photo by Wammes Waggel  

Dr Mark Gasson of the University of Reading in the UK says that he is the first human being to be infected by a computer virus. Fortunately for the rest of us, the infection was voluntary and is not catching (at least for humans). Dr. Gasson had an RFID tag, like those used in access control systems or to identify pets, implanted into his hand. Prior to the insertion, the chip was contaminated with a computer virus that targets the access control systems that read the chip. While harmless to its willing host, the virus was able to successfully infect the readers that Dr. Gasson tested. Had other chips been read by the system, they would have also been infected by the virus which would then have been passed on to other reader that scan the newly infected chip. While this was only a proof of concept, it is easy to see the threat posed by this sort of attack in a world where RFID chips are being used in credit cards, passports, our pets and even our own bodies.

Imagine, if you will, the havoc that could be cause by a single criminal using an infected credit card to inject a virus into a cash register that sends him all the credit cards put through the machine and infects any RFID cards used at it with the same virus so it could be spread to other terminals. The losses from an attack of this nature could be staggering. Scarier still is the fact that the criminal need not infect the first terminal himself. Using readily available, inexpensive technology, an attacker could build a device to infect any RFID chip that came within range. A simple stroll through a busy airport could easily start a world wide crime spree. If implanted chips that carry medical or other personal information become common place, as many predict they will, mass identity theft could become as easy as a trip to the mall if solutions are not found to the major threat uncovered by Dr. Gasson.

First human ‘infected with computer virus’ [via UFO Evolution]

The odds of being hit by a meteorite are, quite frankly and for lack of a non pun inducing term, astronomical. In fact there is only one known case in all of recorded history of a person actually being hit by a meteorite. This makes what is happening to one Bosnian gentleman so incredible, that it defies all reason and logic. Radivoje Lajic’s house in the village of Gornja Lamovite has been hit by meteorites no less than 5 times since last November. All of the rocks brought by Mr. Lajic to Belgrade University have been verified by experts as being meteorites. Adding to the strangeness of this already bizarre tale, the meteorites seem to only fall during heavy rains. Scientist from the university are investigating the area looking for any magnetic anomalies that could possibly attract the space rocks to the house. Mr. Lajic has a less Earthly explanation for the strikes, claiming that he is being attacked by extraterrestrials.

“I am obviously being targeted by extraterrestrials. I don’t know what I have done to annoy them but there is no other explanation that makes sense. The chance of being hit by a meteorite is so small that getting hit five times has to be deliberate.” Lajic told reporters. He has since had his roof heavily reenforced.

There is obviously something going on in this Bosnian village, though I don’t know if anyone is on the right track looking for a cause. I would imagine that a magnetic field strong enough to repeatedly guide meteorites in to a specific location would have other tell-tale signs of its existence (watches malfunctioning, compasses not pointing true, etc) that are not being reported in this case (but I am not a scientist, so I may very well be wrong). However, I don’t think there is any real evidence to point to extraterrestrial involvement. The incredible statistical improbability of the strikes does not reliably point to anything other than some outside force influencing the meteorite’s travel. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of what that force may be, only that it exists. Hopefully further study can reveal its identity. For now all we can do is wildly speculate.

Man ‘targeted by aliens’ [via BoingBoing]

Cryptomundo is reporting that last month’s Cryptid of the Month, the Chupacabra, has apparently made an appearance in the municipality of Champotón in the Mexican state of Campeche on the Yucatan Peninsula. The creature is alleged to have attacked and killed eight hens and one turkey leaving one rooster as the sole survivor of the incident. The animals were found completely drained of blood. Aurelio Tamay, the animals owner, said that he heard a commotion coming from his patio last Sunday (3/30/2008). When he went to investigate, he claims to have seen an animal “of strange form” leaving the area. Stranger still, he reports that there were no tracks or other markings around the dead animals. Locals believe that a Chupacabra is responsible for the attack because of similarities to previous killings throughout the country attributed to the creature.

The incident has local residents on edge, fearful of more attacks. They have taken extra precautions to protect their animals, moving them inside their homes in the hopes of preventing another slaughter. Additionally, search parties have been sent into the countryside in an attempt to locate the mysterious attacker and residents are patrolling the streets at night with machetes to kill the creature before any more animals are lost.

Breaking: Campeche Chupacabras @ Cryptomundo
Cryptid of the Month: The Chupacabra @ Meets The Weird