November 5, 2011 is the 66th anniversary of the first FM transmission in 1935 from Yonkers, NY, by Carmen “Randy” Runyon W2XAG. On Saturday, a network of Tesla special event ham radio stations will be on the air helping to raise awareness of the effort to purchase the Wardencyffe laboratory and restore it into a science museum. A list of the stations … Read More → "Tesla special event ham radio stations, November 5th"

For those of you not following along with every tiny movement of George Lucas and his never-ending stream of ideas on how to re-present his film collection, it may come as a surprise to you that Star Wars will be re-released in 3D format in theaters starting in 2012 – today’s trailer being final proof. via Slash Gear

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Enigma Machine An Enigma machine in use in 1943. The Enigma was a complex cryptography tool used by the Axis–and cracked by the allies–in World War II. German Federal Archive

Stealing information can be just as lucrative–and destructive–as stealing … Read More → "The greatest data thefts in history"

Planning to fly on United or Continental at any point over the next few years? Then it looks like your odds of having in-flight WiFi will be getting increasingly better. via Engadget

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Spaceport America is a 120,000 square foot private commercial spaceport. It officially opened on October 18, 2011, and features a 10,000 foot runway. Once fully operational, Spaceport America will be the home of Virgin Galactic and will support up to two WhiteKnightTwo and five SpaceShipTwo vehicles. via Laughing Squid and GigaPica

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The astronauts lived with one another in near complete isolation from the outside world. Their only links to Earth were Internet and a phone link that included simulated communication delays of up to 25 minutes. The mission was a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems. The ESA has posted a 15 minute video compilation from videos shot by astronauts during the course of the 17 month mission. via Laughing Squid

Read More → "More on Mars500, the simulated 520 day mission to Mars"

The Sphero is the first robotic ball that you can control with a tilt, tap, or touch with your smartphone or iDevice. It features a customizable colored LED, a Boost Mode for power through obstacle or outrun your pooch, wireless Bluetooth connection and induction-style charging. You can even download different apps that provide a unique experience with the Sphero everytime. via Read More → "Have you seen Sphero the robotic ball?"

The hangar-sized machine has a top speed of 10.51. If you wanted to duplicate that setup at home, you’d only need 864 racks, 88,128 processors and enough cash in your back pocket to front an annual electricity bill of $10 million a year. via Engadget

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Studies have found that roughly 40 percent of students planning engineering and science majors end up switching to other subjects or failing to get any degree. That increases to as much as 60 percent when pre-medical students, who typically have the strongest SAT scores and high school science preparation, are included, according to new data from the University of California at Los Angeles. … Read More → "Why science majors change their minds (it’s just so darn hard)"

Jon Kalish reports on DIY sous vide immersion cookers. 

As currently featured on My Food Subscriptions, sous vide cooking, immersing vacuum-sealed foods in temperature-controlled hot water, is all the rage in culinary circles, touting incomparable results achieving optimal doneness. But the price tag on most commercially produced machines is a bit steep, with $300 being the bare minimum, on upward to the thousands. Seattle Food Geek Scott … Read More → "DIY sous vide cooking"