Being Brazilian, Ciro Santilli was particularly curious about the existence of a Brazil-focused mentioned in the Reuters article, as well as in other democracies.
WTF the CIA was doing in Brazil in the early 2010s! Wasn't helping to install the Military dictatorship in Brazil enough!
It is worth noting that democracies represent just a small minority of the websites found. The Middle East, and Spanish language sites (presumably for Venezuela + war on drugs countries?) were the huge majority. But Americans have to understand that democracies have to work together and build mutual trust, and not spy on one another. Even some of the enlightened people from Hacker News seem to not grasp this point. The USA cannot single handedly maintain world order as it once could. Collaboration based on trust is the only way.
Snowden's 2013 revelations particularly shocked USA "allies" with the fact that they were being spied upon, and as of the 2020's, everybody knows this and has "stopped caring", and or moved to end-to-end encryption by default. This is beautifully illustrated in the 2016 film "Snowden" when Snowden talks about his time in Japan working for Dell as an undercover NSA operative:
NSA wanted to impress the Japanese. Show them our reach. They loved the live video from drones. This is Pakistan right now [video shows American agents demonstrating drone footage to Japanese officials]. They were not as excited about that we wanted their help to spy on the Japanese population. They said it was against their laws.
Of course we tapped the entire country anyway.
And we did not stop there. Once we owned their communications systems, we started going after the physical infrastructure.
We'd slip these little sleeper programs into power grids, dams, hospitals. The idea was that if the day came when Japan was no longer an ally, it would be "lights out".
And it wasn't just the Japanese. We were planting malware in Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Austria.
I mean, China, I can understand. Russia. Iran. Venezuela, okay.
But Austria?!
[shows footage of cow on an idyllic Alpine mountain grazing field, suggesting that there is nothing in Austria to spy on]
Another noteworthy scene from that movie is Video 2. "Aptitude test on communication networks scene from the 2016 Snowden film", where a bunch of new CIA recruits are told that:
Each of you is going to build a covert communications network in your home city [i.e. their fictitious foreign target location written on each person's desk such as Berlin, Istanbul and Bangkok, not necessarily where they were actually born], you're going to deploy it, backup your site, destroy it, and restore it again.
thus somewhat mirroring what actually happened with these real world websites.
Video 2.
Aptitude test on communication networks scene from the 2016 Snowden film
. Source.
A virus hoax is a false or misleading claim about a computer virus, worm, or other types of malware that spreads through communication channels like email or social media. These hoaxes typically warn users about an imminent threat, often exaggerating the dangers or claiming that simply reading a message could infect their computer. Common elements of virus hoaxes include: 1. **False Claims**: They often provide alarming details about a virus that does not actually exist or has been exaggerated.
The Struve-Sahade effect refers to an astrophysical phenomenon that occurs in certain binary star systems, particularly in cases where one of the stars is a giant star. It describes the observational changes in the spectra of the components of the binary system due to the presence of the giant star's extended atmosphere, which can influence the absorption lines seen in the spectrum.
An empirical process refers to a statistical method or framework that is based on observed data rather than theoretical models or assumptions. It encompasses a wide range of techniques used to analyze, model, and infer properties from data collected through experiments or observations. The main characteristics of empirical processes include: 1. **Data-Driven**: Empirical processes rely heavily on actual data collected from real-world observations or experiments. This data serves as the foundation for analysis and conclusions.
Simics is a powerful full-system simulator developed by Wind River Systems. It allows developers and engineers to simulate complete computer systems, including hardware and software components, which enables various applications in system development and testing.
Virtutech is a company that specializes in virtualization and simulation technologies, particularly in the field of embedded systems and software development. It is well-known for its software products that allow developers to simulate complex hardware environments, enabling them to test and debug applications without needing access to the physical hardware. Their products, like the Simics simulation platform, provide a high-fidelity representation of hardware systems, allowing for advanced debugging, testing, and development capabilities.
RISC OS emulators are software applications that allow users to run the RISC OS operating system on non-native hardware, such as Windows, macOS, or Linux machines. RISC OS is a 32-bit operating system originally designed by Acorn Computers for their ARM-based computers, and it features a graphical user interface and various built-in applications. Emulators replicate the behavior of the RISC OS environment, enabling users to run RISC OS programs and applications without needing the original ARM hardware.
"Vehicles by fuel" typically refers to the categorization of vehicles based on the type of fuel they use for propulsion. This categorization helps in understanding the environmental impact, regulatory considerations, and market trends associated with different types of vehicles. Here's an overview of common vehicle types by fuel: 1. **Gasoline Vehicles**: These use gasoline as fuel and are among the most common types of vehicles. They typically have internal combustion engines.
Engineering disciplines refer to the various specialized fields within the broader field of engineering, each focusing on different aspects of technology, design, construction, and problem-solving. Here are some of the main engineering disciplines: 1. **Civil Engineering:** This discipline deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure such as bridges, roads, buildings, and water supply systems.
EcoCAR is a vehicle engineering competition primarily focused on advanced vehicle technologies and sustainable transportation. It is organized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is part of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTCs). The competition challenges university students to develop innovative, eco-friendly vehicles that reduce environmental impact while maintaining performance, safety, and consumer appeal. Over several years, student teams work on vehicle design, integrating alternative powertrains, energy-efficient technologies, and smart vehicle systems.
An air-fuel ratio meter is a device used to measure the proportion of air to fuel in an internal combustion engine. The air-fuel ratio (AFR) is a critical parameter for optimizing engine performance, fuel efficiency, and emissions. In typical gasoline engines, the ideal stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is around 14.7:1, meaning 14.7 parts of air to 1 part of fuel by mass.
The DAPPLE Project (Data-driven Approval Processes for Learning Environments) is an initiative aimed at improving education through data analysis and evidence-based decision-making. While specific details may vary, the project typically focuses on the collection, analysis, and application of data to enhance the effectiveness of educational settings and processes. DAPPLE projects often involve collaboration among educational institutions, researchers, and stakeholders to identify best practices and develop tools that facilitate better learning outcomes.
The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) is a leading research organization in the United Kingdom focused on energy-related research and policy. Established in 2004, UKERC aims to provide integrated and independent research that addresses the challenges of energy supply, demand, and sustainability in the context of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
An equation of state (EOS) is a mathematical relationship that describes the state of a physical system by relating its macroscopic properties, such as pressure, volume, temperature, and number of particles. Equations of state are crucial for understanding and predicting the behavior of materials under various conditions, particularly in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and materials science.
Automobile engines are complex machines that convert fuel into mechanical energy to power vehicles. They are typically internal combustion engines (ICE), which means they burn fuel—such as gasoline or diesel—to create combustion within cylinders. The resulting explosions push pistons connected to a crankshaft, which converts the linear motion into rotational motion, ultimately driving the vehicle's wheels.
William Gilbert (1540–1603) was an English physician, physicist, and natural philosopher, best known for his pioneering work in the study of magnetism and electricity. He is often regarded as one of the founders of the modern scientific approach to these subjects. Gilbert is particularly famous for his book "De Magnete," published in 1600, which is considered one of the first major works on magnetism.
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Stuart Palmer is a physicist known for his contributions to the fields of condensed matter physics and materials science. His research often focuses on the properties of materials at the atomic and molecular levels, including the behavior of electrons in solids and the interactions between different types of materials. He may also be involved in interdisciplinary work, applying principles of physics to solve problems in related areas, such as chemistry, engineering, or biology.
Ronald Hugh Barker (1929–2016) was a notable New Zealand writer, best known for his contributions to literature, particularly in the genres of poetry and fiction. He often tackled themes related to the human experience, culture, and the natural environment of New Zealand. His work has been recognized for its lyrical quality and depth.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact