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Washington Post
12 items
In Mediterranean, the Predator Is the Hunted
The Mediterranean Sea, says Francesco Ferretti, is "a very dangerous place for a shark."
What's Colorless and Tasteless And Smells Like . . . Money?
In Tokyo and Paris, you can now spend $5 a glass on special beverages selected by a professional sommelier.
Around the Nation
BIG SUR, Calif. -- An explosive wildfire ravaged hillsides above this coastal community Thursday, leaving the popular tourist area mostly deserted ahead of the weekend.
Science
Talk about concealed weapons: Harvard University biologists have discovered that some species of African frogs can puncture the skin of their toes with sharp, hooked bones and use them as claws to fight off predators. They noted the previously unknown defense mechanism when doctoral student David C....
Mars Soil 'Friendly' To Life, Tests Show
Early results from the first-ever "wet" chemical analysis of the surface soil of Mars show the planet harbors many of the nutrients needed for life and none of the acidity that some feared would make life highly unlikely.
Unwrapping the Chocolate Genome
To save chocolate lovers from the agony of a potential candy bar shortage, McLean candy giant Mars is investing $10 million in a five-year project to develop cacao trees that fight drought, disease and poor harvests.
High Court to Review Naval Sonar Dispute
The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to the Bush administration's request that it review a dispute between environmentalists and the Navy about whether training exercises off the Southern California coast endanger whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.
Brain Study Shows Differences Between Gays, Straights
Is there such a thing as a "gay brain"? And, if so, are some people born with brains that make them more likely to be homosexual? Or do the brains of gay people develop differently in response to experiences?
Turning Up the Heat on Climate Issue
There have been hotter days on Capitol Hill, but few where the heat itself became a kind of congressional exhibit. It was 98 degrees on June 23, 1988, and the warmth leaked in through the three big windows in Dirksen 366, overpowered the air conditioner, and left the crowd sweating and in shirt s...
Lander Finds Ice on Mars, Scientists Say
Scientists with the Phoenix Mars mission yesterday declared for certain that there is ice on the Red Planet, putting them an essential step closer to answering the question that has driven three decades of Mars exploration and centuries of Earth-bound speculation: Could there have been life there?
Democrat Assails McCain on Drilling
Democrats are not about to let Sen. John McCain's support for offshore oil drilling go unnoticed.
Iowa Flooding Could Be An Act of Man, Experts Say
As the Cedar River rose higher and higher, and as he stacked sandbags along the levee protecting downtown Cedar Falls, Kamyar Enshayan, a college professor and City Council member, kept asking himself the same question: "What is going on?"
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New York Times
37 items
Ideas & Trends: Maybe Chicken Little Wasn’t Paranoid After All
“Civilization killers” are one thing, but when it comes to earth-bound objects, smaller rocks matter too.
The Urge to End It
Is suicide the deadly result of a deep psychological condition — or a fleeting impulse brought on by opportunity?
Numerology
An Oxford mathematician’s breezy tour through the integers and elsewhere.
Why Fly When You Can Float?
As the cost of fuel soars and the pressure mounts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, several schemes for a new generation of airship are being considered.
Japan Sees a Chance to Promote Its Energy-Frugal Ways
Japan’s single-minded dedication to reducing energy use, which dates to the 1970s, has given it the potential to play a rare leadership role on a pressing global issue.
Seasonal Factor Seen in Melting and Ice Shifts in Greenland
A study using 17 years of satellite measurements suggests that the movement of glacial ice is not as rapid as had been feared.
Washington’s Boyhood Home Is Found
Researchers say the remains of the farm in Virginia may yield insights into George Washington’s formative years.
U.S. Lifts Moratorium on New Solar Projects
Under increasing public pressure, the federal government lifted a freeze on new solar projects, barely a month after it was put into effect.
New Money Prevents Layoffs at Fermilab
The particle research laboratory at the center of a budget showdown in Congress will resume work, allaying some fears of long-term damage to basic research in the United States.
R. C. Seamans Jr., NASA Figure, Dies at 89
Dr. Seamans was NASA’s nuts-and-bolts manager of the Apollo moon-landing program, later serving as the first administrator of the federal energy research agency.
Space Probes Show Solar System Dented, Not Round
When viewed from the rest of the galaxy, the edge of our solar system appears as if a giant hand is pushing one edge of it inward, far-traveling NASA probes reveal.
Findings: Deep Down, We Can’t Fool Even Ourselves
A moral hypocrite convinces himself that he is acting virtuously even when he does something he would condemn in others.
Uncovering Evidence of a Workaday World Along the Nile
A new excavation sheds light on the living and working spaces of ordinary Egyptians.
A Conversation With James P. Evans: Biologist Teaches the Nation’s Judges About Genetics
James P. Evans hopes to demystify all of science and, specifically, genetics.
A New Twist in Penguins’ Already Uncertain Future
P. Dee Boersma has been watching the penguins of Punta Tombo for almost 30 years and now sees a new threat to their survival: a changing climate.
Scientists Identify the Brain’s Activity Hub
A new report provides the most complete rough draft to date of the electrical architecture of the brain’s cerebral cortex.
Cases: Her Skin Erupted, and the Detective Work Began
Making the effort to understand a medical condition and the details of how best to treat it really pays off.
Observatory: In Sleep, We Are Birds of a Feather
Did you sleep like a baby last night? You might think so, but actually you slept like a bird.
Possible Flaws in State Plan to Rescue the Everglades
Skeptics of Florida’s proposed purchase of a large swath of the Everglades fear the oft-fertilized farmland could take at least a decade and billions of dollars to rehabilitate.
Q & A: Fruit, Cut and Dried
How does dried fruit compare with fresh fruit in nutritional value?
Georgia Judge Cites Carbon Dioxide in Denying Coal Plant Permit
Both opponents of coal use and the company that wants to build the plant said it was the first time a court decision had linked carbon dioxide to an air pollution permit.
Global Update: A How-To Book for Everything From Water Filters to Fly Traps
“A Community Guide to Environmental Health,” took eight years and $1.6 million to put together, according to its authors.
Vital Signs: Prognosis: Low-Tech Clues to Future Illness
Minor neurological weaknesses may offer doctors an opportunity to see which older patients are at higher risk of illness and begin treatment, researchers have found.
Vital Signs: Aging: Good Cholesterol, Good Memory
High levels of good cholesterol may also help prevent a decline in memory, a new study says.
Observatory: From a Chameleon With a Short Life, Aging Insights?
The chameleon Furcifer labordi has a lifecycle that is more insect than animal.
Observatory: Coral Trout Thrive in Protected Parts of Reef
Scientists report that numbers of coral trout increased rapidly after “no-take” zones were created in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park .
Deal Is Struck in Montana to Preserve Forest Areas
A huge patchwork of privately owned forest in northwest Montana will be permanently protected from development.
Ideas & Trends: Eureka! Where Do I Cash the Check?
Genius: 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. Then there’s the prize money.
Can Weeds Help Solve the Climate Crisis?
Weedy ancestors of our food crops, some scientists predict, will cope far better with coming climatic changes than their domesticated descendants.
E. Coli and You
A history of the bacteria shows how the study of tiny creatures has helped answer some of science’s biggest questions.
Government Seeks Dismissal of End-of-World Suit Against Collider
Lawyers for the federal government argued this week that a suit intended to prevent the startup of a the world’s most powerful particle accelerator should be thrown out.
Scientist at Work | David Pritchard: The Worms Crawl In
Can hookworms protect against allergies? In a quest to find out, David Pritchard infected himself.
Mind: Decades Later, Still Asking: Would I Pull That Switch?
New papers illustrate the continuing power of Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments — and the interpretations they still inspire.
A Quandary on Blood Drops in the Brain
Improvements in scanning techniques are making it easier to see microbleeds in the brain, but it’s unclear what should be done about them.
Personal Health: For Botox Users, a Few Words of Caution
As the number of uses for Botox grows, it is no surprise that reports of unwanted effects are growing, too.
Really?: The Claim: Mayonnaise Can Increase Risk of Food Poisoning
Food poisoning typically spikes this time of year, and mayonnaise always attracts suspicion.
Well: Diabetes: Underrated, Insidious and Deadly
Vision, hearing, sexual function — you name it, diabetes harms it.
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BBC News
28 items
Smallest planet shrinks in size
The smallest planet in the Solar System has become even smaller, studies by the Messenger spacecraft show.
Sulston argues for open medicine
Nobel Laureate Sir John Sulston says medical profits are taking precedence over the needs of patients.
Badger cull proposals 'rejected'
The government has decided against a cull of badgers in England to control TB in cattle, the BBC understands.
Italy declares Pompeii emergency
Italian ministers declare a "state of emergency" at the ancient ruined city of Pompeii as it sinks deeper into disrepair.
Physics names winners and losers
UK physics and astronomy will spend nearly £2bn in the next three years, but some programmes face cuts.
Stolen fossils back in Argentina
Four tonnes of dinosaur bones and other fossils stolen from Argentina are back home after being seized in the US.
Australia 'needs carbon trading'
An Australian government advisor on climate change calls for a national emissions trading scheme to combat global warming.
Diamonds hint at 'earliest life'
Tiny slivers of diamond may contain the earliest traces of life on Earth, a study finds.
Extinction risk 'underestimated'
Current methods used to assess species on the brink overlook some key factors, a team of scientists claim.
US 'pregnant man' gives birth to baby girl
An American man who was born female but underwent gender reassignment gives birth, US media report.
Feeling the heat - centuries of knowledge of surviving in world's drylands at risk
Centuries of knowledge needed to survive in the world's drylands are being sacrificed in the name of progress.
Mechanics of curbing climate change
Despite recent criticisms, the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism is delivering the goods.
Climate regrets
Japan rues being bundled into a Kyoto deal
Machine music
Punk-loving robots pogo in the name of science
Ocean robbery
Illegal fishing is a blight on nature and the poor
Phoenix diary
Did 1970s mission find life on Mars, or was it a mirage?
Green response
Writers' thoughts on your comments in our Green Room
Fire in the sky
What does Siberian blast tell us about asteroid threat?
Cold sore virus secret revealed
The secret of how the cold sore virus persists for a lifetime in the body may have been cracked by US scientists.
Doubt over date for Brit invasion
Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55BC could not have occurred on the date stated in many history books, astronomers claim.
Violin secrets lie in the wood
The unique sounds of a Stradivarius violin may come down to the density of the wood it is made from.
Mother's junk food 'harms child'
Eating a poor diet when pregnant or breastfeeding may cause long-lasting health damage to the child, animal studies suggest.
France plans revolution in space
As it takes over the EU's rotating presidency, France says it wants to give European space policy a new political direction.
Africa moves to stop fish theft
African governments meet to stop illegal and unregulated fishing that costs the continent $1bn a year.
Climate concerns halt coal plant
The US state of Georgia blocks construction of a new coal power plant based on concerns over carbon emissions.
Anger at Kenya biofuel approval
Environmentalists ask Kenya to revoke a decision to allow a biofuel project to go ahead in coastal wetlands.
Report finds golden eagle decline
The use of illegal poisons is identified as one of the main reasons behind a fall in eagle numbers.
Turtles return home after UK stay
Two loggerhead turtles are flown to Gran Canaria and returned to the wild after washing up on UK shores.
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CNN
10 items
Glitch delays Phoenix's work on Mars
Read full story for latest details.
Planets make case for 'crowded universe'
Read full story for latest details.
Shuttle back with 'beautiful landing'
Read full story for latest details.
Ex-planet gets namesakes
Read full story for latest details.
White specks puzzle Mars team
Read full story for latest details.
Phoenix lander shakes its way to success
Read full story for latest details.
Google founder signs up for space trip
Google co-founder Sergey Brin has paid $5 million to secure a seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, officials said Wednesday.
NASA launches telescope
Read full story for latest details.
Beaming solar power from space
Jyoti is the Hindi word for light. It's something Pranav Mehta has never had to live without. And he is lucky. Near where he lives in Gujarat -- one of the most prosperous states in India -- thousands of rural villages lack electricity or struggle with an intermittent supply at best.
Space farming takes root
When Neil Armstrong took one small step onto the moon in 1969, it seemed only a matter of time before the advent of thriving space colonies and summer vacations on distant planets. But after an initial flurry of moon landings, manned lunar expeditions dwindled: the last time an astronaut left his footprints on the moon was in 1972.
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Reuters
10 items
Crumbling Pompeii site in "state of emergency"
ROME (Reuters) - The Italian government declared a state of emergency at the Pompeii archaeological site on Friday to try to rescue one of the world's most important cultural treasures from decades of neglect.
New West Nile virus strain may worsen epidemic
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new strain of West Nile virus is spreading better and earlier across the United States, and may thrive in hot American summers, researchers said on Thursday.
Researchers open secret cave under Mexican pyramid
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Archeologists are opening a cave sealed for more than 30 years deep beneath a Mexican pyramid to look for clues about the mysterious collapse of one of ancient civilization's largest cities.
Dramatic volcanism forged Mercury's surface
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volcanic activity has played a central role in forging the surface of Mercury, scientists said on Thursday based on data collected by a NASA spacecraft that zoomed past the closest planet to the sun in January.
A tomato by any other name? Experts set food rules
GENEVA (Reuters) - Food safety experts agreed for the first time on the qualities defining a tomato, in a first step toward an international code on preventing fruit and vegetable contamination.
Solar system a bit squashed, not nicely round
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The solar system may not be a nice round shape, but rather a bit squashed and oblong, according to data from the Voyager 2 spacecraft exploring the solar system's outer limits, scientists said on Wednesday.
Wood density holds key to Stradivarius sweet sound
LONDON (Reuters) - Researchers using a medical scanner have worked out why a Stradivarius violin sounds so good -- it is because of the remarkably even density of the wood.
Two flu drugs help kids equally well: Japan study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two rival flu drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, work equally well to fight the symptoms of influenza in children, Japanese researchers reported on Thursday.
Doctors extract cancer cells from blood sample
BOSTON (Reuters) - An experimental process that snags lung cancer cells from a blood sample could give doctors real-time feedback on the most effective therapy, researchers reported on Wednesday.
New method may help predict IVF success: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Just four factors can predict with 70 percent accuracy whether a woman will become pregnant through "test-tube" baby technology known as in vitro fertilization, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
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AP
10 items
Grief leads father to create bomb-defusing robot
TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- The knock on Brian Hart's door came at 6 a.m. An Army colonel, a priest and a police officer had come to tell Hart and his wife that their 20-year-old son had been killed when his military vehicle was ambushed in Iraq....
Study: Orangutan populations declining sharply
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Orangutan numbers have declined sharply on the only two islands where they still live in the wild and they could become the first great ape species to go extinct if urgent action isn't taken, a new study says....
UN chief to G8: climate change, food crisis linked
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- The global food crisis will only worsen because of climate change, the U.N. climate chief said Friday, urging leaders of the world's richest countries meeting in Japan next week to set goals to reduce carbon emissions within the next dozen years....
Syria returns stolen marble artifact to Iraq
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Syria has returned a marble artifact to Iraq that was stolen from one of the country's archaeological sites....
Merger of US earth sciences agencies proposed
WASHINGTON (AP) -- From climate change to volcanoes and earthquakes, the world's growing challenges have leaders in earth science proposing a merger of agencies that study the planet....
Mars lander's next bake test could be its last
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Phoenix lander's first chemical sniff of Martian soil did not turn up any trace of the building blocks of life. Its next whiff could be its last....
July 4th boaters: Steer clear of NJ dolphin family
SEA BRIGHT, N.J. (AP) -- Authorities protecting a dolphin family in a New Jersey river are stepping up enforcement over the July Fourth holiday....
G-8 climate scorecard shows US in last
BERLIN (AP) -- The U.S. has done the least among the world's eight largest economies to address global warming, a study released Thursday found....
Mass. lobstermen promote practices as whale safe
BOSTON (AP) -- New green rubber bands that will bind the claws of Massachusetts lobsters beginning this weekend won't save the lobsters from the dinner table. But they signify a state initiative aimed at saving whales....
Washington's boyhood home found, but no hatchet
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The archaeologists were delighted to at last find the remains of George Washington's boyhood home but got stumped when they looked for evidence of the cherry tree and rusty hatchet....
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USA Today
15 items
Asteroid anniversary recalls Earth's rocky history
Summertime: a time for sunny days, beach weekends and of course, leisurely reflections on the end of the world and the monster asteroids that could smack into us. The centennial anniversary of the last big impact, the 1908 Tunguska blast that rocked Siberia, falls Monday, June 30, bringing with it a reminder of the very slight chance that a hunk of space rock out there might have Earth's number.
Merger of US earth sciences agencies is proposed
From climate change to volcanoes and earthquakes, the world's growing challenges have leaders in earth science proposing a merger of agencies that study the planet.
Phoenix Mars Lander's next bake-and-sniff could be its last
The Phoenix lander's first chemical sniff of Martian soil did not turn up any trace of the building blocks of life. Its next whiff could be its last.
Washington's boyhood home found, but no hatchet
The archaeologists were delighted to at last find the remains of George Washington's boyhood home but got stumped when they looked for evidence of the cherry tree and rusty hatchet.
NASA's Voyager probes show solar system dented, not round
When viewed from the rest of the galaxy, the edge of our solar system appears slightly dented as if a giant hand is pushing one edge of it inward, far-traveling NASA probes reveal.
Earth emits ear-splitting sounds in a fine 'hello' to aliens
Earth emits an ear-piercing series of chirps and whistles that could be heard by any aliens who might be listening, astronomers have discovered.
Study: Long-term benefit in 'magic mushroom' drug
In 2002, at a Johns Hopkins University laboratory, a business consultant named Dede Osborn took a psychedelic drug as part of a research project. She felt like she was taking off. She saw colors. Then it felt like her heart was ripping open. But she called the experience joyful as well as painful, and says that it has helped her to this day.
'What it means to be faithful' blurred in modern world
We used to know what infidelity was: sex with someone other than your mate. But the 21st century seems to have blurred those clear-cut lines. Is flirtation online a breach of marital trust? If there's no sex, is it really cheating?
Want scientific immortality? Name a sea worm
Jeff Goodhartz is single and has no children. But he wanted to ensure the family name would live on after he's gone.
Researchers recreate pre-Columbian 'Whistles of Death'
Mechanical engineer Roberto Velazquez is part of a growing field of study that recreates Aztec whistles, flutes and wind instruments unearthed in Mexico's ruins.
Scientists: Nothing to fear from atom-smasher
The most powerful atom-smasher ever built could make some bizarre discoveries, such as invisible matter or extra dimensions in space, after it is switched on in August.
WALL-E spreads the robot love
If you thought Nemo and Buzz Lightyear were cute, brace yourself for WALL-E, one of the most endearing characters, robotic or otherwise, ever to grace a movie screen.
NASA starts launch pad repairs; Hubble mission won't be delayed
NASA will start repairing serious damage at Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A today, but the work isn't expected to delay the planned Oct. 8 launch of a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission.
Phoenix Mars lander finds salty environment in taste test
The Phoenix lander's first taste test of soil near Mars' north pole reveals a briny environment similar to what can be found in backyards on Earth, scientists said Thursday.
'Nova scienceNOW' returns
Neil deGrasse Tyson and Nova scienceNOW are back among us (PBS, Thursday, 9 p.m. or check local listings; segments available online), and not a moment too soon, as I was thinking about him the other day when I ran across a quote from the immortal Michael Faraday:
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Christian Science Monitor
25 items
At $9 per gallon, British driving habits change
As more people opt for fewer car trips, carpooling, and public transportation, environmentalists point out that high fuel prices are also leading to reduced carbon emissions.
Chinese pumpkin farmer cultivates political reform
From gourds to politics: Lu Banglie uses the legal system to protect farmers' rights.
Sonar enters the third dimension
New style of 3-D sensors lets ships avoid hidden obstacles.
Follow-up: News about world fisheries
Congress hits shark ‘finning' practice; fleet subsidies cut would be ‘historic'; whales don't compete with humans for fish, studies show.
EarthTalk: Green alternatives to DEET-based bug sprays
Many botanical sprays tested were nearly worthless, but two new alternatives seem promising.
Study abroad through Second Life
Virtual college campuses host international student exchanges.
Game-changer in the Everglades
Large land sale throws ecosystem-restoration plans cheerfully upside down.
Midwest's postflood risk: toxic basements
Buildings can trap pollution-laden silt and mold, say scientists who studied New Orleans homes.
Unorthodox papermaking helps a Thai elephant refuge
Elephant-dung pages dispose of a massive waste problem profitably.
Wanted: inner-city supermarkets
A fresh idea brings healthy food to low-income neighborhoods.
How to eat seafood sustainably
Some general guidelines, tips, and resources for supporting good fishing practices.
A holistic approach to saving the sea
Scientists recognize that species cannot be managed in isolation; management must be based ecosystem-wide – including earth and sky.
New pieces in the climate-change puzzle
Studies of forests and deserts yield new insight into how much carbon dioxide those areas can absorb.
Want to name a sea slug? A nonprofit might let you.
To raise cash, some science and environmental groups will let donors name species for a fee.
Can farmers salvage a soaked planting season?
Ebbing water, good weather brighten outlook in Midwest, but numerous obstacles remain.
Some coastal woes begin far inland
Farm runoff creates ‘dead zones' offshore, but no national authority is tasked to address them.
Marriage counseling moves online
Click for marriage advice – but is it a valid option?
On U.S. coasts, a rethink on oil drilling?
High gas prices may soften the opposition of some states to offshore drilling.
Floods engulf archaic levee system
The Midwest's patchwork of levees wasn't adequately monitored or maintained.
No one lives in this submarine
A new autonomous robot can cruise underwater for seven months on a single battery charge.
Built for battle, but perfect in peacetime
Four useful military inventions are hitting the civilian market.
How overfishing can alter an ocean's entire ecosystem
When you tip the balance, a cascade of other changes may occur.
How a group of California teens won a national science bowl
The team from Santa Monica High School – a band of savants in the land of surfers – went through a grueling yearlong quiz class.
Web's effect on politics: big bucks, big turnout, and big scandals
Campaigns reach into the online cookie jar – for better or worse
Alaska fishing: the merits and costs of a tamed frontier
The Bering Sea is no longer ‘wild and free.' Who's left out?
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