i don't do that anymore

chapter 1

barista: sir...this is 12 cents

bucky: yeah I just ordered a cup of coffee

barista: sir......your total is $4.75

bucky: [voice cracking] what?

side character: should we go help him...?

What’s encrypting your internet surfing? An algorithm created by a supercomputer? Well, if the site you’re visiting is encrypted by the cyber security firm Cloudflare, your activity may be protected by a wall of lava lamps.

Cloudflare covers websites for Uber, OKCupid, & FitBit, for instance. The wall of  lamps in the San Francisco headquarters generates a random code. Over 100  lamps, in a variety of colors, and their patterns deter hackers from accessing data.  

As the lava lamps bubble and swirl, a video camera on the ceiling monitors their unpredictable changes and connects the footage to a computer, which converts the randomness into a virtually unhackable code.

Codes created by machines have relatively predictable patterns, so it’s possible for hackers to guess their algorithms, posing a security risk. Lava lamps, add to the equation the sheer randomness of the physical world, making it nearly impossible for hackers to break through.

You might think that this would be kept secret, but it’s not. Simply go in and ask to see the lava lamp display. By allowing people to affect the video footage, human movement, static, and changes in lighting from the windows work together to make the random code even harder to predict.

So, by standing in front of the display, you add an additional variable to the code, making it even harder to hack. Isn’t that interesting? 

Because I sincerely believe that even if Dumbledore could leave baby Harry at the doorstep for a night- the Mcgonagall I know would’ve stayed behind, crying silent tears over the loss of her two students, and holding the infant in her arms.

In the morning when milkman arrived, he was rather amused by seeing a tabby cat sitting by a small bundle..

‘My God, that guy is so thoughtful, and perceptive and funny and articulate.’  – Toni Collette