Tootfinder

Japan’s Askul resumes limited online sales 6 weeks after ransomware attack https://therecord.media/askul-resumes-limited-ordering-following-ransomware-attack

A revamped Inside the NFL, produced by NFL Films, will debut September 8 on Elon Musk's X, with at least 10 short episodes airing weekly on the platform (Alex Weprin/The Hollywood Reporter)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business

‘Inside the NFL’ Gets Reboot as an X Original Series
Ryan Clark will host the show, which will be reimagined for the Elon Musk-owned platform as a short-form series with new episodes throughout each week of the NFL season.

eBike Nerdery
So the full decision matrix is:
- BBS02 48V 500W (750W) (a minor upgrade); would let me use a better battery and have a better margin when the battery gets low.
- BBSHD 48V or 52V (1000W); can be run with an extra spicy 52V battery for more power
- TSDZ8 48V 750W (1200W peak), the reengineered TSDZ2 with actual thermal capacity
- TSDZ16 48V 1000W (not sure what peak but geez that's a lot of motor)
- DM02 48V 500W (A team that made the TSDZ2 split off and went to make better motors)
- DM01 48V 1000W — I've not read up on it much but it's that same team I'm sure making a solid motor.
Also-rans:
- BBS02 36V 500W (existing motor); A spare would be nice so I can refurb mine without having to be without my bike.
- TSDZ2 48V 500W (I have one); tends to overheat and I ride hard. Not a winner.
- CYC motors: rather spendy. Nice stuff though.
- M625, M615, M225, M255: newer Bafang motors; more expensive, no real benefit, CAN bus is not well supported by third parties yet.
Pros of the Bafang BBS series: lots of parts available on the market. Lots of display options
Pros of the Tongsheng TSDZ series: Torque sensor!
Pros of the ToSeven DM series: Torque sensor, better build quality.

Particle Acceleration along Magnetic Fields as the Origin of Ear-like Structures in Supernova Remnants
Huan Yu, Jun Fang
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.23547 https://

Particle Acceleration along Magnetic Fields as the Origin of Ear-like Structures in Supernova Remnants
The origin of ear-like structures with two opposite lobes extending from the shell of supernova remnants (SNRs) remains a subject of active debate, with proposed mechanisms ranging from jet-driven explosions to interactions with bipolar circumstellar media. We present a novel investigation using Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations to examine the dynamics of a spherical ejecta in magnetized media, revealing a different formation mechanism for these structures. Our results demonstrate that particl…

Novel Market Temperature Definition Through Fluctuation Theorem: A Statistical Physics Framework for Financial Crisis Prediction
Masoome Ramezani, Fereydoun Rahnama Roodposhti, Ghanbar Abbaspour Esfeden, Mehdi Ramezani
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.23692

Novel Market Temperature Definition Through Fluctuation Theorem: A Statistical Physics Framework for Financial Crisis Prediction
This paper introduces a novel approach to financial crisis prediction by establishing a thermodynamic-like framework derived from the fluctuation theorem of statistical physics. We define market temperature through the probability ratio of positive to negative returns and demonstrate its effectiveness in identifying market states and predicting potential crises. Our empirical analysis spans nine major global indices from 2005 to 2025, revealing statistically significant differences in temperatu…

Multi-port programmable silicon photonics using low-loss phase change material Sb$_2$Se$_3$
Thomas W. Radford, Idris A Ajia, Latif Rozaqi, Priya Deoli, Xingzhao Yan, Mehdi Banakar, David J Thomson, Ioannis Zeimpekis, Alberto Politi, Otto L. Muskens
https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.18205 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.18205 https://arxiv.org/html/2511.18205
arXiv:2511.18205v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Reconfigurable photonic devices are rapidly emerging as a cornerstone of next generation optical technologies, with wide ranging applications in quantum simulation, neuromorphic computing, and large-scale photonic processors. A central challenge in this field is identifying an optimal platform to enable compact, efficient, and scalable reconfigurability. Optical phase-change materials (PCMs) offer a compelling solution by enabling non-volatile, reversible tuning of optical properties, compatible with a wide range of device platforms and current CMOS technologies. In particular, antimony tri-selenide ($\text{Sb}_{2}\text{Se}_{3}$) stands out for its ultra low-loss characteristics at telecommunication wavelengths and its reversible switching. In this work, we present an experimental platform capable of encoding multi-port operations onto the transmission matrix of a compact multimode interferometer architecture on standard 220~nm silicon photonics using \textit{in-silico} designed digital patterns. The multi-port devices are clad with a thin film of $\text{Sb}_{2}\text{Se}_{3}$, which can be optically addressed using direct laser writing to provide local perturbations to the refractive index. A range of multi-port geometries from 2$\times$2 up to 5$\times$5 couplers are demonstrated, achieving simultaneous control of up to 25 matrix elements with programming accuracy of 90% relative to simulated patterns. Patterned devices remain stable with consistent optical performance across the C-band wavelengths. Our work establishes a pathway towards the development of large scale PCM-based reconfigurable multi-port devices which will allow implementing matrix operations on three orders of magnitude smaller areas than interferometer meshes.
toXiv_bot_toot

On functional freedom and Penrose's critiques of string theory
Mat\v{e}j Kr\'atk\'y, James Read
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21515 https://arxiv.…

On functional freedom and Penrose's critiques of string theory
In his The Road to Reality as well as in his Fashion, Faith and Fantasy, Roger Penrose criticises string theory and its practitioners from a variety of angles ranging from conceptual, technical, and methodological objections to sociological observations about the string theoretic scientific community. In this article, we assess Penrose's conceptual/technical objections to string theory, focussing in particular upon those which invoke the notion of `functional freedom'. In general, we do not fin…

Investigating the influence of hydrophobicity and electrostatics on the particle-scale dynamics and rheology of dense microgel suspensions
Sayantan Chanda, Chandeshwar Misra, Ranjini Bandyopadhyay
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.16651

Investigating the influence of hydrophobicity and electrostatics on the particle-scale dynamics and rheology of dense microgel suspensions
Colloidal microgel particles such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) undergo a reversible volume phase transition at a volume phase transition temperature, VPTT, in aqueous media. Although the particles shrink in size as the temperature is raised beyond the VPTT, Romeo et al. [Adv. Mater. 2010, 22, 3441-3445] had previously shown that dense aqueous PNIPAM suspensions transform from one viscoelastic solid-like phase to another, with an intermediate viscoelastic liquid-like phase near the VP…

Counter Ransomware Initiative stresses importance of supply-chain security https://therecord.media/counter-ransomware-initiative-software-supply-chain-guidance

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Ranking Utility Tuning in the Ad Recommender System at Pinterest
Xiao Yang, Mehdi Ben Ayed, Longyu Zhao, Fan Zhou, Yuchen Shen, Abe Engle, Jinfeng Zhuang, Ling Leng, Jiajing Xu, Charles Rosenberg, Prathibha Deshikachar
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.05292

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Ranking Utility Tuning in the Ad Recommender System at Pinterest
The ranking utility function in an ad recommender system, which linearly combines predictions of various business goals, plays a central role in balancing values across the platform, advertisers, and users. Traditional manual tuning, while offering simplicity and interpretability, often yields suboptimal results due to its unprincipled tuning objectives, the vast amount of parameter combinations, and its lack of personalization and adaptability to seasonality. In this work, we propose a general…