Science news - Original Signal

National Geographic

Pictures: Elephant Underpass Reuniting Kenya Herds: A corridor beneath a busy highway in northern Kenya is helping isolated elephant populations reunite, conservationists say.

Everest Expedition Calls Off Risky West Ridge Climb: Unsafe conditions on Mount Everest forced a Nat Geo team to cancel plans to ascend via the West Ridge, the expedition leader says.

Hundreds of Superflares Seen on Sunlike Stars: But the new data from a NASA spacecraft cast doubt on a popular theory for what triggers the planet-roasting bursts of energy.

Pictures: "Body Jars," Cliff Coffins Are Clues to Unknown Tribe: Perched on precarious cliff ledges, centuries-old log coffins and body jars are the only known traces of an unknown Cambodian tribe

Best Night-Sky Pictures of 2012 Named: A holiday comet, Icelandic auroras, and the Milky Way feature among the winning shots from the International Earth and Sky Photo Contest.

Prehistoric "Panda" Found in Spain—Giant Panda Has European Roots?: A small fossil bear recently identified in Spain suggests Chinas giant panda has European roots, a new study says.

Space Pictures This Week: Supermoon, Solar Flare, More: A supermoon looms, a solar flare erupts, and night-shining clouds glow in this weeks best space pictures.

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Universe Today

Asteroid 2012 KA to Buzz Earth on May 17: On the heels of a bus-sized asteroid that passed harmlessly between Earth and the orbit of the Moon on May 13, another asteroid between 4.5 and 10 meters (14-33 feet) wide will buzz by at about the same distance on

The Big Dipper Like You’ve Never Seen It Before!: All right, it may look just like any other picture you’ve ever seen of the Big Dipper. Maybe even a little less impressive, in fact. But, unlike any other picture, this one was taken from 290 million km away by

4,700 Asteroids Want to Kill You: There are now 4,700 asteroids out there — plus or minus 1,500 – that are considered Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs). This is the latest and best assessment yet of our solar system’s population of Near Earth Objects that have the

Beautiful Night Launch for Ariane 5: Practice your French counting skills and enjoy a beautiful night launch all in one fell swoop! An Ariane 5 rocket launched last night (May 15 at 22:13 GMT) from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, sending two telecommunications satellites to space.

See the Winners of the Earth & Sky Photo Contest: Enjoy this delightful video put together by Babek Tafreshi from The World At Night showing the winners of the third International Earth and Sky Photo Contest. With the theme of ‘Dark Skies Importance,’ these are lovely landscape astrophotos, “ in

Opportunity Roving Mars Once Again: After spending 19 weeks working in one place during the Martian winter in Meridian Planum, the Opportunity Mars rover is now roving once again. During the winter, available solar power was too low for driving, but on May 8th (here

The Most Profitable Asteroid Is…: With the recent announcement of the asteroid mining company, Planetary Resources, some of the most-asked questions about this enticing but complex endeavor include, what asteroids do we mine? Which are the easiest asteroids to get to? Could it really be

Is Earth Alive? Scientists Seek Sulfur For An Answer: Researchers at the University of Maryland have discovered a way to identify and track sulfuric compounds in Earth’s marine environment, opening a path to either refute or support a decades-old hypothesis that our planet can be compared to a singular,

Space Exploration By Robot Swarm: With all there’s yet to learn about our solar system from the many smaller worlds that reside within it — asteroids, protoplanets and small moons — one researcher from Stanford University is suggesting we unleash a swarm of rover/spacecraft hybrids

Rocket Man Elton John Sings Greetings to the ISS: Sir Elton John sent a special message to the ‘rocket men’ on board the International Space Station by singing his classic song “Rocket Man.” The video was recorded on April 17, 40 years to the day after his single Rocket

Crowdsourcing the Hunt for Potentially Dangerous Asteroids: What’s the best way to look for potentially hazardous asteroids? Get as many eyes on the sky as you can. That’s the impetus behind a new partnership between the European Space Agency and the Faulkes Telescope Project, which will encourage

Expedition 31 Blasts Off!: After a six-week delay, the crew of Expedition 31 successfully launched aboard a Soyuz TMA-04M rocket on Tuesday, May 15 at 0301 GMT (11:01 p.m. EDT May 14) from Russia’s historic Baikonur Cosmodrome, located in the steppes of Kazakhstan. The

Former Astronaut Criticizes NASA’s Current Course: Former NASA astronaut Story Musgrave is neither happy nor excited about the current state of the space administration or about the commercial COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) program. He’s not happy, and he’s not afraid to say so. “The whole

Vote for the Curiosity Rover to Become a Lego Toy: I know a lot of our readers are — like me — huge Lego fans, and of course, we have lots of fans of the Mars Science Laboratory, a.k.a the Curiosity rover. One of our readers, Allen Eyler, just sent

You Just Got a Haircut from Asteroid 2012 JU: OK, we admit that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but an asteroid about the size of a school bus did come fairly close to Earth yesterday! On May 13, Asteroid 2012 JU passed harmlessly between Earth and Moon. This space

Warhol Crater Gets Its 15 Minutes of Fame: As pop art icon Andy Warhol said, “In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes,” and so here’s an image of the crater on Mercury that now bears his name, set up in the style of one of

A Sword of Stars: Like the blade of a magical weapon from a fantasy tale, the northern edge of spiral galaxy NGC 891 is captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, glowing with the light of billions of stars and interwoven with dark clouds of

Timelapse: Shuttle Enterprise Removed from 747 Aircraft: Yesterday, space shuttle Enterprise was removed from NASA’s 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at JKF Airport in New York. You can watch an entire night’s activities in a little over a minute, and even watch the Moon rise over the action.

Astrophoto: Meteor Fireball Passing through the Milky Way: Northern Minnesota is famous for its bountiful lakes, and clear, dark skies. This beautiful astrophoto combines both — and more — as photographer Luke Arens captured a big meteor fireball reflecting off a northern Minnesota lake just as the Milky

Carnival of Space #249: This week’s Carnival of Space is hosted by Bill Dunford at his Riding With Robots on the High Frontier blog. Click here to read Carnival of Space #249. And if you’re interested in looking back, here’s an archive to all

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The New York Times

Dot Earth Blog: The Gas Age, Circa 1986: A look at the decades-old natural gas predictions of an energy analyst with extraordinary foresight.

Green Blog: Paul Weston, Founder of Sea Shepherd, Is Arrested in Germany: Paul Watson is being held in a German jail as Costa Rica seeks his extradition on a navigational violation.

Scientist at Work Blog: Artifacts From a Time of Many Droughts: After finding more water jar pieces, researchers plan their return to Cara Blanca, Belize, to further study the Maya world and how its inhabitants survived multi-year droughts.

Green Blog: Clouds and Climate, Redux: For people further interested the role of clouds in climate, Atmosphere, Clouds, and Climate, a new book written by Dr. Randall and published by the Princeton University Press, can help.

Side Effects: The Tricky Business of Taming the Beasts: When it comes to the natural world, what is domestication, really?

Brain Disease Is Found in Veterans Exposed to Bombs: The same degenerative brain disease found in football players and boxers has been found in veterans exposed to roadside bombs, a finding with potentially profound implications.

Green Blog: Hatched and Wild Salmon: A Bad Mix?: A compilation of research suggests that hatched salmon could threaten the long-term survival of wild salmon unless precautions are taken.

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Scientific American

Paralyzed Woman Moves Robot with Her Mind: Using an advanced brain-machine interface, paraplegic Cathy Hutchinson can steer a robotic arm towards a bottle, pick it up, and drink her morning coffee. The interface is described in the journal Nature.

Pesky Primate Plans Projectile Pitches: If you’ve ever spent time watching chimps at the zoo, you’ve probably wondered: what are they thinking? Well, the answer might be simple: could be they’re fixin’ to hurl a rock at your head.

Sanctuaries Established to Help Save Spectacular Kashmiri Goat: Human greed is being blamed for the near-extinction of the spectacularly spiral-horned markhor ( Capra falconeri cashmiriensis ) in the northern Indian state Jammu and Kashmir. The critically endangered goat has faced years of population decline from illegal trophy hunting,

Happy Mother s Day: To All the Allomothers: The kiddo at about five months with my sister. Once a week I get four allergy shots and then sit in a small waiting room for thirty minutes to make sure I don t have any adverse reactions. Today, my

Is Football to Blame for Players' Suicides?: High-profile suicides of professional football players have mounted in the past several years Terry Long (2005), Andre Waters (2006), Dave Duerson (2011) and Ray Easterling (2012) all killed themselves following retirement and bouts with diagnoses likely related to the thousands

Self-Worth Shattering: A Single Bomb Blast Can Saddle Soldiers with Debilitating Brain Trauma: The stress and suffering of combat are known to leave a lasting impact on military veterans, in some cases triggering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . Researchers have now found an even more serious and debilitating mental condition, known as chronic

Soot May Help Shift Tropics North: Soot may be responsible for the tropics expanding north , according to an analysis involving multiple computer models of the climate. By absorbing sunlight and trapping extra heat in the atmosphere, the tiny, black particles may be helping the poleward

Animal Tracks: Music about Unusual Creatures Features Some Unusual Instruments: The dugong, one of Michael Hearst's unusual creatures. Credit: Julien Willem/Creative Commons Michael Hearst seems to enjoy making music with a purpose. About five years ago the Brooklyn, N.Y., musician made headlines with a pretty self-explanatory record called Songs for

China Is Developing a Grid Better for Coal than Renewables: China will fail to meet its carbon and energy intensity targets unless it makes dramatic changes to its electricity grid, a groundbreaking new report finds.

How Large Stars Die

Know Your Neurons: How to Classify Different Types of Neurons in the Brain's Forest: Previously, on Know Your Neurons: Chapter 1: The Discovery and Naming of the Neuron

10 Things Exome Sequencing Can t Do-But Why It s Still Powerful: Sequencing of the exome the protein-encoding parts of all the genes is beginning to dominate the genetics journals as well as headlines, thanks to its ability to diagnose the formerly undiagnosable.The 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting honored the Milwaukee-Wisconsin

Beep on the Cheap: A Hack to Cut Cell Phone Charges: In this month's Scientific American column I drafted a "Cellular Bill of Rights." It documents all the ridiculous ways that cell phone carriers gouge, cheat and double-bill us.

Climate Change Blamed for Fall of Mayan Civilization: Researchers in Mexico say the mighty Mayan civilization, which thrived in Central America for 2700 years, was likely brought down by a long period of drought.

Out of the Mouth of Babes: Extended breastfeeding is the norm in most human and primate societies. So why are we the weird ones? Attachment (with respect to Martin Schoeller) by Nathaniel Gold

Down with Double Data Fees!: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Lifestyle, establish Fairness, ensure blood pressure Tranquility, provide for the common Text Messager, promote less Outrage and secure Cell phone Service that’s anywhere near as good

Whales Adjust Their Hearing Sensitivity: Have you ever wanted to turn down the volume at a deafening concert or noisy bar? Envy the whale: a new study finds that toothed whales can reduce their own auditory sensitivity when they expect a loud sound. The work

The Football Concussion Crisis Part 1: NFL Hall of Famer Harry Carson joins former NBC anchor Stone Phillips and pathologist Bennet Omalu for a discussion of chronic traumatic encephalopathy among football players.

The Mathematician's Obesity Fallacy: As I write, this interview with mathematician Carson C. Chow is the number-one most-emailed story on the New York Times Web site. Chow, a researcher at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, had no experience in

Searching for the Onset of Autism: Diffusion tensor image shows white matter pathways in infant at risk for autism. Warmer colors represent higher fractional anisotropy, a measure of white-matter organization. (Credit: Image created by Jason Wolff, University of North Carolina.) Early behavioral intervention has shown some

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Space.com

World's Largest Solar Eclipse Party Takes Over Football Stadium Sunday: The University of Colorados Folsom Stadium will be invaded by sun-watching enthusiasts on May 20.

Solar Eclipse: What is a Total Solar Eclipse & When is the Next One?: Total solar eclipses are one of Nature’s grandest events. What is a total solar eclipse? How do they work? And when is the next one? We explain.

NASA Loans Space Telescope to Caltech: The Galex telescope has been in standby mode since February.

Constellations: The Zodiac Constellation Names: There are 13 popular constellations in the zodiac. But these are just some of the star constellations astronomers use to divide the sky.

SpaceX Launching Student Experiments and Emblems on 1st Space Station Flight: Fifteen experiments and mission patches designed by students will ride SpaceXs Dragon.

How to Spot Asteroid Juno in the Night Sky: Tips for how to spot the asteroid Juno in the sky this week.

The Veil Nebula: Segment 3: The Veil Nebula, left behind by the explosion of a massive star thousands of years ago, is one of the largest and most spectacular supernova remnants in the sky.

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ScienceDaily

Not all 'good cholesterol' is 'good': Raising HDL not a sure route to countering heart disease: Medical researchers explored naturally occurring genetic variations in humans to test the connection between HDL levels and heart attack. By studying the genes of roughly 170,000 individuals, the team discovered that, when examined together, the 15 HDL-raising variants they tested

All cancer cells are not created equal: Some cell types control continued tumor growth, others (...): New researchers suggests that specific populations of tumor cells have different roles in the process by which tumors make new copies of themselves and grow.

Maps of Miscanthus genome offer insight into grass evolution: Miscanthus grasses are used in gardens, burned for heat and energy, and converted into liquid fuels. They also belong to a prominent grass family that includes corn, sorghum and sugarcane. Two new, independently produced chromosome maps of Miscanthus sinensis (an

Bats: A good immune system ensures success in reproduction: Anyone who is healthy has more enthusiasm for reproduction. The same is true even for bats. Male bats with a good immune system are more successful in being selected by females during mate choice and reproduction than their ailing counterparts.

The Rhine is five millions years older than first thought: Age of the river corrected based on (...): Scientists have examined the age of the Rhine based on fossils. They have discovered that the river is five million years older than previously believed.

Damaged connections in Phineas Gage's brain: Famous 1848 case of man who survived accident has (...): In 1848, Phineas Gage survived an accident that drove an iron rod through his head. Researchers, for the first time, used images of Gage’s skull combined with modern-day brain images to suggest there was extensive damage to the white matter

Children with cancer have complete responses in a COG phase 1 trial: Pills zero in on abnormal (...): A pill designed to zero in on abnormal genes that drive specific cancers has produced encouraging early results in children with an uncommon but aggressive type of lymphoma, as well as in children with a rare form of neuroblastoma.

Nine new breast cancer risk genes: Landscape of cancer genes and mutational processes in breast(...): Researchers have described nine new genes that drive the development of breast cancer. This takes the tally of all genes associated with breast cancer development to 40.

Make or break for cellular tissues: Models developed to study liquids are used to investigate the mechanics of cellular tissues, which could further our understanding of embryonic development and cancer. Scientists have demonstrated that the behavior of a thin layer of cells in contact with an

NASA survey counts potentially hazardous asteroids: Observations from NASAs Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have led to the best assessment yet of our solar systems population of potentially hazardous asteroids. The results reveal new information about their total numbers, origins and the possible dangers they may

Head impacts in contact sports may reduce learning in college athletes: A new study suggests that head impacts experienced during contact sports such as football and hockey may worsen some college athletes’ ability to acquire new information.

When does planning interfere with achieving our goals?: It seems really simple: If you want to achieve something, set a goal and then make specific plans to implement it. But according to a new study consumers get overwhelmed while juggling multiple goals.

Internet usage patterns may signify depression: In a new study analyzing Internet usage among college students, researchers have found that students who show signs of depression tend to use the Internet differently than those who show no symptoms of depression.

Biologists produce potential malarial vaccine from algae: Biologists have succeeded in engineering algae to produce potential candidates for a vaccine that would prevent transmission of the parasite that causes malaria.

Can consumers 'fit in' yet remain unique?: Most consumers want to fit in while still asserting their individuality -- and they balance these conflicting desires when choosing products, according to a new study.

Trusting Tiger Woods: How do facial cues affect preference and trust?: People respond to facial cues and this affects their level of trust, according to a new study that looks at the way consumers react to morphed photo images.

You are what you eat: Why do male consumers avoid vegetarian options?: Why are men generally more reluctant to try vegetarian products? According to a new study consumers are influenced by a strong association of meat with masculinity.

Want to avoid erectile dysfunction following prostate cancer surgery? Find an experienced, gent(...): A new study suggests that men undergoing robotic-assisted surgery for prostate cancer should look for a doctor who has performed at least 1,000 surgeries and who actively seeks to improve and enhance his surgical skills to help ensure a successful

Listening to chickens could improve poultry production: Listening to squawks and other chicken vocalizations using digital signal processing techniques may help farmers better manage growing conditions, contributing to both healthier birds and more productive poultry operations.

New clues on how ApoE4 affects Alzheimer's risk: Common variants of the ApoE gene are strongly associated with the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimers disease, but the genes role in the disease has been unclear. Now, researchers have found that in mice, having the most risky variant of

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New Scientist

Shell overcomes legal obstacles to Arctic drilling: The US approves the firms oil spill response plan, effectively granting permission for exploratory drilling in the Beaufort Sea

Ancient sound waves sculpted galaxy formation: Precise measurements of the effect of sound waves on the early universes structure boost the most popular theory of the universes accelerated expansion

See where the US wind blows: Googles digital artists Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg have created a live wind map of the US that traces the the winds in close to real time

Smart windows keep heat out - but let light in: Smart windows that change how much heat they let in will soon be able to keep you nice and cool

The matter of your brain: A new exhibition demonstrates how wide the gap remains between our understanding of brain and mind

Biobank promises to pinpoint the cause of disease: The launch of the UK Biobank, the worlds largest medical database, will reveal the effects of genes and environment on health

Friday Illusion: Ghostly spiral appears from nowhere: Watch a new unexplained illusion that produces a dramatic moving after-image

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BBC

Councils 'must lower emissions': Local authorities across the UK should have a statutory duty to combat climate change, government advisors recommend.

Tidal turbine 'performing well': A subsea turbine which uses tidal power to generate electricity has successfully completed initial tests off Orkney.

Escapee penguin 'found' in Tokyo: A young penguin which escaped from Tokyos Sea Life Park has reportedly been spotted swimming in waters around the Japanese capital.

Robotic arm controlled by thought: Two patients paralysed from the neck down are able to control a robotic arm using their thoughts.

Sticking it where the Sun shines: The Scottish scientists trying to put solar power stations in space

Action urged on city climate risk: Urban areas need additional capacity to adapt to the range of threats posed by climate change, such as flooding and rising temperatures, studies show.

VIDEO: Wildlife Trusts celebrates centenary: The movement which started the Wildlife Trusts is celebrating its centenary year.

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Discovery

Wanna Learn Marine Biology? There's an App for That: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary released the app, which features more than 1,300 images of animals.

Coffee Drinkers May Live Longer: Drinking coffee may decrease the risk of heart and respiratory diseases, as well as stroke and diabetes.

Facial Hints Sharpen People's 'Gaydar': People use a combination of clues from individual facial features to infer sexual orientation.

Mars Rover Opportunity is on the Move: After surviving its fifth Martian winter, NASAs tenacious rover is off to a rolling start.

Robot Sailboat Out to Break World Record: The autonomous sailing boat will cover 150 nautical miles and work for 100 hours without human intervention.

Superflares Found on Sun-like Stars: There is no explanation for how flares more than 1 million times more powerful than solar flares are occurring.

Robot Arm Knows What You Want: A cyborg-like device melds neurons and algorithms and allows paralyzed patients to get what they want.

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Science/AAAS

Melanoma Drug Combo Packs a One-Two Punch: Patients receiving two targeted drugs appear to develop resistance later

British Team Cancels Geoengineering Experiment: Patent poses appearance of conflict of interest

Electrical Engineer to Head Massachusetts Institute of Technology: New president assumes his post 2 July

House Panel Gives Controversial Biodefense Lab a Boost: Spending bill would also restore homeland security research funds

Chile's Supreme Court Blocks Dam Project: Ruling could require stricter reviews of major projects

Paralyzed Patients Control Robotic Arm With Their Minds: Implanted device enables humans to reach and grab with thoughts alone

Afghanistan, Like Football, May be Bad for the Brain: Neurodegeneration seen previously in athletes now reported in military veterans

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USATODAY

NASA's seven new space pioneers are companies: A half century ago the Mercury Seven embodied Americas space future. Now its the merchant seven: space companies for hire.

Medical groups assail patenting of human genes: Businesses argue in court that financial incentives are crucial.

President Obama kills NASA's moon mission plans: President Obama is redirecting Americas space program, killing NASAs $100 billion plans to return astronauts to the moon and using much of that money for new rocket technology research.

What happens to those 3-D glasses after 'Avatar'?: Recycling programs are in place to deal with the 935,834 pairs of 3-D glasses worn daily to see Avatar.

A science book worth your time: Time waits for no man. But when it comes to time, one man, Caltech physicist Sean Carroll, might be worth yours.

Study: Water vapor may help 'flatten global warming trend': Why Earths surface temperature hasnt warmed as expected puzzles scientists. Water vapor in the stratosphere may be a factor, says a new study.

Deadly fish virus found in Lake Superior: Researchers say a fatal fish virus has been found in Lake Superior for the first time, meaning it has spread to all the Great Lakes.

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Digg Science

Big News: Coal Electricity Drops Big Time: Its been a bad stretch recently for dirty coal, the countrys largest source of global warming emissions. First, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stepped up and contributed big time to the Sierra Clubs fiercehttp://digg.com/news/science/big_news_coal_electricity_drops_big_timemikek814http://cdn3.diggstatic.com/user/3347795/p.png

Big News: Coal Electricity Drops Big Time: Its been a bad stretch recently for dirty coal, the countrys largest source of global warming emissions. First, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stepped up and contributed big time to the Sierra Clubs fierce

The World's 18 Strangest Elevators: Elevators need not be boring metal boxes carrying office employees up and down. Our collection of the worlds strangest includes an elevator that rises through the middle of an aquarium, and one that scales a 1000-foot-high face of a cliff.

Big bird - Really big bird - from dino era discovered: An enormous bird, taller than an adult human, walked the Earth (and maybe flew above it) more than 80 million years ago, according a newly discovered fossilized jaw. The finding suggests oversize birds were more common during the Age of

The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia: APOD August 10th 2011: Can you find the Summer Triangle? Its not hard to find this famous triangle of stars this time of year from northern locations. Just look straight up after sunset and find three of the brightest stars in the sky that

Eight years and 34 million miles on, Mars rover nears end of road: It travelled at an average speed of 60cm an hour and it has arrived a year late. But the Mars rover Opportunity is finally approaching its destination, the rim of the vast Endeavour crater.

Shot this on Sunday in Nebraska before turning the car around and flooring it: Imgur is used to share photos with social networks and online communities, and has the funniest pictures from all over the Internet.

Melting Arctic Circle -- Drill Baby Drill!: The drilling industry is preparing to swoop in and capture their shares of Arctic oil and gas as the top of the world loses its ice cover. Heres how to do it right.

Herpes cousin may enter through the nose: Viruses can appear in the noses of both healthy and infected people.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's View of the Rim of Endeavour, called 'Spirit P(...): NASAs Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its panoramic camera to capture this view of Endeavour Craters rim after a drive during the rovers 2,676th Martian day, or sol, of working on Mars (Aug. 4, 2011). The drive covered 396 feet

Placenta Pills May Help Postpartum Depression: (DENVER) -- Mother of three Tamara Guida believes that women should eat their own placenta because the nutrient-packed organ that feeds the fetus is rich in nutritional and hormonal properties. Guida says consuming the placenta helps women recover from pregnancy

Blood Test Can Tell Fetal Sex at 7 Weeks, Study Says: A test that is not regulated in the United States but is routinely used in Europe to assess the risk of gender-linked disorders raises the specter of sex selection.

Study: Lizards are way smarter than you think: Tropical lizards show they can solve novel problems and remember the solutions

Launch of Juno!: An Atlas V rocket lofted the Juno spacecraft toward Jupiter from Space Launch Complex-41. The 4-ton Juno spacecraft will take five years to reach Jupiter on a mission to study its structure and decipher its history.

Potential Mars Water 'A Big Deal,' Scientists Say: The new discovery of salty water on Mars could prove significant for science and the search for life, scientists say.

NASA funds 30 new space research projects: Read NASA funds 30 new space research projects on Yahoo! News. The US space agency announced funding for 30 new space projects Monday, including ways to protect astronauts from deep-space radiation, eliminate space debris and improve spacesuit technology.

Why Giant Bugs Once Roamed the Earth: Dragonflies the size of modern birds ruled 300 million years ago because smaller larvae were at risk of oxygen toxicity, a new study hints.

Moonless Earth Could Potentially Still Support Life, Study Finds: Scientists have long thought the Earths moon was vital for its habitability. But that may not be so.

Wild Hemp Grows Everywhere In Nebraska: Back in the days before America got Reefer Madness, the good old U.S.A. was a worldwide center of hemp production. Verdant fields of the incredibly useful fiber crop were cultivated all over the country.

Simulation shows its possible to tow an iceberg to drought areas: Way back in the 70’s Georges Mougin, then an engineering graduate, had a big idea. He suggested that icebergs floating around in the North Atlantic could be tethered and dragged south to places that were experiencing a severe drought, such

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Science News Online

FOR KIDS: Helmet helper: Gel-filled liner absorbs energy of impacts, may reduce sports-related head injuries

Coffee gives jolt to life span: Java consumption linked to slightly increased longevity

Stellar superflares' trigger challenged: A hot Jupiter may not be needed for huge eruptions on sunlike stars

Don’t listen to advice, and other advice from Nobel laureates: Top scientists share stories with finalists at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

Paralyzed woman grips, sips coffee with robot arm: Human brain-computer interface enables useful movement

At ISEF, fusion is hot: South Carolina teen makes finals with directed neutron source

Natural sinks still sopping up carbon: Ecosystems haven’t maxed out ability to absorb fossil fuel emissions

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NASA

Solar Eclipse this Weekend: On Sunday, May 20th, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, producing an annular solar eclipse visible across the Pacific side of Earth from China to the United States.

NASA Space Telescope Sees the Light … ien Super-Earth: NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected light emanating from a "super-Earth" beyond our solar system for the first time.

Perigee "Super Moon" On May 5-6: Another "super-Moon" is in the offing. The perigee full Moon of May 5-6 will be as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons of 2012.

Rubber Chicken Flies into Solar Radiation Storm: In a unusual twist on space science, students in California have launched a rubber chicken to the edge of space to sample a solar storm.

The 3D Lyrid Meteor Shower: Astronomers and astronauts are joining forces for an unusual astrophotography experiment during the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower on April 21st.

April is the Cruelest Month: One year after the historic tornado outbreak of April 27-28, 2011, researchers say they've learned a few things about deadly twisters. Today's story from Science@NASA presents some of the scientific findings that emerged from the swath of destruction.

Venus Invades the Pleiades: This week, Venus and the Pleiades star cluster will meet in the sunset sky for a rare and beautiful conjunction.

Getting to Know the Goldilocks Planet: With NASA's Kepler spacecraft discovering alien worlds at a record pace, it seems to be just a matter of time before an Earth-sized planet is found in the "Goldilocks zone"--that is, in an orbit sized just right for liquid water

Is it Snowing Microbes on Enceladus?: Is it snowing microbes on Enceladus? The idea is not so far-fetched, say researchers, as evidence mounts for a "uniquely accessible" habitable zone on Saturn's icy moon.

Solar Storm Dumps Gigawatts into … s Upper Atmosphere: A flurry of solar activity in early March dumped enough heat in Earth's upper atmosphere to power every residence in New York City for two years. The heat has since dissipated, but there's more to come as the solar cycle

Mysterious Objects at the Edge … tromagnetic Spectrum: NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is finding hundreds of new objects at the very edge of the electromagnetic spectrum. Many of them have one thing in common: Astronomers have no idea what they are.

Flying Through a Geomagnetic Storm: Lately, the International Space Station has been flying through geomagnetic storms, giving astronauts an close-up view of the aurora borealis just outside their windows.

Next-Gen Weather Satellites to … ove Tornado Warnings: NOAA and NASA are working on a series of next-generation weather satellites called "GOES-R" that will improve warnings of deadly tornadoes and other severe weather.

Curiosity, the Stunt Double: En route to the Red Planet, Mars rover Curiosity has experienced the strongest solar radiation storm since 2005. Researchers say this is part of Curiosity's job as a 'stunt double' for human astronauts.

The Fireballs of February: A number of unusual fireballs observed around the USA this month have researchers wondering if Earth is passing through a special "February swarm" of meteoroids.

Cold and Spellbinding: An Alignment … the Sunset Sky: The brightest planets in the night sky are aligning for a must-see show in late February and March 2012. Start looking tonight!

Europe Hammered by Winter, Is North America Next?: After a slow start to winter around much of the Northern Hemisphere, Europe has plunged into a deep freeze. In today's story from Science@NASA, JPL climatologist Bill Patzert describes how and why Mother Nature has done an about face.

Alien Matter in the Solar System: … Galactic Mismatch: "Alien matter" detected by a NASA spacecraft orbiting Earth shows that the chemical make-up of our solar system differs from that of the surrounding galaxy. Researchers discuss the possible meaning of this mismatch in today's story from Science@NASA.

Mission to Land on a Comet: Europe’s Rosetta spacecraft is en route to intercept a comet– and to make history. In 2014, Rosetta will enter orbit around 67P/Churyumov Gerasimenko and land a probe on it for a front row seat as the comet heads toward the

Solar Eclipse over the USA: A "ring of fire" solar eclipse is coming to the USA this spring. It's the first annular eclipse visible from the contiguous United States in almost 18 years.

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