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"c0lo" writes:

Scientists Just Spotted a Black Hole Collision That Defies All Odds:

an international team of astronomers has detected an extraordinary cosmic event that could redefine our understanding of black hole mergers. For the first time, a binary black hole merger, observed in November 2024, has been linked with a short gamma-ray burst (GRB) , a phenomenon that was previously thought impossible. This unprecedented event, detailed in The Astrophysical Journal, could open a new frontier in multi-messenger astronomy, combining the "sound" of gravitational waves with the "flash" of high-energy light.

On November 2024, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observatories captured a signal from an immense gravitational wave event, identified as S241125n. What made this discovery particularly extraordinary was the immediate detection of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) that followed just 11 seconds later. Gamma-ray bursts, known for their intense energy and brief duration, are typically associated with neutron star mergers, not black hole mergers. For a long time, scientists believed that black hole mergers would remain invisible to traditional telescopes. This new finding upends that assumption, suggesting that under the right conditions, even the darkest of cosmic collisions can emit visible radiation.

"This estimate is deliberately conservative, and the true probability of a chance alignment may be even lower," said the research team. "However, in the interest of scientific rigor, we cannot yet draw a definitive conclusion. Regardless, this is clearly a very intriguing event."

The findings suggest that the correlation between gravitational waves and a gamma-ray burst is not merely coincidental but a rare, albeit possible, occurrence.

The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal , presents compelling evidence that S241125n is a multi-messenger event that bridges gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation, specifically gamma rays and X-rays. Gravitational waves , detected by the observatories, are ripples in spacetime caused by the violent collision of massive objects like black holes. In this case, scientists recorded the waves from a black hole merger about 4.2 billion light-years away , an astonishing distance that places the event in the early universe.

Just after the gravitational-wave signal, NASA's Swift satellite detected a short GRB, followed by an X-ray afterglow from China's Einstein Probe. These electromagnetic signals were pinpointed to the same region of the sky, making it highly improbable that they were unrelated. Such an alignment, researchers assert, could occur only once in several decades.

One of the most striking aspects of S241125n is the extreme mass of the black holes involved. The study suggests that the two black holes involved in the merger each had a mass more than 100 times that of our Sun. This is significantly larger than most previous black hole mergers detected by LIGO, which typically involve black holes with masses in the tens of solar masses. These unusually massive black holes raise intriguing questions about their origins, suggesting they might have formed through previous mergers or exotic formation processes.

The discovery challenges existing theories of black hole formation and suggests that such heavy black holes can exist in distant regions of the universe. The large mass of the merging black holes implies that these events could be observed across vast cosmic distances, opening up new possibilities for understanding the history and evolution of black holes and their environments.

hubie writes:

40 Google features to find exactly what you need, the alternative search engines that do things Google won't, and the reference desk framework underneath all of it:

Most of us search Google the same way we always have: type a few words, scroll, click something that looks close enough, and hope. For a while, that worked. Google handed us a list of links and let us take it from there.

What's happening now is something different. A 2024 study by SparkToro found that nearly 60% of Google searches end without anyone clicking through to a website, and the trend has accelerated since. By February 2026, Ahrefs found that queries triggering AI Overviews now see a 58% reduction in clicks. Google has been systematically inserting itself between you and the original source, answering questions with AI-generated summaries before you ever reach the page those answers came from. The results you do see are filtered through an algorithm that weighs your search history, your location, and the billions of dollars advertisers have spent to appear for particular queries. Two people searching identical phrases on the same day can get meaningfully different results without either of them knowing it. And because Google controls roughly 90% of the world's search traffic, most people have no frame of reference for what a less mediated search experience would even look like.

The search bar replaced the reference desk without replacing the skills behind it: knowing how to ask a question precisely, understanding how information is organized and who funds it, knowing the difference between a primary source and a summary of one. The assumption was that the technology made all of that unnecessary, which suited Google; a user who can't navigate information independently is a user who keeps coming back to be guided.

The search bar you already have is more capable than that arrangement requires you to know. With the right syntax, it becomes a precision instrument: narrow by domain, by date, by file type, by exact phrase. We can pull up archived pages, surface open file directories, and even find what people said in forums instead of what brands want us to find. None of it requires a new tool or a paid account. The capability has been there the whole time.

Google is constantly interpreting you. It swaps in synonyms, personalizes results based on your history, and decides what you probably meant rather than returning what you typed. Most of the time that interpretation is invisible. These tools are how you override it.

Anybody have any tips or pointers to add to this?

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:

https://gizmodo.com/attorney-hit-with-historic-fine-for-citing-ai-generated-cases-2000738651

A court in Oregon has issued a fine of $10,000 to an attorney who submitted a legal brief with citations and quotes hallucinated by AI, according to a new report from the Oregonian. It’s the highest fine yet for citing fake cases in the state and would have been higher, but the judges offered some leniency, according to the newspaper.

The attorney, identified by the Oregonian as Bill Ghiorso in Salem, submitted a legal brief to the Oregon Court of Appeals that contained 15 fake citations and nine fake quotes. Ghiorso reportedly blamed a paralegal for the AI hallucinations and initially challenged the fine.

The appeals court in Oregon first fined a different attorney for the practice back in December 2025. The three-judge panel established that this kind of issue should be met with $500 for each fake citation and $1,000 for each false quotation or statement of law. Adding up all the hallucinations, Ghiorso was first hit with a $16,500, but the judges capped that at $10,000.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:

https://www.engadget.com/ai/wikipedia-has-banned-ai-generated-articles-173641377.html?src=rss

English Wikipedia has banned the use of generative AI when writing or rewriting articles. The platform says it came to this decision because using AI to whip up copy "often violates several of Wikipedia's core content policies."

There are a couple of minor exceptions. Editors can use large language models (LLMs) to refine their own writing, but only if the copy is checked for accuracy. The policy states that this is because LLMs "can go beyond what you ask of them and change the meaning of the text such that it is not supported by the sources cited."

Editors can also use LLMs to assist with language translation. However, they must be fluent enough in both languages to catch errors. Once again, the information must be checked for inaccuracies.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ancient-alphabets-insights-uncover-hidden.html

With artificial intelligence (AI) as an essential tool, San Diego State University researchers have discovered surprising similarities among ancient writing systems from Africa and the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Their study suggests that the Armenian alphabet may be more closely related in structure to the ancient Ethiopic writing system than linguists and historians previously thought. The paper is published in the journal Digital Scholarship in the Humanities.

For many years, historians noticed some Armenian, Georgian and Caucasian Albanian letters look similar to letters from Ethiopic, also known as Ge'ez, a writing system developed in the Horn of Africa more than 1,600 years ago.

Most of these early studies, however, relied on scholars' own visual inspection of the letters to determine whether they appeared alike.

Researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering tested this idea using AI instead of human judgment. They trained a computer program to study more than 28,000 images of Ethiopic characters so it could learn the basic shapes and patterns in the writing system. The program learned to recognize curves, straight lines, angles and the overall structure of each letter.

Importantly, the computer had no data on history, religion, geography or culture. It only looked at shapes. After learning the Ethiopic characters, the program compared them to letters from the Armenian, Georgian and Caucasian Albanian alphabets. It then calculated how similar the shapes were.

Daniel Zemene et al, Machine learning techniques for exploring influence, commonalities, and shared origin of scripts: cases of Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, and Caucasian Albanian scripts, Digital Scholarship in the Humanities (2026). DOI: 10.1093/llc/fqag029

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:

https://www.techradar.com/pro/why-october-1-2026-could-be-the-day-ssl-tls-certificates-break-the-internet

As SSL/TLS certificate lifespans shrink, IT departments must adapt to faster renewal cycles. This shift toward shorter lifecycles, driven by a need for better security, will soon create immense operational pressure.

We predict major internet instability on October 1, 2026, when expiring SSL certificates could begin disrupting global internet services.

This stark prediction is rooted in a fundamental policy shift already underway, an industry mandate driven by major browser vendors and formalized through the CA/Browser Forum.

[..] For organizations that issue certificates in March 2026, their maximum 6-month (approx. 200-day) term will expire in early October 2026. On the week of October 1, 2026, we expect to see headlines about unexpected outages as the wave of these first short-lived certificates begin to expire.

While some Fortune 500 companies with robust IT teams and abundant resources may weather the storm and avoid disruption thanks to proper planning and implementation of automated certificate management tools, the story will be different for smaller organizations with less resources.

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://linuxiac.com/ubuntu-mate-founder-steps-back-after-12-years/

Every beginning has an end. Martin Wimpress has announced his departure from active involvement in Ubuntu MATE, marking a significant leadership change for the project he founded in 2014.

In a message to the community, Wimpress stated his time with Ubuntu MATE is "coming to a close," citing changes in his availability and personal focus. After more than a decade of leadership, he is seeking to transfer responsibilities to new contributors.

        "As another development cycle passes, I find myself lacking the time I once had to work on Ubuntu MATE. And, to be frank, I don't have the passion for the project that I once had. When I have time to tinker, my interests are elsewhere."

The announcement does not name a successor. Instead, Wimpress is inviting individuals with experience maintaining Ubuntu archive packages to help sustain development. There is a clear need for maintainers to manage core distribution tasks such as packaging, updates, and release coordination.

Original Submission

"c0lo" writes:

Euro-Office is a free, open-source alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Docs:

• Euro-Office is an open-source fork of OnlyOffice. Nextcloud, Ionos, and other EU-based partners have launched the project.
• The web-based editor integrates with other platforms (Nextcloud, wikis, PM tools). It's now available in preview on GitHub.
• It supports DOCX/PPTX/XLSX and OpenDocument formats; it aims for EU digital sovereignty amid trust concerns.

At a recent press event in Berlin, Germany, Nextcloud, Ionos, and a "coalition of other European enterprises and community organizations" announced Euro-Office , an open-source fork of OnlyOffice that aims to offer an alternative to more restrictive office platforms like Microsoft Office 365 and Google Docs .

Euro-Office's first stable release is set for this summer, and a preview build is already available on GitHub . The team behind the project says that it aims to offer "a solution for editing documents, spreadsheets and presentations, developed as a true sovereign community collaboration of over a dozen different organizations."

The suite of apps can open and edit standard Microsoft Office files, including DOCX, PPTX, and XLSX, as well as OpenDocument files such as ODS, ODT, ODP, and more, which are commonly used by LibreOffice and OpenOffice .

It's worth noting that Euro-Office isn't a stand-alone app. Instead, it's web-based and intended to be integrated with other platforms that handle documents, such as a file-sharing platform, an online wiki, or a project management tool. This means that Nexcloud, or another collaborator on the project, doesn't need to create its own document editor for Euro-Office to work.

The team behind Euro-Office says that it forked its project from OnlyOffice because it "typically does not review or accept pull requests" and "build instructions are unreliable, outdated, or just plain broken." It also mentions that the team behind OnlyOffice is based in Russia and says that the current "political situation in the country makes collaboration hard and trust difficult to earn," referencing the ongoing war in Ukraine.

According to How-To Geek , Euro-Office is just one of several similar projects from European tech companies that are building open-source alternatives to Google Docs and Microsoft 365, such as Collabora Online and LaSuite Docs .

You can find a full list of the companies involved in Euro-Office here . If you're interested in trying Euro-Office, an early version of the project is available on GitHub .

See at Github

Original Submission

AnonTechie writes:

A record-breaking microscopic QR code could make data storage last for centuries—no electricity required.

Summary:
Scientists have created a microscopic QR code so tiny it can only be seen with an electron microscope—smaller than most bacteria and now officially a world record. But this isn't just about size; it's about durability. By engraving data into ultra-stable ceramic materials, the team has opened the door to storing information that could last for centuries or even millennia without needing power or maintenance.

How small can a QR code get? A team of researchers has pushed the limits to an extreme, creating one so tiny it can only be detected using an electron microscope. Scientists at TU Wien, working with data storage company Cerabyte, produced a QR code measuring just 1.98 square micrometers, which is smaller than most bacteria. This achievement has now been officially confirmed and recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

[Source]: Vienna University of Technology TU Wien

[Covered By]: Science Daily

Original Submission

hubie writes:

Google gives Android users a way to install unverified apps if they prove they really, really want to

Described as an attempt to balance openess with safety:

It turns out you won't be limited to Google-verified apps and developers on Android after all. In the face of sustained community dissatisfaction with its developer verification requirement, Google has given Android users an out.

On Thursday, Google said it will offer Android users a way to continue installing software from unverified developers.

"We've heard from power users that they want to take educated risks to install software from unverified developers," wrote Matthew Forsythe, director of product management for Android App Safety, in a blog post.

Power users, for lack of a better term, have been vocal in their opposition to Google's plan, which was announced last August. Starting in September 2026, the Chocolate Factory required apps on certified Android devices to be linked to a verified developer account.

Although Google insisted it was important for security, many voices cried out against the verification process, which involves a $25 fee and providing Google with identity documentation. In February, 37 civil society groups, non-profit organizations, and tech companies published an open letter objecting to the requirement.

So, according to the blog post, Android users will still be able to install apps from unverified developers through a one-time process that has been designed to counter scenarios where the user is pressured to install malware.

"Because the consequences of these scams that use sophisticated social engineering tactics are so severe, we have carefully engineered the advanced flow to provide the critical time and space needed to break the cycle of coercion."

[...] The process is designed to create friction. Users must first enable developer mode in system settings. They then need to confirm that they're not being coerced. After that, they need to restart their phone and reauthenticate. And then they need to wait one day.

"There is a one-time, one-day wait and then you can confirm that this is really you who's making this change with our biometric authentication (fingerprint or face unlock) or device PIN," said Forsythe. "Scammers rely on manufactured urgency, so this breaks their spell and gives you time to think."

Thereafter, you can install apps from unverified developers on the device you notionally own. Users will have the option to enable such apps for seven days or indefinitely.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://linuxiac.com/tails-7-6-introduces-automatic-tor-bridges-to-bypass-censorship/

Tails 7.6 adds built-in Tor bridge support for restricted networks and switches to GNOME Secrets as the default password manager.

By Bobby Borisov On March 26, 2026

Tails 7.6, a new version of the privacy-focused Linux distro that routes all internet traffic through the Tor network, is now available, with a key addition: automatic Tor bridge support. In other words, users can now obtain working Tor bridges directly from the Tor Connection assistant.

When connecting automatically, Tails detects if access to the Tor network is restricted and offers to request bridges based on the user's region. These bridges act as entry points that conceal Tor usage, allowing connections from networks where Tor is blocked.

The implementation relies on the Moat API from the Tor Project and uses domain fronting to disguise the request.

Another notable change is the replacement of KeePassXC with GNOME Secrets as the default password manager. Secrets uses the same database format, so existing KeePassXC password files can be unlocked automatically.

The new application integrates with the GNOME desktop and restores compatibility with accessibility features such as the on-screen keyboard and cursor scaling. Users who need advanced functionality can still install KeePassXC manually.

The release also includes several application updates. Tor Browser has been updated to version 15.0.8, Thunderbird to 140.8, and Electrum to 4.7. Updated firmware packages improve support for newer hardware, including graphics and wireless devices.

Several issues have been addressed in this version. These include fixes for untranslated confirmation dialogs when saving language and keyboard layouts, a broken "Learn More" button in the Thunderbird migration notification, and problems affecting automated upgrades in Turkish.

For full technical details, refer to the changelog or the release announcement

Automatic upgrades are supported starting with Tails 7.0, allowing users to update to 7.6 while keeping their Persistent Storage intact. If automatic upgrades fail or the system does not start correctly afterward, a manual upgrade path remains available..

- Related:

-- Tails 7.6 Privacy-Focused Linux Distro Released with Automatic Tor Bridges

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-graphene-oxide-bacteria-human-cells.html

Hygiene in everyday items that touch the body—such as clothing, masks, and toothbrushes—is critically important. The underlying principle of how graphene selectively eliminates only bacteria has now been revealed. In Advanced Functional Materials, a KAIST research team presents the potential for a next-generation antibacterial material that is safe for the human body and capable of replacing antibiotics.

A joint research team led by Professor Sang Ouk Kim from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Hyun Jung Chung from the Department of Biological Sciences has identified the mechanism by which graphene oxide (GO) exhibits powerful antibacterial effects against bacteria while remaining harmless to human cells.

Graphene oxide is a nanomaterial consisting of an atomic level carbon layer (graphene) with oxygen attached; it is characterized by its ability to mix well with water and implement various functions.

This study is highly significant as it provides molecular-level proof of graphene's antibacterial action, which had not been clearly understood until now.

The research team confirmed that graphene oxide performs "selective antibacterial action" by attaching to and destroying only the membranes of bacteria, much like a magnet attaches only to specific metals, while leaving human cells untouched. This occurs because the oxygen functional groups on the surface of graphene oxide selectively bind with a specific component (POPG) found only in bacterial cell membranes.

Simply put, it recognizes a "target" present only in bacterial membranes to attach and destroy the structure. In this context, phospholipids are fatty components that make up the membrane surrounding a cell, and POPG is a component primarily present in bacteria.

Furthermore, fibers using this material maintained their antibacterial functions even after multiple washes, showing potential for use in various industrial fields such as apparel and medical textiles.

This technology is already being applied to consumer products. The graphene antibacterial toothbrush, released through the original patents of the faculty-led startup "Materials Creation Co., Ltd.," has sold over 10 million units, proving its commercial viability.

Additionally, GrapheneTex—textile material incorporating this technology—was used in the uniforms of the Taekwondo demonstration team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is expected to play an active role in functional sportswear at upcoming international sporting events like the 2026 Asian Games.

Professor Sang Ouk Kim explained, "This study is an example of scientifically uncovering why graphene can selectively kill bacteria while remaining safe for the human body." He emphasized, "By utilizing this principle, we can expand beyond safe clothing without harsh chemicals to an infinite range of applications, including wearable devices and medical textile systems."

Journal information: Advanced Functional Materials

Sujin Cha et al, Biocompatible but Antibacterial Mechanism of Graphene Oxide for Sustainable Antibiotics, Advanced Functional Materials (2026). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.74695

Provided by The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

This summary was automatically generated using LLM. Full disclaimer

Original Submission

Freeman informs us of:

Artemis II mission is about to fly humans to the Moon — here's the science they'll do

If all goes to plan, as soon as tomorrow [Ed. note: today Wednesday], NASA will launch four people on a journey around the Moon. The mission, known as Artemis II, would be the first time humans have left Earth's protective environment and travelled into deep space since the US Apollo programme, which ended more than half a century ago. And it could carry its astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have ever travelled.

Artemis II is one in a series of missions that ultimately aim to build humanity's first permanent base on the Moon. This mission is supposed to test the rocket, crew capsule and other space-flight hardware that NASA wants to use to land humans on the lunar surface in the coming years. During their nearly ten-day journey to the Moon and back, astronauts plan to run experiments that will set the stage for future explorers.

"What we're trying to do is not pick up where Apollo left off, but to use our decades of experience and knowledge and planning to do this sustainable presence on the Moon — and then to do science alongside of that," says Barbara Cohen, a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

[...] Some of the key experiments that will be conducted during the Artemis II mission will explore how deep-space travel affects human health. Other research will rely on the astronauts' ability to see geological features on parts of the Moon that have never been viewed by human eyes.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:

See: The US Bans All New Foreign-Made Network Routers (https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=26/03/26/0219214)

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/03/30/professor_criticizes_fcc_router_ban/

The United States’ ban on foreign-made SOHO routers won’t improve security, and only makes sense as “industrial policy disguised as cybersecurity,” according to Milton Mueller, Professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Public Policy and founder of its Internet Governance Project.

Mueller notes that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) justified its ban with two arguments, one of which refers to CISA and FBI analysis that found attackers targeted SOHO routers to build a botnet that hid the Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon intrusions. The other argument relied on a Department of Commerce study that Mueller summarized as finding “the concentration of 85 percent of the consumer router supply chain in China creates a ‘systemic vulnerability’ where a single firmware update could be weaponized to disable U.S. home internet access.”

The academic thinks neither argument holds water.

“The digital economy is global,” he pointed out in a Saturday post. “A router ‘Made in the USA’ likely runs a Linux kernel maintained by global contributors, uses Wi-Fi drivers written in Taiwan, and incorporates open-source libraries managed by developers worldwide.”

“By focusing on the geographic location of the assembly line, the FCC ignores the logical supply chain of the software. A U.S.-assembled router with a poorly written UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) implementation is just as vulnerable to a hijacking as a foreign one.”

He also points out that the FCC worries about backdoors in routers, when research into the Typhoon gangs found they exploited unpatched bugs, unchanged default device credentials, and bad design that leaves some network ports exposed to the public internet.

“Perhaps the most obvious lack of logic in the FCC’s policy is its exclusive focus on new equipment authorizations while leaving legacy devices in place,” Mueller wrote. He offered that idea because the Typhoon gangs targeted end-of-life routers and machines that use insecure legacy protocols.

“By banning the sale of the newest, most secure Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 8 routers from dominant foreign manufacturers, the FCC forces the American public to pay substantially more for upgraded, more secure equipment or, what is more likely, to keep their older, more vulnerable devices for longer,” he argued.

“If a consumer cannot easily or affordably replace their 2019-era router because the 2026 models are banned, the total attack surface of the United States actually increases. “The ban targets the very devices most likely to have modern, auto-updating security features, while providing a ‘free pass’ to the millions of insecure, aging devices that state-sponsored actors are currently exploiting.”

Mueller concludes that by using only the criteria of “foreignness,” the ban “actually worsens the security situation.”

“Incentives to upgrade to modern, more secure hardware are reduced, and users are encouraged to keep using unpatched legacy equipment—the exact hardware that state-sponsored actors have successfully weaponized for years.”

He then ponders if the policy makes any sense.

“It does if you see the FCC’s ban as an exercise in industrial policy disguised as cybersecurity,” Mueller argues, then points out that US company Netgear has funded lobbying efforts on issues including the Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security Act - aka The “ROUTERS Act.”

“While the risks of state-sponsored infrastructure attacks are real, the remedy chosen – a geographic ban on new hardware – prioritizes geopolitical decoupling over the immediate technical hardening of the American digital home,” Mueller concludes. “Once again – as with the semiconductor export controls and the TikTok ban – we see the bootleggers seeking protection from competition hiding behind the religious banner of national security.

Original Submission

hubie writes:

Can it Resolve DOOM? Game Engine in 2,000 DNS Records:

If you've ever poked at one of my CTF challenges, you've probably noticed a pattern - I love hiding payloads in TXT DNS records. I stash the malicious code in a TXT record, have the implant query for it at runtime, and now suddenly the payload is being delivered by the same infrastructure that resolves grandmas-cookie-recipes.com. It's trivially easy to set up and surprisingly annoying to catch forensically, because who's flagging the historic contents of TXT records?

I've always suspected the technique could go further than staging shellcode. TXT records are just arbitrary text fields with no validation. If you can store a payload, you can store a file. If you can store a file, you can store a program. And if you can store a program... well, it can probably run DOOM.

[...] The universal benchmark for "can this thing do something it was never designed to do?" is, always has been, and always will be DOOM. Thermostats run DOOM, pregnancy tests run DOOM, and I want DNS to run DOOM.

The idea is to fetch the entire game engine and its assets from DNS TXT records, load everything into memory, and run it. No downloads, no installers, and no files written to disk. My goal is to load the game into memory entirely through public DNS queries.

While researching this, I knew I needed to use a DOOM port written in a language that could be reflected into memory in Windows. I knew C# is used frequently by threat actors for this, but I don't know C# and wasn't about to rewrite the DOOM source myself, so that's where I started looking.

I found managed-doom, a pure C# port of the original DOOM engine. Managed .NET assemblies can be loaded from raw bytes in memory, so no files need to exist on the filesystem. In theory, this meant I could fetch the game's compiled code from DNS and execute it without ever touching the disk.

[...] And it works. DOOM is stored, launched, and running from DNS records.

[...] DNS is almost 45 years old and it was designed to map hostnames to IP addresses. It is not a file storage system. It was not designed to be a file storage system. Nobody at the IETF was thinking about it being used as a file storage system when they wrote RFC 1035.

Yet here we are. The most boring protocol on the internet is also, quietly, one of the most abusable.

[...] The full source for this project is available on GitHub.

Original Submission