DB Cooper: The Legend Lives On

INTRODUCTION
Almost 46 years have passed since the infamous ‘DB Cooper’ sky-jacked a plane before parachuting to an uncertain fate. All this time later, his legend lives on, and even to this day, there are new developments happening. Here is a look at the original event, and the developments that have taken place in the case up until this day.

1971 SKY-JACKING
On November 24 1971, a Northwest Orient Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon departed, bound for Seattle, Washington. Shortly after take-off, Cooper handed a flight attendant a written note. This note stated that Cooper had a bomb. He made ransom demands – four parachutes, arrangements for aircraft refuelling, and most importantly, $200,000 – equivalent to over $1.5m in 2017.

Passengers on board were told a minor mechanical difficulty would cause their arrival to be delayed. Meanwhile, after Cooper’s demands had reached the cockpit and beyond, the President of Northwest Orient Airlines agreed to the payment. 10,000 $20 notes were arranged for Cooper. Once the aircraft indeed arrived at Seattle, Cooper was handed the money, before other passengers and select crew were permitted to leave the aircraft.

A new flight course was set, before fighter aircraft’s were scrambled to follow the aircraft. Over five hours after setting off from Portland, Cooper eventually parachuted out of the aircraft, with his $200,000 in ransom money with him. Cooper has never ‘officially’ been seen or heard from since. There are, as will be discussed, a range of theories as to what happened to him.

INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS
Eyewitnesses and aircraft crew were questioned in the aftermath of the incident. Given the height of the aircraft, and uncertainty over the exact moment Cooper jumped, it was hard to trace his movements. There was no telling when Cooper pulled the cord on his parachute, which was a considerable variable in the landing zone for Cooper. Despite re-creations, thorough and extensive ground searches and intense field investigations, no trace of the sky-jacking was found whatsoever. Serial numbers of the ransom notes were released to the public, with rewards provided, yet again, the trail was cold.

1980: SOME NOTES FOUND
Brian Ingram, an 8-year old boy on vacation, found three packets of the ransom cash. The cash had fallen victim to wear and tear, but were confirmed to be a part of the ransom money. Unfortunately for investigators, this didn’t actually help proceedings – instead raising more questions. Various theories were put forth, however none proved conclusive. This finding left 9,710 bills somewhere in the world – all of this time on – they have never been seen.

2016: CASE SUSPENDED
In 2016, the case was eventually suspended by the FBI. An enormous amount of resources had been devoted to the case, which was unsustainable, especially given the lack of solid evidence in the case. This didn’t stop the intrigue over the case, which would eventually lead to the new hope that has recently been uncovered, potentially at least.

2017: NEW HOPE?
Tom Colbert – leader of a 40-strong cold case team, suggest they have confirmed the escape of Cooper. Their suggestion is that Cooper survived the jump, and got away with the help of three people. The suggestion is that Cooper is a man from San Diego, California, named Robert W. Rackstraw. Rackstraw is currently 73, and denies all allegations. Colbert’s logic comes from a conversation with an informant close to the case. Colbert’s suggestions detail how Cooper and his accomplices managed to supposedly get away with the crime. After reading in detail, there certainly appears to be logic behind the theory.

LEGACY
Airline travel changed forever as a result of the incident. All passengers would need to have their bags checked from 1973 onwards, while other additional safety measures were introduced. There was a considerable drop in hijackings as a result of these measures. All Boeing 727 aircraft – such as the one Cooper parachuted out of, would be fitted with a device that made it impossible to open the aft air-stair during a flight. Cooper has also appeared in popular culture – influencing storylines in many well-known TV series such as Numb3rs and, most famously – Prison Break.

CONCLUSION
While it is never a good thing to glorify a crime, there is a certain amount of respect that is due to Cooper for his efforts. There were several copycat crimes in the aftermath of this case, none of which had the same effect though. It is likely, despite the new allegations of Colbert’s investigation team, that the true identity of Cooper will never be known. Cooper by now would be in his seventies. If he is out there, he will no doubt be reflecting on a job well done. The mystery will continue.

(‘089’)
/MF/

The Turk: The Greatest Con of them All

The hugely-popular ‘Sneaky Pete’ – emanating from Amazon Studios, culminated in a ‘Turk’ con, as Marius and his team successfully conned Vince. Such is the success of Sneaky Pete, that a second season has been commissioned. But while the Internet is full of interesting information regarding confidence tricks, there is little literature on the actual origins of the ‘Turk’. It should be noted the ‘Turk’ is a style of a con, one which typically involves no moving parts. The origins of the con appears to come from the game of Chess…

The story begins in 1770s Austria, where Hungarian inventor Wolfgang von Kempelen unveiled the ‘Turk’ – a mechanical robot that had the unprecedented ability to defeat human opponents at chess. The picture above shows a depiction of the ‘Turk’, featuring its human-like appearance, along with the large box that it appeared in. Kempelen would open said box at the start of each game in the interest of transparency.

As mentioned, the ‘Turk’ had the ability to defeat humans at chess. In its debut performance in 1770, the ‘Turk’ defeated several players. Well-known scalps included US Ambassador to France Benjamin Franklin and future Tsar Paul I of Russia. Arguably the most celebrated victory was against Napoleon of France. This particular victory was all the more impressive due to the fact Napoleon attempted illegal moves. For the next few decades, the ‘Turk’ would continue to excel. The ‘Turk’ would eventually make its way to the US.

Kempelen passed away in 1804, but the ‘Turk’ gained new owners. Fifty years later in 1854, whilst being held in a museum in the US, the ‘Turk’ was destroyed due to fire damage. For decades questions had been raised regarding how such an advanced machine had been created – far ahead of its time. It was a question which was heavily speculated.

However the answer to how this was possible was surprisingly simple. The entire time, there had actually been someone in the box after all. The mystique and aura around the ‘Turk’ had all just amounted to a hoax. Yet it was an impressive ruse. As mentioned, the box would be opened at the start of each game, yet suspicions were bypassed due to a rolling seat that concealed the player. Essentially, it was an illusion. Magnets were used to indicate where the chess pieces were on the board. World-class players were recruited to operate the ‘Turk’. Eventually the whistle was blown by one of the players who had been recruited to partake in the con.

And thus the ‘Turk’ was exposed, ending its illustrious history. von Kempelen deserves credit for creating such a trick. It was something which at the time attracted significant interest, and all of this time later, the remnants of this confidence trick continue to influence society. As the introduction states, Marius and co’s con had several moving parts, meaning they didn’t actually pull off the ‘Turk’, though it was in the correct style. This entire story is a reminder that not all is as it seems.

(‘087’)
/MF/

Social Networks: Fall of Bebo

As Facebook continues to go from strength-to-strength, it is easy to forget just a few years ago, that Facebook wasn’t the biggest social network in the world, a site named “Bebo” was. But fast-forward to the present day and Facebook is in control, while Bebo have suffered a tremendous fall from grace. But after their market position just a few years ago, many would question how such a fall can take place.

Bebo was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Michel and Xochi Birch. Like Facebook, it was a social networking site, offering users the chance to connect with one another, view content and generally interact. At the height of its popularity, with almost 11m users, Bebo overtook Myspace to become the most-used social networking website in the United Kingdom. Content included blogs, photographs, videos and questionnaires. Many elements were more customisable than Facebook.

Things were going well. The popularity of Bebo led to conglomerate AOL purchasing the company for a mammoth $850m in 2008. On paper, AOL now had a behemoth of social media that could help their brand secure further profit. However the deal would turn out to be a nightmare, with the-then CEO of AOL Randy Falco losing his job in the aftermath. With rival sites Facebook and Twitter prospering, it led to the numbers dwindling. What was once a hugely-popular website had become a rarely-used network. It simply couldn’t keep up with the advances of other social media sites. Facebook particularly have been proven to be a highly-innovative company, which didn’t help Bebo.

The site would evolve and make changes, staying online for a few years to follow. After a three-day outage in 2012, it appeared Bebo was gone. The hashtag ‘Bebo memories’ trended on Twitter – showing it is a website with considerable nostalgia to it for many. While the site would return, in 2013 Bebo filed for bankruptcy. This led to the original founders purchasing the site for $1m, just $849m less than they sold it for – not bad business!

While Facebook is prospering – it shouldn’t be forgotten that things can change in the blink of an eye. In 2008, AOL would have never imagined what a horror would become of the brand. Bebo has transformed and is still trying to battle back – but it is highly unlikely it will ever be able to restore itself to its old glory. What was once an enormously popular social network has suffered a dramatic fall from grace. It’s a shame what happened to the website, but it is more proof that nothing is forever.

(‘081’)
/MF/

America Goes for Trump: Summary

After a close-fought battle lasting many months, Donald Trump has shocked the world by defeating Hilary Clinton to become the 45th President of the United States of America. There has been considerable reaction to the shock victory, with some comparing the election result to Britain’s ‘Brexit’. Mainly, there has been shock horror at his victory, with many looking to book the first flight out of America. Here are the main points:

TRUMP IS PRESIDENT
In an unexpected result, Donald Trump is the President-elect. The vast majority of states, including considerable amounts of ‘swing-states’ voted in favour of Trump – handing him the victory. Large turnout of white, male working-class voters appeared to swing the pendulum in the favour of Trump, beating the coalition of female and minority workers which favoured Hilary Clinton.

In a move similar to that of Brexit, pollsters underestimated the amount of working-class Americans that would turn out to vote, and ultimately swing the election. Trump secured 289 votes to the 228 for the Democrats. The Republican party also secured control of the House of Representatives in what turned out to be a highly memorable day for their supporters.

CELEBRITY REACTION
Reactions from celebrities and general social media reaction have not been favourable towards Trump. Several celebrities, including Katy Perry and Ariana Grande, have voiced their disapproval of the result. Countless memes have been created poking fun at the result, and warning of the ‘season finale’ of America – such is the lack of faith of some in Trump.

QUESTIONABLE POLICIES
There are some questionable policies that Trump has spoken of, these include the building of a wall between USA and Mexico – something that will have the bill footed by Mexico. There are also question marks over USA-Cuba relations – something that is part of the legacy of Barack Obama’s fine presidential run. There is also the suggestion Trump might start a ban on allowing Muslim’s to enter America.

TRUMP: BUSINESSMAN
Something that can provide faith in is the work of Trump in terms of his business career. Trump has forged a highly successful business career – there are some hopes that he will be able to transfer this to the world of politics. There is no doubting his fine work in becoming a billionaire, but now he needs to apply this to the Presidency of the United States.

CANADIAN IMMIGRATION SITE CRASHES
With the result coming in, many Americans looked to research immigration in neighbouring Canada, flourishing under Justin Trudeau. However the surge in interest caused the site to crash, and there have been many reports of a lag on the site ever since. It appears that such is the unrest in the result, that many want to leave the country. It is a similar sight to the one seen in Britain after the Brexit result.

INFLAMMATORY QUOTES
There have been several inflammatory quotes applied to Trump that are simply not true. While we has said some frankly ridiculous things, some of the reports, quotes and pictures of him simply aren’t true. While he certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, he deserves our respect – after all he is the President of the most powerful country in the world.

WHERE NEXT FOR CLINTON
Hilary Clinton deserves mass credit for her efforts. She leapt out of the shadow of her husband to run in the race. Despite significant detractors, she ran an admirable campaign and was unfortunate not to claim victory. She gained admiration from many and deserves credit for her demeanour throughout, and the fact she was gracious in defeat. Trump may have won the election, but Hilary won our hearts.

BARACK OBAMA
It is also worth mentioning this brings an end to a fantastic eight-year reign from Barack Obama. There is no doubting the incredible efforts he has made for his country – there is no doubting they are in a much better position now compared to when he assumed office. There is no doubting he will be missed, and he deserves considerable credit for his work as President – a very nice man who has positively impacted many lives.

WHAT NEXT?
So once the dust settles and Trump assumes office in January 2017, all eyes will be on the new President. Hopefully Trump will represent the interests of all Americans and bring them back together after a hugely divisive election. What’s done is done now, and whether people like the result or not, it is time to accept it – Donald Trump is the President-elect of the United Srates of America.

(‘080’)
/MF/

Beware: 2016 Apple Email Scam

Security is of the utmost importance in this contemporary digital age. Phishing – the process of criminals gaining sensitive information – potentially card details, is an ever-increasing problem. Being savvy and sensible on the Internet is of crucial importance. However, it isn’t always easy to do so – especially in the case of scams which look legitimate.

Apple, one of the largest companies in the world – take pride in customer loyalty, as already discussed on this blog. However even Apple are powerless to stop criminals trying to access sensitive information. Not for the first time, I received an email, purportedly from Apple, which suggested that an order had been shipped, before the next day another was sent, supposedly after suspicious activity was detected.

However, there are several tell-tale signs that this is not legitimate. The first of all, and is a home-banker to begin with, is the simple fact I have never set up an Apple account. Although that is unusual in the modern day world. So rolling with the idea that the recipient of this email has an Apple ID, it would be normal to be scared. An order you haven’t completed? Sounds strange. A second sign could be the sender – Apple with the trademark sign, although why would Apple need to include this? Let’s take a look at the first email, suggesting an order has been shipped.

Unlike the majority of phishing emails, this is a very legitimate effort. The order suggests I have made a purchase for $75.22. As I reside in the United Kingdom, this would be an unusual currency to purchase with. However, perhaps the user thinks, hey, Apple is an American company, this makes sense. The blocked out parts are simply my email address, which generally is different to an Apple ID, another sign this is a scam. At the bottom of the email:

Now, again the information provided all looks good, even professional. As the email correctly states, Apple is Luxembourg-registered, while that is a story for another day, it is still true. Now, the user who feels they haven’t made this purchase would now head for the ‘Manage/Cancel subscription’ option. So the user clicks on the link, resulting in the following:

Again, an impressive look – the designers of this site took their time. On paper, it looks highly legitimate. A slightly worrying note is that it wasn’t picked up by Antivirus. So, the user thinks they have to cancel this order, they are in a panic, yet in the midst of this panic, they enter their details, sign in using their Apple ID, then their password. They click ‘sign in’, and lo and behold, the user has just handed over their information to criminals. This of course will lead to many more problems. Yet it is worryingly quick – all it would take is under a minute. The biggest tell-tale sign of them all is the actual URL. If you notice, the website is ‘Twisted Flow’ – the last time I checked this wasn’t the URL for Apple. So several signs all together, but all easily missed.

While this was a professional effort, the next day another email was sent. This one was about supposed ‘suspicious activity’ on my account. In an age where we are all very careful, this again would be easy to alarm anyone. However, while the first email was professional, the second email was a bit of a ‘dog’s dinner’ – a disaster. Take a look at this:

Firstly, the Apple logo is all wrong. As if that wasn’t a sign not to proceed, it is well documented Apple and other large companies don’t ever address you without you name. On this occasion, when I clocked on the link, it was sending me towards a ‘Bitly.com’ site. However fortunately, Bitly had picked up that this was a dangerous site and warned the user not to proceed.

So overall, the first email was a very good effort – it looked and sounded legitimate, and would be enough to worry the vast majority of people. While the second email wasn’t very impressive, again it would be enough to scare some users. But fortunately, there are several signs that show the user not to proceed. It is so easy to get caught out these days, but being careful is also easily done. Remember never to click on any links in these emails, and in general to be very careful with what information you are handing over. I hope these screenshots have helped in some way. While the Internet is a great place, it also has the potential to be a dark place. Thanks for reading!

(‘079’)
/MF/

 

Little Mo: The story of Maureen Connolly

With Wimbledon starting today, the eyes of the tennis world will be on the latest Grand Slam. Wimbledon is one of the most well-renowned sporting events in the world. In its incredible history, there have been several moments to cherish, while some of the game’s greats have passed through the fabled courts. While in the women’s game the focus if often on the likes of Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Steffi Graf and Margaret Court but to name a few, there is one player, sadly forgotten, that may just have gone on to be the greatest of the lot. Sadly it’s a near-forgotten story – the tale of Maureen Connolly – known as ‘Little Mo’.

Maureen Connolly was born in San Diego, California in 1934. While horseback riding was her first main passion, difficulty in paying for the associated costs meant that Connolly took up tennis – a decision which would go on to reap considerable rewards. By the age of 15 she had become the youngest player in history to have won the U.S. National Championship for girls under the age of 18.

1951 was the break-through year for Connolly. At the 1951 U.S. Open, Connolly became the youngest winner of the event of all time. While this was a fantastic year, 1952 resulted even better for her. Wimbledon and the U.S. Open were claimed. Five grand slam starts – three wins, all at the tender age of 18. By now, Connolly was well on her way to becoming a star.

1953 was the highlight of her career. She made her first appearances at both the Australian and French Opens, winning both – a remarkable achievment. She followed this up with a second successive Wimbledon and third successive U.S. Open. By achieving these four wins, she became the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments during the same calendar year.

She missed the 1954 Australian Open, but returned for the French Open, which she won, alongside a third successive Wimbledon title. From eleven grand slam starts – she achieved nine victories – a fantastic record. Astonishingly, she won nine majors in a row between 1952 and 1954 – a run of 50 consecutive single match victories.

While it seemed a long career lay ahead – tragedy would follow. Just two weeks after winning the 1954 Wimbledon Championship, while out horseback riding, a passing cement mixer truck frightened her horse, eventually causing Connolly to be thrown. The result of the incident was a compound fracture to her right fibula, which ended her fledging career aged just 19. In the coming years, she would continue to be involved in tennis-related activities. However, in 1966, Connolly was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 1969, Connolly passed away.

There is no telling quite what Connolly would have achieved. The fact she won nine grand slam titles before even hitting 20 is an achievement never seen before, and one likely to be never seen again. There is a very good chance that she would have gone on to at least match the record of Margaret Court, if not win more. It is such a shame that this event happened – but her achievements should never, and will never, be forgotten.

/MF/
(‘077’)

Six Degrees of Separation: A History

Introduction
A commonly known theory in the present day is the ‘Six Degrees of Separation’. This is the theory that everyone on Planet Earth are at most six (or fewer), steps away from any other person in the world. This opens up the chance of a long chain of friend of friends, with the idea becoming quite the phenomenon. But what data is there to either prove or disprove this idea, it makes compelling viewing.

Conception
The theory was originally set out by Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy. The theory was first posited in 1929. The idea became even better known in the early 1990s with a play written by John Guare helping popularize the idea. Such has been the impact of the theory, that many have gone to great lengths to either prove or disprove the idea, the following are some of the key contributions.

Post WWI
In the aftermath of World War One, the world was said to be ‘shrinking’. This was in part due to the increasingly optimal designs of cities, neighbourhoods and logistics, but mainly due to the rapid technological advancements. These advancements were slowly making it easier to communicate with people more than ever before.

2003 – Columbia University Project
Ivy League stable Columbia University conducted an experiment among Internet email users in 2003. They set a target of reaching 18 targets across 13 different countries. Despite almost 100,000 people entering, only 0.4% of respondents reached the targets. This suggested that the theory was incorrect.

Duncan Watts
The second offering from Columbia University came from Duncan Watts, a professor. In 2001 he used the Internet to test the validity of this argument. With almost 50,000 senders with 19 targets in 157 countries, the test was set up well. Watts found that the steps between people were most commonly around six. Six. Of all the numbers. This added considerable weight to the validity of the theory.

2007 – Microsoft Messenger
In 2007 Jure Leskovec and Eric Horvitz together examined a large data set regarding instant messages on Microsoft Messenger. The duo analysed a staggering 30 billion conversations among 240 million people. This was the biggest study to date. Indeed, after considerable work, they found the average path length to be six.

Kevin Bacon
Media personality Kevin Bacon was an unlikely source of more interest in this theory. A game focusing on Bacon was created, where the goal was to link Bacon through no more than six connections to another actor. The premise was that it has to be linked to a co-star of any Bacon film. Search-engine juggernaut Google also got in on the act, helping fans of the game search for ‘Bacon numbers’ in their quest for completion of the game.

Judgement
Overall, nearly all of these contributions are linked to the ‘small world phenomenon’, which helps show a logical side to this theory. It is a phenomenal thing to think about – that for instance Barack Obama, current United States of America President, and arguably the most powerful man in the world, is just a maximum of six steps away from us. It is certainly something that is an amazing part of the world we live in. From a real-life perspective, it is common on social networks to find a ‘random’ person, only to find you indeed have a mutual friend with them. This only further strengthens the case that this theory is correct.

Conclusion
Overall, this really is a phenomenon. There have been countless contributions to this field, too many to list here. But the key arguments within this post mostly all agree that the theory is correct. With the continuous improvements in technology, communication will arguably become easier – meaning in the future it is likely this theory will be strengthened. But for now, it certainly seems like a theory worth treating as factual. It is another incredible occurrence in this world.

/MF/
(‘076’)

American Crime Story: A Great Watch

American Crime Story has recently debuted – with the first series providing an in-depth review of the famous OJ Simpson murder trial. With an all-star cast, fantastic locations and realism, and of course a great plotline to help, it is an all-round classic already. While there is not the element of surprise that you would expect from a fictional drama, this series is still worth every second.

Nicknamed the ‘Trial of the Century’ – the OJ Simpson murder trial was an unprecedented case in terms of public interest, media coverage and celebrity appeal. OJ Simpson – famous American football player, was tried against murder charges, with Ron Goldman and OJ’s ex-wife Nicole Simpson tragically murdered in 1994. The trial lasted almost a full year, where eventually OJ Simpson was acquitted – found innocent. The whole episode is being covered by American Crime Story.

The trial as mentioned garnered unprecedented attention. Despite now being over twenty years ago – it is still widely analysed to this day. Gaining a previously-unseen insight into the trial via this program is very interesting. Of course not all of it is true, some of it is the work of estimation, but nevertheless, it provides a very intriguing insight into the trial, which makes a perfect drama.

The entire trial was one of the most controversial in history. The issue of race was integral throughout. Polls conducted around USA found that black people felt Simpson was innocent, with many seeing him as a ‘pillar’ of the Black community. White respondents had alternative views largely. Simpson, at the estimated cost of almost $6M, hired leading lawyers, creating ‘the dream team’. Every twist and turn of the trial is covered well throughout the drama.

As mentioned, there is an all-star cast. Cuba Gooding Jr plays OJ Simpson superbly. While no one but Simpson himself knows what he went through throughout the trial, Gooding plays the part superbly. The ‘Dream team’ lawyers also boast big names – with the evergreen John Travolta as Robert Shapiro, David Schwimmer playing Rob Kardashian, and Courtney B. Vance as the charismatic Johnnie Cochrane. Sarah Paulson also deserves mention for her superb portrayal as Marcia Clark – prosecutor.

Having to rely on the BBC showing this American import, I am only a few episodes into this series. However I already thoroughly enjoy it, and would certainly recommend it to any prospective viewer. The rave reviews that the show has received provides evidence of the fine content involved with the show. The best part is, ‘American Crime Story’ is an anthology – meaning more is surely to follow after the OJ Simpson trial.

Overall, this is a must-watch. With a strong showing of the different aspects of the trial in question, this is a very good show. As mentioned, the OJ Simpson trial was on a scale never seen before – likely to never be seen again. This dramatization provides a strong insight into the ‘trial of the century’ – and is certainly well worth watching.

/MF/
(‘074’)

USA vs. Apple: An Incredible Case

One story that is heavily in the news at the moment is essentially a battle between USA’s Justice court and tech giant Apple. Sadly, in December 2015, a young couple opened fire in San Bernardino, California, claiming the lives of 14 people. Yet when investigators pressed Apple based on the Apple-branded phones that the perpetrators owned, Apple refused to co-operate, essentially protecting the murderers, owing to their “philosophy”. But who is right in this instance?

There are two sides to this story – both of which will be analysed in detail. But firstly – here is what has happened so far to cause this situation. As mentioned, in early December 2015, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik opened fire, claiming 14 lives. Investigators the FBI found information that suggested that Farook’s iPhone had crucial information stored on it relating to the attacks. Yet when the FBI made the request to Apple to unlock the phone so that it could be analysed, they were given the run-around. As mentioned, there are two sides to this case.

A neutral looking in on this case would suggest Apple are out of line, refusing to co-operate with the FBI. After all, 14 lives were lost, information on the phone could lead to lives being saved in the future. Yet Apple have refused based on their “philosophy.” The ‘philosophy; is that no one, not even the makers of the iPhone, should be able to look inside your phone. It appears that despite the ultimate sin of murdering innocent people, that despite what you have done, Apple will not turn on you. While the loyalty is commendable, it is a very questionable move. There seems to be a lack of respect towards the victim’s families, who of course want justice for their loved ones. Yet this is the stance of Apple, which has caused this incident.

The other perspective comes from the USA’s side. Understandably, the FBI, like most of USA, want justice. The people behind the attack were dead, but those that helped orchestrate it are likely still at large. This is a time when any attack with terrorist-undertones are taken very seriously. This was labelled an act of ‘terrorism’ – it is hard to argue otherwise. This is why it seems fairly obvious why the FBI are seeking the information. As mentioned earlier, it could lead to a bigger picture being built up for the FBI, which could help them prevent or foil future attacks – something sure to save lives, which of course should always be the ultimate goal.

So who in this instance is correct. Apple offer ‘privacy’ as one of the main factors when selling their products – but surely this is one step too far. The pain that the murderers caused the families alone should be enough for them to give in to the demands of the FBI. National security has to be the most important factor in moments like these – Apple are not contributing to this at all. It is very important for civilians everywhere – many of whom are regular Apple customers, to be safe – something that Apple themselves’ need to help with.

Overall, it is fair to suggest that despite privacy issues, that the correct thing to do in this instance would be for Apple to comply with the demands of the FBI – and the Justice court. What will happen though is another question – Apple appear to be intent on stopping the FBI. It will be interesting to see what happens in this instance, whatever happens, there are sure to be repercussions as a result.

/MF/
(‘072’)

Robert Falcon Scott: A lasting legacy

It has been a mammoth 104 years since the first successful expedition to the South Pole. The story behind the great race that unfolded all that time ago has been documented and told hundreds of times over. Earlier today, I had the pleasure to remind myself of the story, where I soon realised that Robert Falcon Scott left an incredible legacy behind, despite ultimately losing the race!

Back in 1912, Robert Falcon Scott led an expedition to the South Pole – his team were determined to be the first to reach the South Pole. Any project like this takes an incredible amount of planning, with considerable time dedicated to it. Scott’s team had high hopes when they left. Very famously, Scott kept a diary of the events, which also makes compelling reading.

Scott’s team were one half of the race to the South Pole. The opposing team, who kept their intentions of going to the South Pole a secret, were led by Roald Amundsen. Sadly for Scott, yet triumphantly for Amundsen, the Norwegian expedition reached the South Pole first. Scott’s team reached the South Pole, albeit five weeks behind their counterparts, with Scott remarking that “the worst had happened” in his diary. It must have been a terrible moment for his team after all their work. The featured picture above was taken just a day after they had seen Amundsen had beaten them to the South Pole.

While Amundsen’s side returned home to a heroes welcome, there was little joy for Scott’s team, who were struggling in the inclement conditions. Tragically, not one of the five-strong team would survive the journey back. Records and analysis suggest that Scott was the last to die of his team – he was a battler until the end. While this was the end of Scott and his team, they left a strong legacy behind.

Firstly, the tale of a race to the South Pole is the stuff of folklore. I remember being in Primary School when I first learned about the race, it was thrilling to learn and hard to comprehend. Scott’s story will be told for many years to come, his expedition is simply unforgettable. His diary, which was recovered intact, will also ensure he is remembered for a long time, while providing incredible insight into the perils of their incredible journey.

Ten months after Scott and his team perished, January 1913 saw the Observation Hill Cross erected, which served as a memorial to Scott and his team. He also has a statue erected in his honour in Portsmouth, England. Perhaps most memorable of all, a United States scientific research station located at the South Pole is named the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station – showing once and for all the incredible legacy left behind.

This is a great story. It is also an important story in that in this instance, failure isn’t something bad. Sometimes, when we get things wrong, or put in an incredible amount of work into something yet don’t receive anything back, it can be distressing. It is hard to imagine how Scott and his team felt when they saw that Amundsen’s team had beaten them to the South Pole, but it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Scott’s team had put in enough of an effort to secure a lasting legacy, one that will last for a long, long time in the future.

/MF/
(‘070’)