Tootfinder

Public service announcement:
I am blocking the babka.social instance as the person who runs it (Serge) is a Zionist and a genocide/denier, who conflates being Jewish with being Zionist (“Zionism is a belief that more than 80% of Jews have. Talking about Zionists is talking about Jews.” – https://babka.social/@serge/1151605…

We (over 500 scientists) have put (yet another) open letter to the EU commission online, detailing while we do not believe anything has changed in the recent iteration of #chatcontrol proposals that would make it any less unsafe: https://

I’m not your go-to for deep economic theory. I'm just your regular Fediverse baby anarchist, who has a huge crush on Rudolf Rocker's syndicalist takes!
But what I do know is that I don’t need bosses or rulers telling me how to live my life. We’re all capable of working together, making decisions as equals, and building something better without anyone lording over us.
I believe in solidarity and collective action. We deserve workplaces and communities where everyone has a …

Feature-Based Belief Aggregation for Partially Observable Markov Decision Problems
Yuchao Li, Kim Hammar, Dimitri Bertsekas
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.04646

Feature-Based Belief Aggregation for Partially Observable Markov Decision Problems
We consider a finite-state partially observable Markov decision problem (POMDP) with an infinite horizon and a discounted cost, and we propose a new method for computing a cost function approximation that is based on features and aggregation. In particular, using the classical belief-space formulation, we construct a related Markov decision problem (MDP) by first aggregating the unobservable states into feature states, and then introducing representative beliefs over these feature states. This …

Two trump-appointed judges on a three judge panel declares that federal goons and lawyers are exempt from and need not obey judicial orders.
One more giant step towards dictatorship.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-depor

Appeals court tosses contempt finding against Trump in prison deportations
A split appeals court panel is tossing out a judge’s contempt finding against President Donald Trump’s administration in a case over deportations to an El Salvador prison. The Friday decision comes after planes carrying Venezuelan migrants landed at the prison even after U.S District Judge James E. Boasberg said in court they must return to the United States. Boasberg had found probable cause to believe Trump administration officials rushed deportees out of the country before they could cha…

On the Classical Hardness of the Semidirect Discrete Logarithm Problem in Finite Groups
Mohammad Ferry Husnil Arif, Muhammad Imran
https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.05048 https://

On the Classical Hardness of the Semidirect Discrete Logarithm Problem in Finite Groups
The semidirect discrete logarithm problem (SDLP) in finite groups was proposed as a foundation for post-quantum cryptographic protocols, based on the belief that its non-abelian structure would resist quantum attacks. However, recent results have shown that SDLP in finite groups admits efficient quantum algorithms, undermining its quantum resistance. This raises a fundamental question: does the SDLP offer any computational advantages over the standard discrete logarithm problem (DLP) against cl…

Here’s a mind-blowing experiment that you can try at home:
Gather some children’s blocks and place them on a table.
Take one block and slowly push it over the table’s edge, inch by inch, until it’s on the brink of falling.
If you possess patience and a steady hand, you should be able to balance it so that exactly half of it hangs off the edge.
Nudge it any farther, and gravity wins.
Now take two blocks and start over.
Stacking one on top of the other, how…

This Block-Stacking Math Problem Has a Preposterous Solution You Need to See to Believe — Scientific American
In principle, this impossible math allows for a glue-free bridge of stacked blocks that can stretch across the Grand Canyon—and into infinity Amanda Montañez Math Here’s a mind-blowing experiment that you can try at home: Gather some children’s blocks and place them on a table. Take one block and slowly push it over the table’s edge, inch by inch, until it’s on the brink of falling. If you possess patience and a steady hand, you should be able to balance it so that exactly half of it…

British criminals convicted over Wagner Group-linked arson attack on London warehouse https://therecord.media/british-criminals-convicted-wagner-group-arson

QB’s self-belief sparks hopes of Raiders turnaround: ‘He brings a lot’ https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/raiders/qbs-self-belief-sparks-hopes-of-raiders-turnaround-he-brings-a-lot-3438567/

A number of companies, including many of the country's most quintessentially American brands,
have warned that growing anti-Americanism as a result of Donald Trump's tariffs
could end up hurting their success overseas.
Experts believe that the trend,
if it translates into a broad-based shift in consumer behavior,
could prove to be a significant headwind for the companies
while taking a significant toll on the broader U.S. economy.

Major US Brands Sound Alarm Over Rising Anti-American Sentiment
A number of all-American companies have noted an uptick in anti-U.S. sentiment linked to ongoing trade and political tensions.