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Chris Samuel

@chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy
23 followers 6 following 352 posts

A Welsh/Aussie #HPC geek with lifelong interests in archaeology, history, astronomy and computing. Cardiff -> Aberystwyth -> Malvern -> Melbourne -> Berkeley […] 🌉 bridged from ⁂ mastodon.acm.org/@chris_bloke, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 17/10/2026
Wordle 1,946 X/6* ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 (which turns out to be pretty ironic)
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026
Pretty dramatic skies here over Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia!
Dramatic dark sky with sunlight sky in the distance and houses with lights and Halloween decorations on in the foreground.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026
In today's installment of "What could possibly go wrong?" www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-inte… #security #chrome
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026
A cow, a pony and a donkey walk into a pub. "So why the long face?" said the journalist. "Someone called the cops on us" said the pony. www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-28/no-b… (from 10 years ago, but I only just stumbled across […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026
Props to whoever at the Network Time Foundation came up with "Epochalypse" to refer to rollovers in various time systems (including the Y2K38 one). www.nwtime.org/epochalypse #epochalypse #programming #time #tzdb #puns
nwtime.org
The Epochalypse: Preparing for the Next Time Rollovers
Reliable time helps digital systems coordinate transactions, validate credentials, and keep accurate records. Between 2036 and 2038, several widely used time representations will reach rollover points, including those used by the Network Time Protocol (NTP), older Unix time formats, and some GPS systems.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
You can own an original, used (one careful owner) RFC1149 packet! onlineonly.christies.com/s/fine-pri… Also cc @etchedpixels as I believe you were there for that..
onlineonly.christies.com
Actual RFC1149 packet being auctioned
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
@mattblaze and the metricthusiasts are estatic... (sorry, late to the party on this one)
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026
Well I wasn't expecting to get it like this. 😅 Wordle 1,939 3/6* ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
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Jeff Moss @thedarktangent.defcon.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026
With all the new G's (New GTLDs that ICANN has approved) coming up like .pdf now is a great time to disable search from your browser bar so you don't accidentally end up at a malicious site. For FireFox or Tor Browser do: - about:config - set browser.fixup.alternate.enabled false - set keyword […]
defcon.social
Original post on defcon.social
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026
Snek! Not what I was expecting on my morning walk yesterday. (a sadly deceased Dekay's Brownsnake according to Seek, confirmed by someone on iNaturalist) #snake #philadelphia #snek
A photo of a small snake hiding in the crack between paving slabs on a footpath (sidewalk) in Philadelphia. It's coiled itself up in the gap and looks OK, but was still there later in the day without any apparent movement). It's a Dekay's Brownsnake.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026
Should I be surprised that this is 666 seconds into Greg K-H's latest talk on Linux kernel security? youtu.be/NnV_cWeoo5Q?si=LKkFsquWXdP… His point is that kernel vulnerabilities are now (on average) being exploited 7 days before being reported. 😬 #linux #security #itsec
A slide from Greg K-H's latest Linux kernel security talk, where he gives a table of the mean time to exploit for kernel vulnerabilities. The table reads:

2018: 63 days
2020: 32 days
2024: 5 days
2026: -7 days

His point is now vulnerabilities are being exploited (on average) a week before they are reported...
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026
I didn't think it was possible to be nostalgic about scams, but I just got my first 419 type email in a long time. Unfortunately I don't think they realise I know that the Nigerian government doesn't have that much to do with the Geelong Archery Club (whose Plex webmail system they appear to […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026
Sunflower with three bees hanging out this morning in the drizzle. #bloomscrolling #bees
Photo of a yellow sunflower with three bees hanging out together.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/09/2026
Shipwreck remains, likely from the 1884 wreck of the schooner Warren Sawyer, uncovered by the Nor'Easter on Nantucket. www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-598278… #archaeology #shipwreck #nantucket
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/09/2026
Pretty impressive work, recovering ancient human DNA from samples associated with cave art on walls in caves in Portugal. www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-… #archaeology #ancientDNA #aDNA #genetics #genomics
nature.com
Investigating ancient human DNA preservation on cave walls and in rock art - Nature Communications
Ancient DNA can be preserved on materials from archaeological floor deposits such as bones, sediments and artifacts. Here, the authors investigate whether Palaeolithic wall art can preserve human DNA for study.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 21/09/2026
I think Queensland police need to set up a sting operation. www.theguardian.com/australia-news/… #puns #bees
theguardian.com
More than 800,000 bees stolen across far north Queensland in ‘sophisticated’ operation
Apiarists will lose not just the insects but the value of pollination contracts, which can be worth thousands of dollars
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/09/2026
^^^^ how it started attached - how it went (pure coincidence) #paleontology #dinosaurs
A photo of a T. Rex skeleton (casts from originals) looking right at the camera, jaws gaping. Photo taken at the Academy of Natural Sciences Museum in Philadelphia.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/09/2026
This is fun, determining a likely body temperature for T.Rex by looking at tooth enamel structure. Spoiler, looks like an endotherm! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.… #paleontology #t.rex #dinosaurs
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 12/09/2026
“Oh my head!”, said Thomas, waking up after another heavy night. “Where am I this time? Wait, America? How on earth did I get here?” he pondered, through the fog, aches and nausea. A groan to his right startled him. “Henry! Oh no! What have I got you into? […] [Original post on mastodon.acm.org]
An image from the Strasburg railway, showing a morning dawn sky with railway wagons in the foreground and two railway engines made up to look like engines from the Thomas The Tank Engine railway books.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026
Sadly I suspect the answer to his rhetorical question is "yes".
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026
Great article on the strife that Australia is in with its heavy reliance on diesel (using about twice the amount per-capita compared to the US for instance), suggesting a way to make reserves go further would be to start moving to electric freight vehicles (and what that entails). This quote […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026
@mhoye @etchedpixels ah yes - same for Digital UNIX too. Found out trying to kill a process on a primary DNS server..
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026
Freddy Mercury would have been 80 today. The UK National Archives have published his British naturalisation application. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore…
nationalarchives.gov.uk
Freddie Mercury’s naturalisation certificate
Freddie Mercury was naturalised as a British citizen in 1969. This record tells the story of how he emigrated from Zanzibar to the UK.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026
Fascinating article on the work of Fred Hollows and his successors, saving sight in regional and outback Australia. But they survive year to year based on grant funding despite the with they do being so critical […]
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Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Kit Bashir @unixbigot.aus.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/08/2026
“*YOU* Are the Chosen One?!” “Hahaha no.” “I thou—“ “I’m just *a* chosen girl. There’s hundreds of us, you know. Big planet; takes a lot of saving” “Where’s your enchanted sword, then?” “Melted it” “You *what*!” “Swords are flashy, but impractical. So I made an enchanted multitool” “You […]
aus.social
Original post on aus.social
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026
Quite a light show on the Strasburg PA rail camera from the thunderstorm heading to Delaware right now. www.youtube.com/live/RZpIX6cq7Os #PAwx
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026
Data courtesy of the Linux kernel teams "vulns" repo - public here: git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/securi…
git.kernel.org
security/vulns.git - Unnamed repository; edit this file 'description' to name the repository.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026
Finally, I was pondering what areas of the kernel were most CVE'd, well here's that answer: $ git grep Subject: | awk '{print $3}' | sort | uniq -c | sort -nr | head 823 net: 534 wifi: 318 media: 313 scsi: 294 Bluetooth: 292 netfilter: 270 usb: 251 bpf: 226 btrfs: 217 drm/amd/display: #Linux […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026
That then got me wondering "what on earth happened in the 5.15 release" - and it turns out the answer is improved support for Windows interoperability... $ git grep Subject: $(git grep -li "Issue introduced in 5.15") | awk '{print $3}' | sort | uniq -c | sort -nr | head 142 ksmbd: 63 fs/ntfs3 […]
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Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026
I was curious about which Linux kernel releases are blamed for introducing CVEs, so poking in the kernel security teams "vulns" repo here are the (current) top 10 blamed kernel versions: $ git grep -i "Issue introduced in" | awk '{print $1,$5}' | sort | uniq | awk '{print $2}' | sort | uniq -c […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
This is a pleasing factoid: the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope is the same size and weight as a T-Rex! Countdown: 15 days to launch! 🚀 AUG 30, 2026 11:26 UTC ℹ️: science.nasa.gov/mission/roma...
A sketch of a T-Rex dinosaur (big feet, tiny hands) next to a sketch of the Roman telescope.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 27/08/2026
Lucky nobody was hurt... 😬 > After the airplane stopped, passengers began standing and attempting to access overhead bins despite commands to remain seated. [...] > She repeatedly commanded passengers to leave their belongings behind; however, multiple passengers took their carry-on baggage […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 26/08/2026
How it started... live.acarsdrama.com/@acarsdrama/117…
live.acarsdrama.com
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 26/08/2026
RE: live.acarsdrama.com/@acarsdrama/117… Sometimes you just can't get a break...
live.acarsdrama.com
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sabik @sabik.rants.au.ap.brid.gy · 14/08/2026
"Three feet long and with 34 names, Clacton's ballot paper is the longest ever" Australians: sweet summer child
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026
If an AI plays James Bond but doesn't tell anyone it's an AI is it... ....a secret agent? (sorry) #puns
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2026
Oops. www.theregister.com/security/2026/0… #security #firefox
theregister.com
Mozilla revokes Firefox signing key after unencrypted copy lands in GitHub
Audit logs found no unexpected visitors, but release verification still needs an update
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2026
@SteveBellovin ouch - best of luck with the recovery! Hope all the baking is tiding you over well.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2026
TIL that the earliest evidence of a stringed instrument in Europe was found in High Pasture Cave on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and is the charred remains of the bridge of what is believed to be a lyre. It's about 2,300 years old […]
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Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2026
@Yolande I definitely agree that avoiding both would have been ideal, especially as the National Trust is already concerned about the impact of human activity at what is now Dobby's Grave on the environment there. It's a beautiful area, I suspect anywhere you go around there will risk damage of […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2026
Sigh, humans care more about not disturbing fictional graves of fictional characters than possibly damaging real graves of real people. > In the end, he said, “we went quite close to some real Bronze Age remains, but we avoided Dobby’s grave” […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2026
Shocked to find that the Australian language dictionary for Thunderbird does not seem to know "whinging". Yours, A whinging Pom.
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 06/08/2026
Nostalgia - it's not as good as it used to be... A couple of years ago I found a really nice little quote in an article on nostalgia that claims that it doesn't date back to when we first started writing, but a little time after when we could look back at […] [Original post on mastodon.acm.org]
Screenshot of an article from The Slate, the text says:

So let’s just skip to the beginning—to Mesopotamia, when humanity began writing for the first time. Eckart Frahm, a professor of Assyriology at Yale University, says a curious trend shows up in the old cuneiform tablets: At the beginning of writing, around 3500 B.C., nobody pens anything nostalgic. But after about two centuries, as records pile up and scholars read what their ancestors wrote, that changes. “Then,” he says, “there is this idea that there must have been an age where things were really perfect.”
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2026
Gah - now the UK govt has managed to do it too... www.aisi.gov.uk/blog/incident-repor… The crazy thing is they say they are working on: > surfacing potential risks before they reach the public Yet they then say: > we test them under […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026
Another, much more recent, aDNA genetics discovery again turning assumptions about the past on their head. Ancient DNA recovery of the Upton Lovell "Shaman" (bronze age metalworker), who had always been presumed to be a male, shows that instead they were biologically female […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 02/08/2026
Nice to see aDNA genetics undoing some stories invented about some of the people found in Pompeii by revealing some of the realities of who they were, how they were related (or in these cases how they were not) and where they came from […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com
Panel one: a climber reaches the top of a towering cliff. There, among the clouds, a serene figure with a long beard, wearing a robe, sits crosslegged on the bare rock. He is "The Great Wise One of the Mountain"

Panels two, three and four: sitting serenely crosslegged on successively lower clifftops we see the Assistant Wise One of the Mountain, The Post-Doc Research Fellow of the Mountain and a group of  PhD Students of the Mountain
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/07/2026
"Wait, so if Demippos here gets to read all his part then he gets 3 hours, and I only get 2 for my part!" "I know, there's this other tale I know, I'll adapt it and then that'll make us equal" "Oh no, now we're too long overall! We'll need to take this other part out, everyone agrees it's not […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 31/07/2026
Love this idea of no one #Homer. > The poem could even have taken shape by committee. In the late 6th century BCE, Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, mandated the annual performance of the entire Iliad and Odyssey at a festival celebrating the goddess Athena. > > It takes about 20 hours to read the […]
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Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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Chris Samuel @chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026
@mattblaze was driven past that yesterday after meeting my brother arriving at PHL and he was asking what that was! It’s interesting that the motion blur seems to get less the farther the train is away. I’m guessing that’s because the perspective means there’s less proper motion (to borrow the […]
mastodon.acm.org
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
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