In the first half, journalist and digital security expert Julio Rivera shared his insights into the intersection of cybersecurity, politics, and national defense and the potential dangers lurking in the digital realm. He pointed out the alarming frequency of cyber attacks, stating, "Critical infrastructure is under constant attack." Ransomware and malware attacks have evolved into a lucrative business model, with software available on the dark web, allowing anyone to launch their own campaigns. He further warned that our private data may be on the dark web as well, if individuals are online in any capacity. It's important to remain vigilant about protecting one's personal data in an increasingly digital world, he emphasized.
Rivera suggested that we are already in the midst of World War III, which he characterized as a cyber war with the US pitted against nations such as Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. He referred to the US' 2010 cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facility as the first significant offensive action in modern cyber warfare. Smaller nations can be a real threat in cyber warfare, as "cybersecurity and hacking is the great equalizer between military powers," he noted. Voicing concern over TikTok, which has Chinese owners, he suggested the app might compromise national security, especially when officials and politicians have it on their phones. Rivera expressed his admiration for whistleblower Edward Snowden, calling him "heroic" for exposing government surveillance practices that violate citizens' privacy.
------------
In the latter half, biographer Paul Schatzkin talked about the lives and work of two lesser-known inventors, Philo T. Farnsworth, the creator of television, and T. Townsend Brown, who delved into electricity and gravity. Farnsworth, who conceived the idea of transmitting pictures at just 14 years old, faced significant corporate opposition from RCA and David Sarnoff, who sought to claim his invention. Eventually, he won several patent battles against RCA, a feat previously unheard of, culminating in a licensing agreement in 1939. Despite his groundbreaking achievements, Farnsworth remains relatively unknown due to his focus on future innovations rather than self-promotion. One of his research areas was nuclear fusion and a "fusor" device. Farnsworth had ambitions to harness this energy source but was concerned that it could be misused by humanity, and he may have taken the secret to it to the grave, Schatzkin revealed.
Regarding Townsend Brown, Schatzkin learned that the ionic breeze air purifier was based on a discovery of Brown's, developed while he was serving in the US Navy in the 1930s, around the time Farnsworth was developing TV. Brown believed he had discovered a way to control gravity using the anomalous electrical effect he called the "Biefeld-Brown effect." Because Schatzkin faced bureaucratic hurdles in uncovering Brown's legacy, it was difficult to confirm whether he was ever able to successfully develop this technology into a viable anti-gravity or "gravity control" system for spacecraft propulsion. It's possible that Brown was involved in military black projects that are still classified.
News segment guests: Mish Shedlock, Howard Bloom