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Submission + - Prepare Yourself by Writing About Your Topic (pamhoffman.com)

ShadoCat writes: "The article in Everyday Spacer talks about preparing yourself for space travel by writing about it. The site is focused on Space so it is inevitable that the article would be about space travel. However, it seems to me that there are some general principles that you can find in that article. Writing about a topic is a good way to "lock in the learning" (to use some guru's phrase) about your topic.

It then talks about using GURPS supplements as writing aids. That part I agree with whole heartedly. As a long time gamer, I've found that the research that goes into those supplements makes them useful even for non-gamers. Just stop reading when you get to the crunchy bits (game specific info)."


Submission + - Science as a Sport (pamhoffman.com)

ShadoCat writes: "There was the X-Prize which generated a number of follow ups and imitators. This can only be a good thing. Getting people interested in science and space travel is what I'm all about. A "new" trend is emerging that takes this one step further. They are now making a sport out of science. Everyday Spacer has been reporting on a few new groups out there that are trying to tap into our enthusiasm for sports.

Making a sport out of science isn't as new as people think it is. Aside from that one episode of Sliders, people have been making a sport out of science for a while now. Project SETI and the like were not designed as a sport but that didn't stop the contributors of those sites from make a sport of it by tracking group scores generated from packets processed.

However, having the sport built into the original project does seem to be a new trend."


Submission + - NASA shifts vital computer tasks onboard long-running Mars Odyssey satellite (networkworld.com)

coondoggie writes: "After 11 years, NASA scientists running the Mars Odyssey Orbiter have decided to switch the machine's redundant computing functions from one side to the other in an attempt to keep the technology serviceable as possible. Odyssey, which spends its time performing a number of science functions like taking close-up shots of the Red Planet and relaying information from the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers operating on the surface of the planet, has redundant systems — side A and side B, NASA says."

Submission + - Crushed Silicon Triples Life of Li-Ion Batteries in the Lab (vice.com)

derekmead writes: Batteries rule everything around us, which makes breakthroughs a big deal. A research team at Rice says they have produced a nice jump: By using a crushed silicon anode in a lithium-ion battery, they claim to have nearly tripled the energy density of current li-ion designs.


But it’s previously been difficult to create a silicon anode with enough surface area to cycle reliably. Silicon also expands when it’s lithiated, making it harder to produce a dense anode material. After previously testing a porous silicon “sponge,” the duo decided to try crushing the sponges to make them more compact. The result is a new battery design that holds a charge of 1,000 milliamp hours per gram through 600 tested charge cycles of two hours charging, two hours discharging. According to the team, current graphite anodes can only handle 350 mAh/g.


Submission + - Solar Panel Breaks "Third of a Sun" Efficiency Barrier (gizmag.com)


Submission + - Curiosity Snaps 'Arm's Length' Self Portrait (discovery.com)


Submission + - 80,000lbs Of Walnuts Purloined In Northern California (huffingtonpost.com)


Submission + - NYC Data Center Needs Focus on Fuel (slashdot.org)

Nerval's Lobster writes: "Who knew that the most critical element of operating a data center in New York City was ensuring a steady supply of diesel fuel? In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the challenges facing data center operators in the affected zones include pumping water from basements, waiting for utility power to be restored, and managing fuel-truck deliveries. And it’s become increasingly clear which companies had the resources and foresight to plan for a disaster like Sandy, and which are simply reacting. Here’s the latest on providers around the New York area."

Submission + - Department of Homeland Security Wants Nerds for a New 'Cyber Reserve' (vice.com)

pigrabbitbear writes: "Just three weeks after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told an audience at the Sea, Air and Space Museum that the U.S. is on the brink of a “cyber Pearl Harbor,” the government has decided it needs to beef up the ranks of its digital defenses. It’s assembling a league of extraordinary computer geeks for what will be known as the “Cyber Reserve.”"

Submission + - Vanderbilt University Steps Into the Exoskeleton Market (gizmag.com)


Submission + - Volcano power plan gets U.S. go-ahead (gizmag.com) 2




Submission + - NASA teams to build gyroscopes 1,000X more sensitive than current systems (networkworld.com) 3


Submission + - Cisco pricing undercut by $100M in big Cal State University network project (networkworld.com) 1

alphadogg writes: The $100 million price differential between the Alcatel-Lucent and Cisco proposals to refresh California State University's 23-campus network revealed earlier this week was based on an identical number of switches and routers in various configurations. CSU allowed Network World to review spreadsheets calculating the eight-year total cost of ownership of each of the five bidders for the project. "Everybody had to comply with this spreadsheet," said CSU's director of cyberinfrastructure.

Submission + - Does Coding Style Matter?


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