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Fungi Do Not Have Cognitive Skills Yet Have the Ability to Communicate

# Fungi Develop Unique Networks Based on the Arrangement of Food Sources

Fungi are remarkable life forms that often function in ways that appear almost surreal. Although mushrooms or other visible entities may emerge above ground, the true activity transpires beneath it. Here, a sophisticated network of filaments known as hyphae composes the mycelium, an extensive, interlinked system that enables fungi to grow, obtain nutrients, and even interact. Even without a brain, fungi can process environmental information and adjust their behavior accordingly.

Recent findings from Tohoku University and Nagaoka College in Japan have illuminated how fungi react to various configurations of food sources. The study particularly examined the mycelial network of *Phanerochaete velutina*, a fungus that consumes decaying wood. The researchers found that the manner in which mycelium spreads and decomposes wood is influenced by the arrangement of the food sources (specifically, wood blocks). This implies that fungi might possess a form of communication, enabling them to “detect” where the richest nutrients lie and grow strategically in those regions.

## The Experiment: Investigating Fungal Networks

To examine how *P. velutina* reacts to different food source layouts, the researchers incubated wood blocks with the fungus, positioning them in moist soil. The blocks were organized in two different configurations: a circle and an X. Over a span of 116 days, the researchers monitored the mycelium’s growth and the extent of wood decay.

The findings were captivating. Initially, the mycelium extended outward from each block in both configurations, but distinctions surfaced over time. In the circular setup, the mycelium spread relatively uniformly, and the decay activity remained consistent across all blocks. Conversely, in the X arrangement, the outer blocks demonstrated more decay and stronger hyphal connections compared to the inner blocks. This implies that the fungus was favoring certain areas for growth and nutrient uptake.

## Communication via Mycelium

The researchers propose that this behavior signifies a form of communication within the fungal network. Prior investigations have indicated that electrical signals can be conveyed through hyphae, much like neurons operate in a brain. These signals may facilitate the fungus in processing environmental information and determining where to extend growth. In the scenario of the X formation, the outer blocks possibly acted as “outposts” for foraging and nutrient absorption, which were then communicated throughout the mycelium.

This capacity to adjust to various food source arrangements suggests that fungi possess the ability for a form of basic cognition, or fundamental information processing. Although fungi lack brains, their mycelial networks can operate similarly to neural networks in more complex life forms. This provokes intriguing inquiries about how fungi “think” and make choices regarding their growth and resource allocation.

## Acropetal Growth and Nutrient Focus

A primary outcome of the study was that fungal mycelium undergoes acropetal growth, meaning it extends outward from a central point in all directions. Nonetheless, this growth pattern can shift depending on the nutrient availability. In the X configuration, the fungus appeared to prioritize growth towards the outer blocks, despite nutrients being evenly spread throughout the soil and wood blocks. This indicates that the fungus may have identified areas with slightly elevated nutrient concentrations and steered its growth accordingly.

The researchers speculate that the fungus was relaying information across its mycelial network through electrical signals, allowing it to “detect” where the most nutrients were located and grow in those zones. This flexibility in responding to varying environmental conditions contributes to the success of fungi across diverse ecosystems.

## Implications for Fungal Cognition

The notion that fungi might possess a form of cognition is truly intriguing. Although fungi lack brains or nervous systems, their mycelial networks exhibit the capability to process information and adapt to their environments in a way that mirrors brain functions. This raises the potential that fungi have developed a kind of decentralized intelligence, enabling them to survive and prosper in intricate ecosystems.

However, it’s crucial to recognize that fungi do not “think” as humans or other animals do. Their behaviors are governed by chemical and electrical signals rather than conscious deliberation. Nevertheless, the capacity of fungi to process information and adjust to their surroundings showcases a striking example of how life can evolve complex behaviors in the absence of a brain.

## Conclusion: The Hidden Intelligence of Fungi

The investigation of *Phanerochaete velutina* and its reaction to varied food source configurations offers a window into the concealed intelligence of fungi. Although they may lack brains, fungi are capable of processing environmental information and modifying their behavior as needed. This proficiency to communicate and prioritize growth based on nutrient availability implies that fungi have evolved a form of decentralized intelligence, enabling them to thrive in a variety of environments.

As scientific inquiry into fungi progresses, we may discover even more about how these enigmatic life forms operate.

US Space Force Warns of Swift Growth in Chinese Space Abilities

### The Escalating Menace of Space Conflict: Advancements in Space Militarization by Russia and China

In recent times, the militarization of outer space has emerged as a critical issue for international security, with Russia and China positioning themselves as dominant forces in this struggle for control over the cosmos. U.S. Space Force Chief General B. Chance Saltzman has voiced concerns regarding the swift development of military capabilities in space, particularly highlighting China’s rapid progress. Together with Russia’s own enhancements, this has markedly elevated the danger of conflict in orbit—a realm previously viewed as serene and untouched by warfare.

#### China’s Swift Space Militarization

During a European tour aimed at heightening awareness of potential conflicts in space, General Saltzman characterized China’s advancement in space weaponry as “astounding.” He pointed out that both the speed and diversity of the space weapons developed by China are particularly alarming. “The sheer variety of space weapon types that

“Dystopika: An Aesthetically Pleasing Cyberpunk City Builder with Breathtaking Visuals”

**Dystopika: An Eerie, Futuristic City Creator That Empowers You to Design Your Own Cyberpunk Horizon**

In the realm of city-building games, management, resource distribution, and strategic oversight are typically at the forefront. But what if a game eliminated all that complexity and presented you with a single goal: to construct visually captivating skylines in a shadowy, dystopian metropolis? Introducing *Dystopika*, an innovative city creator that adopts a streamlined approach to gameplay, enabling players to concentrate exclusively on creativity and visual appeal.

### A Stress-Free City Creator

*Dystopika* (accessible on Steam for Windows) revolutionizes the city-building genre. Crafted by indie developer Matt Marshall, the game is characterized by its motto of “No goals, no management, just creativity and dark cozy vibes.” This straightforward yet compelling concept distinguishes it from conventional city-building games that often overwhelm players with economic oversight, resource limitations, and citizen contentment.

Within *Dystopika*, there are no inhabitants to oversee, no financial plans to manage, and no crises to prevent. Instead, the game offers a sandbox realm where your sole mission is to construct a visually striking urban landscape. The game’s cyberpunk theme, adorned with neon illumination, soaring skyscrapers, and advanced vehicles, sets an ideal stage for players to unleash their design flair.

### The Interface: Engaging Yet Simplistic

The user interface is refreshingly uncomplicated. A compact toolbar located on the left side of the screen allows you to choose “Building,” which assigns a random shape to your cursor. You can right-click to modify the shape, but specific building selection is not an option. Once placed, you can alter the height of the structure by hovering your cursor at the top. Notably, elevating one building will lead to nearby smaller ones rising as well, creating a lively skyline that transforms as you construct.

As you advance, specific actions—whether it’s achieving certain heights, densities, or other unspecified conditions—unlock new buildings, landmarks, and decoratives. However, the game doesn’t explicitly outline how to access these items, encouraging you to uncover them naturally during gameplay.

### Props and Personalization

In addition to the primary structures, *Dystopika* provides a range of “Props” for you to distribute across your city. These include roads, trams, billboards, holograms, and even aerial parking structures. Just like the buildings, the game does not impose restrictions on how you utilize these props. You’re free to position, remove, expand, and connect them as you wish. This unrestricted approach fosters experimentation and innovation, allowing players to design a city that embodies their unique vision.

### A Visual Extravaganza

A notable highlight of *Dystopika* is its dedication to visual intricacy. The game features a comprehensive photo mode, offering an array of sliders that enable you to tweak various visual effects, such as lens dirt, glare, fog, and aerial traffic. You can even introduce distant mountains to your skyline, enhancing the dystopian ambiance. The photo mode allows for high-resolution image exports (up to 4K), making it simple to capture and share your creations.

The game’s dark, cyberpunk style is accompanied by an atmospheric synth soundtrack, further enriching the immersive experience. Whether you’re actively engaged in building or simply letting the game play in the background, the music and visuals cultivate a soothing, nearly meditative atmosphere.

### A Comfortable Dystopia

While “comfortable” might not be the first term associated with bleak city landscapes, *Dystopika* successfully crafts a cozy experience in its unique manner. The absence of pressure to fulfill objectives or manage resources permits players to enjoy the game at their own pace. There’s no urgency to complete tasks or optimize your city’s arrangement. Instead, you can leisurely explore various designs and relish the construction process.

This relaxed style makes *Dystopika* ideal for those looking to unwind and unleash their creativity. You can devote hours refining your city’s skyline, adding new props, and fine-tuning the lighting to establish an ideal cyberpunk vibe.

### A Game in Development

Although *Dystopika* is not classified as an Early Access title, it is constantly advancing. Developer Matt Marshall provides regular updates and roadmaps, alongside an active player community that shares their creations and proposes new features on the game’s

iPod Fans Circumvent Apple’s DRM to Rescue 54 Classic Clickwheel Games from Becoming Obsolete

# Safeguarding iPod Clickwheel Games: A Virtual Machine Approach

In the early to mid-2000s, prior to the iPhone transforming mobile gaming, Apple dabbled in gaming on its iPod devices. These games, tailor-made for the iPod’s distinctive clickwheel interface, marked a special era in Apple’s exploration of the gaming landscape. However, as time progressed, accessibility to these games diminished, with Apple halting support and removing them from the iTunes store. Currently, a passionate community of fans is dedicated to preserving these games, ensuring their playability for future audiences. Thanks to a novel workaround utilizing Virtual Machines, many of these games, previously hard to reach, are being restored.

## The Ascent and Decline of iPod Clickwheel Games

From 2006 to 2009, Apple collaborated with prominent gaming companies such as Sega, Square Enix, and Electronic Arts to launch 54 unique games for the iPod. Priced at $7.49 each, these titles utilized the iPod’s clickwheel, a circular touch-sensitive control that enabled users to navigate menus and make selections. Although the games never reached widespread popularity, they were a significant part of Apple’s initial ventures into gaming.

However, by 2011, the emergence of iOS gaming on the iPhone and iPad rendered these clickwheel games outdated. Apple removed them from the iTunes store, and by 2014, the classic iPod line was completely phased out. With these titles no longer available for purchase or download, they became a type of “lost media” — accessible only to a handful of individuals who had backed up their original files.

## The DRM Conundrum

The main hurdle in preserving iPod clickwheel games is Apple’s Fairplay DRM (Digital Rights Management). This DRM not only linked the games to specific iTunes accounts but also to the hardware identifiers of the computers used to synchronize them. Consequently, even if someone had backed up the game files, they could only sync to an iPod if the original iTunes account and hardware were still on hand.

For years, this DRM effectively confined the games, making it impossible for new users to access them. While a limited selection of games was patched to function on certain iPod Video devices with modified firmware, the majority remained unplayable for most classic iPod users.

## A Virtual Approach Materializes

In recent times, a solution has surfaced that enables iPod owners to sync these games to their devices through a Virtual Machine (VM). The procedure entails re-authorizing iTunes accounts via Apple’s servers, facilitating multiple users to sync their games to a communal iTunes installation. This “master library” can then distribute the games to several iPods without requiring additional authorization from Apple.

A significant contributor to this preservation initiative is Reddit user Olsro, who initiated the

Thousands of TP-Link Routers Breached in Extended Account Takeover Assaults

# The Emergence of Botnet-7777: An Increasing Danger in Password Spraying Incidents

Recently, cybersecurity experts and leading tech firms have been raising concerns about a new and highly stealthy botnet being deployed in password-spraying attacks. Named **Botnet-7777**, this nefarious network is mainly made up of compromised Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including routers and cameras, and is associated with cyberattacks carried out by state-sponsored actors from China. The botnet poses a substantial risk to organizations, especially those utilizing Microsoft’s Azure cloud services, as it facilitates extensive password-spraying operations that are hard to detect.

## What is Botnet-7777?

Botnet-7777 was initially discovered in October 2023 by cybersecurity researchers who found a network encompassing over 16,000 compromised devices, predominantly **TP-Link routers**. The botnet is named after the fact that it exposes its malicious malware on **port 7777**, a hallmark feature that has assisted researchers in monitoring its actions.

The botnet is distributed globally, meaning that affected devices are located in various regions, complicating efforts to identify and dismantle it. At its highest point, Botnet-7777 controlled more than 16,000 devices, but recent assessments indicate this number has fallen to around 8,000 devices. Nevertheless, this decrease in quantity does not signify a reduction in activity; rather, it seems the botnet is adapting and acquiring new infrastructure with altered fingerprints to bypass detection.

## What is Password Spraying?

Password spraying is a variant of brute-force attacks where cybercriminals seek to gain unauthorized access to accounts by testing a limited number of frequently used passwords across many accounts. Unlike standard brute-force attacks that target a single account with numerous password attempts, password spraying disperses the login attempts across various accounts to avoid activating security measures like account lockouts.

In the context of Botnet-7777, the botnet leverages its extensive network of compromised devices to send login attempts from diverse IP addresses. This distributed tactic makes it challenging for security systems to identify the attack, as each individual device only performs a few login attempts, remaining below the detection threshold of conventional intrusion detection systems.

## How Botnet-7777 Functions

Reports from **Microsoft** and other cybersecurity organizations indicate that Botnet-7777 is being utilized by several Chinese threat actors to target **Azure accounts**. The botnet’s capacity for avoiding detection hinges on several critical elements:

1. **Exploitation of Compromised SOHO IP Addresses**: The botnet primarily utilizes IP addresses from small office/home office (SOHO) devices, which are less prone to being marked as malicious by security systems.

2. **IP Address Rotation**: The botnet uses a rotating array of IP addresses, complicating efforts to block or blacklist particular IPs. Typically, a compromised device remains part of the botnet for about 90 days before being substituted with a new device.

3. **Minimal Attack Volume**: The password-spraying attacks conducted by the botnet are characterized by low volume, meaning each device executes only a few login attempts. This mitigates the likelihood of detection by systems that keep track of multiple failed login attempts from a single IP address.

These strategies enable the botnet to carry out large-scale password-spraying campaigns while staying undetected for prolonged durations. Microsoft has cautioned that the botnet’s operators can swiftly transfer compromised credentials to Chinese threat actors, allowing them to access multiple organizations rapidly.

## The Involvement of Chinese Threat Actors

One of the factions utilizing Botnet-7777 is monitored by Microsoft under the designation **Storm-0940**. This group has been connected to cyberattacks aimed at think tanks, governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), legal firms, and defense contractors in North America and Europe. Once they breach an Azure account, the attackers seek to navigate laterally within the network, exfiltrate sensitive information, and deploy remote access trojans (RATs) for sustained access.

Microsoft has documented several occurrences in which Storm-0940 secured valid credentials through Botnet-7777’s password-spraying initiatives. In some instances, the group employed compromised credentials on the same day they were obtained, highlighting a close operational relationship between the botnet operators and the threat actors.

## How Are Devices Being Exploited?

Although the precise method of infection for the devices in Botnet-7777 remains unclear, researchers have pinpointed a recurring pattern of actions taken post-infection. The following steps are generally noted:

1. **Acquisition of Telnet Binary**: The attackers procure a Telnet binary from a remote File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server to the infected device.

2. **Acquisition of xlogin Backdoor**: Subsequently, the attackers download an xlogin backdoor binary from the

“Troops from North Korea Move Towards Ukraine: Is Russia Proposing Space Cooperation in Exchange?”

### The Emerging Partnership Between Russia and North Korea: Space, Missiles, and Military Collaboration

In recent times, the geopolitical environment has observed the rise of a partnership increasingly fortified between Russia and North Korea. This collaboration, which initially seemed to hinge on shared political and military objectives, appears to be evolving into more sophisticated technological areas, such as space exploration and missile production. The relationship has triggered worries among global powers, especially as it intertwines with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and North Korea’s aspirations for enhanced military capabilities.

#### North Korea’s Missile Launch: A Display of Power

Earlier this week, North Korea achieved a successful launch of its most formidable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to date, known as the Hwasong-19. This solid-fueled, multi-phase missile attained an elevation of nearly 4,800 miles before returning to Earth. The missile’s estimated range is about 9,320 miles (15,000 kilometers), enabling it to hit targets anywhere within the United States. This launch constituted North Korea’s first long-range missile test in almost a year, indicating a considerable progression in its missile technology.

The timing of the launch is significant, occurring alongside the deployment of roughly 10,000 North Korean soldiers to Russia, just days prior to the U.S. presidential elections. U.S. officials denounced the missile launch as “provocative and destabilizing,” a breach of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

#### Russia and North Korea: An Expanding Allies

The alliance between Russia and North Korea has been maturing over several years. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un have engaged in multiple meetings, the latest occurring in Pyongyang in June 2024. In September 2023, Kim visited Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia’s latest space launch site, where both leaders assessed hardware for Russia’s Angara rocket. This visit ignited speculations that Russia may be supplying missile and space technology to North Korea in return for military support in the Ukraine conflict.

Authorities from South Korea have voiced concerns that North Korea is pursuing advanced technologies from Russia in exchange for its backing. South Korea’s defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, suggested that North Korea is particularly interested in acquiring technologies related to tactical nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), reconnaissance satellites, and ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).

#### Space Technology for Military Backing?

The visit to Vostochny Cosmodrome and the burgeoning collaboration between Russia and North Korea have sparked assumptions that space technology could form part of the exchange between these two nations. North Korea has long aimed to advance its space initiative, especially in reconnaissance satellites, which would upgrade its military capabilities. In reciprocation, North Korea is believed to have offered military assistance to Russia in its persistent engagement against Ukraine.

Last month, U.S. officials disclosed that North Korea had dispatched about 10,000 troops for training in eastern Russia. This marked the first instance in over a century of Russia admitting foreign troops onto its soil. Many of these soldiers have since moved closer to the Ukrainian frontier, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicating that as many as 8,000 North Korean personnel have been stationed in Russia’s Kursk area. Although these troops have not yet partaken in combat, U.S. officials anticipate that they may soon do so.

#### North Korean Soldiers at the Forefront

The assignment of North Korean troops to Russia represents a crucial shift in the ongoing confrontation in Ukraine. U.S. intelligence implies that Russian forces have been instructing North Korean soldiers in artillery, drone operations, and fundamental infantry maneuvers, including trench-clearing. Reports suggest that these troops are donning Russian uniforms, hinting at their potential deployment on the front lines against Ukrainian forces.

The engagement of North Korean troops in the conflict is perceived as a reflection of Russia’s desperation. According to Blinken, “Putin has increasingly overwhelmed regular Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine. Now, he’s resorting to North Korean soldiers, which is a clear indicator of his weakness.”

#### The Consequences of North Korea’s Military Assistance

The introduction of North Korean soldiers into the battlefield constitutes an escalatory action that has alarmed both U.S. and South Korean officials. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pointed out that North Korean forces taking part in combat or support roles opposing Ukraine would be classified as legitimate military targets. In reaction to the rising threat, the Biden administration has announced an additional series of military aid for Ukraine.

Utilizing North Korean soldiers by Russia could serve as a strategy to refrain from sending more Russian troops to the frontline, a decision that might not sit well with the Russian populace. Russian forces have endured substantial casualties in the Ukraine war, with estimations indicating as many as 1,200 losses each day in recent months.

#### The Importance of Space and Missile Technology