On our Sina Weibo

Students form massive jump rope experience

A group of primary school students in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, showcased impressive skills as they took the traditional jump rope game to a new level. The jaw-dropping clip filmed on Dec 6 showed dozens of children holding ropes in unison and counting while another student stands in the center and leaps over them.

3D masks can fool facial recognition systems

Masks and simple photographs are enough to fool some facial recognition technology, highlighting a major shortcoming in what is billed as a more effective security tool. The test, by California artificial intelligence company Kneron, involved visiting public locations and tricking facial recognition terminals into allowing payment or access. For example, in stores in Asia－where facial recognition technology is deployed widely－the team used high-quality 3D masks to deceive Alipay and WeChat payment systems in order to make purchases. More alarming were the tests deployed at transportation hubs. At the self-boarding terminal in Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands' largest airport, the team tricked the sensor with just a photo on a phone screen. The team also said it was able to gain access in this way to rail stations in China, where commuters use facial recognition to pay their fare and board trains.