widely recognized spinoff, memory foam was invented by our researchers looking for ways to keep its test pilots and astronauts comfortable as they experienced extreme acceleration. Today, memory foam cushions beds, chairs, couches, car and motorcycle seats, shoes and even football helmets. 

6. International Search and Rescue System

We pioneered the technology now used internationally for search and rescue operations. When pilots, sailors or other travelers and adventurers are stranded, they can activate a personal locator bacon that uses overhead satellites to relay their call for help and precise location to authorities. 

7. Improvements to Truck Aerodynamics

Nearly every truck on the road has been shaped by NASA - literally. Agency research in vehicle aerodynamic design led to the curves and contours that help modern big rigs cut through the air with less drag. Our contributions to truck design have greatly reduced fuel consumption, perhaps by as much as 6,800 gallons per year for an average vehicle. 

8. Shock Absorbers for Buildings and Bridges

Shock absorbers originally designed to survive the extreme conditions of space shuttle launches are now bracing hundreds of buildings and bridges in earthquake-prone regions all over the world. None of which have suffered even minor damage during an earthquake. 

9. Advanced Water Filtration

We have recently discovered sources of water on the moon and Mars, but even so space is still practically a desert for human explorers, and every drop possible must be recycled and reused. A nanofiber filer devised to purify water in orbit is currently at work on Earth. From devices that supply water to remote villages, to a water bottle that lets hikers and adventurers stay hydrated using streams and lakes, our technology is being utilized. 

10. Invisible Braces

A company working with NASA invented the translucent ceramic that became the first invisible dental braces, which would go on to become one of the best-selling orthodontic products of all time. 

So, now that you know a few of the spinoff technologies that we helped develop, you can look for them throughout your day. Visit our page to learn about more spinoff technologies: https://spinoff.nasa.gov

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Automating the Publish/Subscribe Pattern in JavaScript

The Publish/Subscribe pattern is one of the most used patterns in software, especially in User Interfaces with JavaScript. It is used whenever 2 pieces of a system need to communicate, but cannot or should not communicate directly. For example, a system receives data from a server at regular intervals that a bunch of components can use (which are added while the system runs):

var Publisher = function() { var self = { subscribers: [] }; self.subscribe = function(callback) { self.subscribers.push(callback); }; self.publish = function(data) { self.subscribers.forEach(function(callback) { callback(data); }); }; return self; } var publisher = Publisher(); // Simulate a set of data being returned over time var serverStream = function(callback) { Array.apply(null, { length: 5 }).forEach(function(unused, index) { var ms = index * 500 setTimeout(function() { callback('data-piece: ' + ms + ' ms'); }, ms); }); }; serverStream(publisher.publish); // Simulate components being registered over time. publisher.subscribe(function(data) { console.info('subscribe from part 1', data); }); setTimeout(function() { publisher.subscribe(function(data) { console.info('subscribe from part 2', data); }); }, 1000) // subscribe from part 1 data-piece: 0 ms // subscribe from part 1 data-piece: 500 ms // subscribe from part 1 data-piece: 1000 ms // subscribe from part 1 data-piece: 1500 ms // subscribe from part 2 data-piece: 1500 ms // subscribe from part 1 data-piece: 2000 ms // subscribe from part 2 data-piece: 2000 ms

The problem is that same pattern with almost identical code will be written over and over again in the same project. So instead of creating a publisher and subscriber with multiple message types each time this pattern needs to be used, it is simpler to just use new instances of the publisher object each time:

var messageSet1 = function(callback) { Array.apply(null, { length: 3 }).forEach(function(unused, index) { setTimeout(function() { callback('Hello ' + index); }, index * 500); }); }; var messageSet2 = function(callback) { Array.apply(null, { length: 3 }).forEach(function(unused, index) { setTimeout(function() { callback('World ' + index); }, index * 500); }); }; var MessageBox = function() { var self = { publishers: [] }; self.streams = function(streams) { self.publishers = []; streams.forEach(function(stream, index) { self.publishers.push(Publisher()); stream(self.publishers[index].publish); }); }; self.subscribeTo = function(index, callback) { return self.publishers[index].subscribe(callback); } return self; }; var messageBox = MessageBox(); // Use a trivial example to preserve clarity messageBox.streams([messageSet1, messageSet2]); messageBox.subscribeTo(0, function(data) { console.info('subscribe from part 1B', data); }); messageBox.subscribeTo(1, function(data) { console.info('subscribe from part 2B', data); }); // subscribe from part 1B Hello 0 // subscribe from part 2B World 0 // subscribe from part 1B Hello 1 // subscribe from part 2B World 1 // subscribe from part 1B Hello 2 // subscribe from part 2B World 2

A non-index based naming scheme could be introduced by passing more data into the streams call, but I wanted to keep the example as minimal as possible.

Github Location: https://github.com/Jacob-Friesen/obscurejs/blob/master/2016/publishSubscribeAutomation.js

Power Macintosh 7100/80

Evidence of Zika Virus Found in Tears

Researchers have found that Zika virus can live in eyes and have identified genetic material from the virus in tears, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study, in mice, helps explain why some Zika patients develop eye disease including a condition known as uveitis which can lead to permanent vision loss.

The research is in Cell Reports. (full open access)

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 2016 September 4 

Io over Jupiter from Voyager 1 

Back in 1979, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft flew past Jupiter and its moons. The images in this mosaic, featuring the moon Io against a background of gas giant Jupiter’s diffuse swirling cloud bands, were recorded by Voyager’s camera from a distance of about 8.3 million kilometers. The Io image from this mosaic may be the first to show curious round features on Io’s surface with dark centers and bright rims more than 60 kilometers across. Now known to be volcanic in origin, these features were then thought likely to be impact craters, commonly seen on rocky bodies throughout the Solar System. But as Voyager continued to approach Io, close-up pictures revealed a bizarre world devoid of impact craters, frequently resurfaced by volcanic activity. Earlier this year a new robotic spacecraft, NASA’s Juno, began to orbit Jupiter and last week made a pass within 5,000 kilometers of Jupiter’s clouds. During the next two years, it is hoped that Juno will discover new things about Jupiter, for example what’s in Jupiter’s core.