[21st July 2024] Interesting Things I Learnt This Week

Artists impression of Secure IoT, source
https://www.mindgrovetech.in/secure-iot

1. Technical Preview of Mindgrove Tech "Secure IoT" SoC : SIoT is probably the world’s first 64 bit microcontroller, clocked at 700 MHz. Shree Kumar has given a very detailed review of this. He gets into the details of how this is an awesome project but also highlights the problems with its current version.

My Take: I am really excited that Mindgrove Tech is venturing and building this kind of SoCs in India. Qualcomm, Intel, TI, ST Micro, all have had their development centers in India. I believe we have enough folks who have the expertise to develop top notch SoCs and making a mark in the world. But people would often read the post and think that this project is not perfect. But I dont disagree with them and the first version of any project is not perfect, neither is the second. But only with enough perseverance can impactful products be made. I hope Mindgrove Tech learns from this to improve on the following ones.

Wake of vultures captured by me at
Kanha National Park

2. Loss of India’s vultures may have led to deaths of half a million people : A study revealed a shocking consequence of India's vulture population decline in the 1990s. The near-extinction, attributed to vultures ingesting a toxic veterinary drug in dead livestock, led to an abundance of un-scavenged carcasses. This vacancy created a sanitation crisis as feral dogs and rats, less efficient scavengers, feasted on the remains. The surge in dog population coincided with a rise in rabies cases, leading researchers to estimate that over half a million people might have died from diseases spread by these scavengers between 2000 and 2005. This incident highlights the vital, and often under-appreciated, role vultures play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

My Take: On my recent visit to Kanha Tiger Reserve, I saw a group of vultures(also called wake) scavenging a carcass. I learned that these vital scavengers were nearly wiped out due to diclofenac poisoning from cattle carcasses. Thankfully, the ban on this drug is allowing their population to slowly recover. Sadly, the hyenas weren't as fortunate and haven't rebounded. This highlights the interconnectedness of our ecosystem and the unintended consequences of human actions. It's crucial to find a balance between development and ecological preservation. I hope our government prioritizes ecology instead of destructive development because the cost of such development is astronomically high.

 

3. These 10 Ancient Games Are Still Fun to Play : Ancient civilizations weren't all about building pyramids and mummifying pharaohs - they knew how to have fun too! This article explores ten enduring games from across the globe that have entertained people for millennia. From the strategic board game Go, originating in China, to the simple yet addictive Mancala from Africa, these games offer challenges that transcend time. Even backgammon, a favorite today, finds its roots in ancient Mesopotamia. The article delves into the history and variations of these games, proving that some things, like the thrill of competition and the joy of a good game, are truly timeless.

My Take: There have been many more games which were played everywhere around the world. Unfortunately they have been lost. Many more games we used to play in ancient India have been lost and continue to be lost. I dont know if there are any knowledge repositories of such games maintained anywhere. Would love to know more about them if you can tell me about them.

4. German State Moves $3 Billion in Bitcoin Seized From Pirate Site Operators : According to TorrentFreak, the claim about a German state moving 3 billion in Bitcoin seized from pirates is inaccurate. The actual amount confiscated was closer to $2.1 billion worth of Bitcoin in 2020, following an investigation into the illegal movie streaming website Movie2k.to. This marked the largest crypto seizure by German authorities at the time. The article mentions the ongoing legal proceedings and the possibility of the funds being sold in portions, potentially impacting the Bitcoin price.

My Take: I think the governments are the largest owners of Bitcoins and other crypto currencies, thanks to seizes like these. Not sure what happened to all the bitcoins from silk road but I guess they too are with the US government. The day they decide to move the market, we should be in for a surprise of sorts. I have never been a big believer of crypto and to me blockchain is a technology which is still looking for a problem to solve. Money is something all governments want to control and they will do anything to keep it that way. There are way too many examples of that from different governments including and not limited to India, US and EU. Unfortunately they have way too much power to let go of that control. I am sad about the fact that we still dont have a real replacement for anonymous payments done via cash in the online world.