9 ms·

I watch a lot of videos at 1.5x. Older Cliff Stoll videos don't work at 1.5x. Cliff at 1.0x is already like other people at 1.5x. I am so stoked to see Cliff a

I watch a lot of videos at 1.5x. Older Cliff Stoll videos don't work at 1.5x. Cliff at 1.0x is already like other people at 1.5x. I am so stoked to see Cliff at 1.0x in 2026 is still like other people at 1.5x. I am so glad to see Cliff still out there talking. "The Cuckoo's Egg"[0] was formative for me when I was a kid getting into computers. I am so happy that Cliff is out there making formative experiences for new hackers today. Great talk, Cliff. (The "adjusted for inflation" quip about the budget made my day, too.) [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo%27s_Egg_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo%27s_Egg_(book)

ssl-3 1mo ago
The book is brilliant. Also worth mentioning is the rather dramatic PBS Nova episode from 1990, The KGB, the Computer, and Me -- starring, of course, Cliff Stoll. It's an entertaining take of the same topic. I couldn't find a way to pay for a copy of it[], but this one on YouTube is pretty clean compared to the state of many other old NTSC things on our modern interweb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW8YBrH4Q6o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW8YBrH4Q6o []: Of course, a person is free to toss PBS a few dollars and/or buy an Acme Klein Bottle. :)
- JKCalhoun 1mo ago
  Already got my Klein bottle last year! (I recommend everyone do it—the personal notes from Cliff are priceless.)
  - taneq 1mo ago
    I bought one for my sister a few years ago. Can confirm, the email chain alone is worth it. :D
  - el_benhameen 1mo ago
    I bought one for my dad a long time ago. I was late in ordering (if memory serves) and asked if I could pick it up in person. Not only did Cliff say yes, but he gave me a tour of his shop and let me watch as he retrieved the bottle from his crawl space storage with a robot he’d built. Incredible customer service!
  - great_tankard 1mo ago
    Bought my wife a pair of Klein bottle earrings. They arrived with pictures Cliff had taken of them in his garden. Lovely man.
- tonyedgecombe 1mo ago
  There was a British program as well. Sadly my copy got mangled by our VCR and I haven’t found it anywhere online.
  - ssl-3 1mo ago
    Do you know what was it called, and when/where it aired? It is possible that some here have different methods for finding things.
    - tonyedgecombe 1mo ago
      I think it was called Spycatcher. It was on a commercial channel, possibly Yorkshire TV.
      - CliffStoll 1mo ago
        I remember making that video - we went up to Calistoga and spent time in a mud-bath. If you find the video, I'd enjoy seeing it! Thanx, -Cliff
        ssl-3 1mo ago
        Cliff, I haven't quite given up on this, but I am running out of leads. I'm dropping this here mostly to benefit others by leaving some information all in one place. It seems that it was first episode of the first season [S01E01] of a Yorkshire Television series named Science Fiction (oh, how I wished they'd picked a less-ambiguous name). This episode was named Spycatcher. It's listed on IMDB[0] with an air date of Feb 15, 1990, but that date may be wrong. It was discussed twice[1] in TV-section articles in the Hull Daily Mail (Feb 10th and 13th, 1990), and some freely-visible blurbs from those suggest that it aired on a Tuesday at 7:30PM. That more-strongly ties the date down at February 13, 1990 than the IMDB's entry of Feb 15th. Except: The verdict in Germany didn't come until Feb 15th[2]. I wonder of the Yorkshire Television Science Fiction episode had the same conclusion as the PBS Nova episode did, or if it left things more open-ended. That would help to pin down the date. :) Some of the clues along the way include an old copy[3] of your own web pages at Berkeley, and one comment[4] on HN from a couple of years ago (they gave up on finding it). I don't know enough about British television norms (much less the history) to really understand how any of this stuff flows, but I'm gaining the impression that the remains of Yorkshire Television might be owned by ITV, and that archives are likely to still exist. I've seen reports that people have had success purchasing personal-use copies of old programs by sending an email to viewers.requests@itv.com if anyone wants to go that route. [0]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385328/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385328/ [1]: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.com/search-newspapers/results?keywords=stoll%20science%20fiction&newspaper=hull%20daily%20mail&country=england&startdate=1990-02-01&enddate=1990-02-28&sid=107 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.com/search-newspapers/re... [2]: You're mentioned in a world record by Guinness! :) https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/612868-first-incident-of-cyber-espionage https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/612868-fi... [3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20090415204255/http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~stoll/nova_show.html https://web.archive.org/web/20090415204255/http://www.ocf.be... [4]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39154781 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39154781
_joel 1mo ago
The only paperback book I've ever sat down and read in one sitting. Started on a lazy Sunday morning and literally couldn't put it down. Highly recommended if you've not read it.
- CliffStoll 1mo ago
  Joel, it's a secret glue that we smeared on the binding. It also helps prevent the Oxford commas from falling off the pages. -C
someothherguyy 1mo ago
(1990) The KGB, the Computer and Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gHNVNRQTJg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gHNVNRQTJg
mvdwoord 1mo ago
Thanks! Just ordered the book. Cliff Stoll is a treasure, I knew vaguely about this story, but not about the book. Looking forward to it.
CliffStoll 1mo ago
Thanx, Evan - from my nonNewtonian frame of reference, life is happening at 1x, but time dilation is difficult to measure. I’ll try living at 0.5x someday. -Cliff
ozim 1mo ago
I watched the talk and I wanted to be 76 to have that energy.

ssl-3 1mo ago

The book is brilliant. Also worth mentioning is the rather dramatic PBS Nova episode from 1990, The KGB, the Computer, and Me -- starring, of course, Cliff Stoll. It's an entertaining take of the same topic. I couldn't find a way to pay for a copy of it[], but this one on YouTube is pretty clean compared to the state of many other old NTSC things on our modern interweb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW8YBrH4Q6o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW8YBrH4Q6o []: Of course, a person is free to toss PBS a few dollars and/or buy an Acme Klein Bottle. :)

JKCalhoun 1mo ago
Already got my Klein bottle last year! (I recommend everyone do it—the personal notes from Cliff are priceless.)
- taneq 1mo ago
  I bought one for my sister a few years ago. Can confirm, the email chain alone is worth it. :D
- el_benhameen 1mo ago
  I bought one for my dad a long time ago. I was late in ordering (if memory serves) and asked if I could pick it up in person. Not only did Cliff say yes, but he gave me a tour of his shop and let me watch as he retrieved the bottle from his crawl space storage with a robot he’d built. Incredible customer service!
- great_tankard 1mo ago
  Bought my wife a pair of Klein bottle earrings. They arrived with pictures Cliff had taken of them in his garden. Lovely man.
tonyedgecombe 1mo ago
There was a British program as well. Sadly my copy got mangled by our VCR and I haven’t found it anywhere online.
- ssl-3 1mo ago
  Do you know what was it called, and when/where it aired? It is possible that some here have different methods for finding things.
  - tonyedgecombe 1mo ago
    I think it was called Spycatcher. It was on a commercial channel, possibly Yorkshire TV.
    - CliffStoll 1mo ago
      I remember making that video - we went up to Calistoga and spent time in a mud-bath. If you find the video, I'd enjoy seeing it! Thanx, -Cliff
      - ssl-3 1mo ago
        Cliff, I haven't quite given up on this, but I am running out of leads. I'm dropping this here mostly to benefit others by leaving some information all in one place. It seems that it was first episode of the first season [S01E01] of a Yorkshire Television series named Science Fiction (oh, how I wished they'd picked a less-ambiguous name). This episode was named Spycatcher. It's listed on IMDB[0] with an air date of Feb 15, 1990, but that date may be wrong. It was discussed twice[1] in TV-section articles in the Hull Daily Mail (Feb 10th and 13th, 1990), and some freely-visible blurbs from those suggest that it aired on a Tuesday at 7:30PM. That more-strongly ties the date down at February 13, 1990 than the IMDB's entry of Feb 15th. Except: The verdict in Germany didn't come until Feb 15th[2]. I wonder of the Yorkshire Television Science Fiction episode had the same conclusion as the PBS Nova episode did, or if it left things more open-ended. That would help to pin down the date. :) Some of the clues along the way include an old copy[3] of your own web pages at Berkeley, and one comment[4] on HN from a couple of years ago (they gave up on finding it). I don't know enough about British television norms (much less the history) to really understand how any of this stuff flows, but I'm gaining the impression that the remains of Yorkshire Television might be owned by ITV, and that archives are likely to still exist. I've seen reports that people have had success purchasing personal-use copies of old programs by sending an email to viewers.requests@itv.com if anyone wants to go that route. [0]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385328/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385328/ [1]: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.com/search-newspapers/results?keywords=stoll%20science%20fiction&newspaper=hull%20daily%20mail&country=england&startdate=1990-02-01&enddate=1990-02-28&sid=107 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.com/search-newspapers/re... [2]: You're mentioned in a world record by Guinness! :) https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/612868-first-incident-of-cyber-espionage https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/612868-fi... [3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20090415204255/http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~stoll/nova_show.html https://web.archive.org/web/20090415204255/http://www.ocf.be... [4]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39154781 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39154781

_joel 1mo ago

The only paperback book I've ever sat down and read in one sitting. Started on a lazy Sunday morning and literally couldn't put it down. Highly recommended if you've not read it.

CliffStoll 1mo ago
Joel, it's a secret glue that we smeared on the binding. It also helps prevent the Oxford commas from falling off the pages. -C

someothherguyy 1mo ago

(1990) The KGB, the Computer and Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gHNVNRQTJg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gHNVNRQTJg

mvdwoord 1mo ago

Thanks! Just ordered the book. Cliff Stoll is a treasure, I knew vaguely about this story, but not about the book. Looking forward to it.

CliffStoll 1mo ago

Thanx, Evan - from my nonNewtonian frame of reference, life is happening at 1x, but time dilation is difficult to measure. I’ll try living at 0.5x someday. -Cliff

ozim 1mo ago

I watched the talk and I wanted to be 76 to have that energy.