iconNational Geographic

Stolen Sarcophagus Handed Over to Egypt
Confiscated in Miami, a brightly painted, 3,000-year-old sarcophagus was handed over to Egypts antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, on Wednesday. Video.
New Frog Found—Has "Striking" Color Change
The jungle species undergoes a striking change from a black, yellow-spotted youngster to a peachy, blue-eyed adult, scientists say.
Sea Spray Detected 900 Miles Inland
Sea spray has been detected in the middle of the United States, some 900 miles (1,400 kilometers) from any ocean—and it may be contributing to air pollution, a new study says.
See-Through Vision Invented
Scientists have figured out how see through thin opaque barriers by unscrambling what little light passes through.
Space Photos This Week: Sun Plume, Moon Lander, More
A satellite sees an oncoming iceberg smashup, an artist re-creates a Saturn moon landers arrival, a Mars orbiter celebrates a milestone, and more in this weeks best space pictures.
Einstein's Gravity Confirmed on a Cosmic Scale
We may finally have proof that general relativity applies to cosmic bodies great and small—and that dark matter and dark energy are real.
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iconUniverse Today

NASA manager says Shuttle Extension Possible; Key Issue Is Money not Safety
NASA Shuttle program manager John Shannon said on Tuesday (Mar 9) that the Space Shuttle Program can indeed be safely extended beyond the existing plan to retire the fleet after completing the four missions currently remaining to fly by the
Answer to Universe Puzzle No. 4 Now Posted
I've now posted the answer in the original post.Check back next week for another Universe Puzzle!© Jean Tate for Universe Today, 2010. |Permalink |No comment |Add todel.icio.usPost tags:Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh
It’s Not Just The Astronauts That Are Getting Older
Representing what may be the first long term lunar environmental impact study, recent laser ranging data from the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico suggests the Lunar Ranging Retro Reflectors (LRRRs) left on the Moon by Apollo missions 11, 14 and
Massive Repeated Explosions Halted Star Formation in Early Universe
Scientists have found evidence of a catastrophic event they believe was responsible for halting the birth of stars in a galaxy in the early Universe. According to their findings, just 3 billion years after the Big Bang, a massive galaxy
SpaceX Falcon 9 Test Fire Ends with Abort
No official word from SpaceX yet, but it appears the 3.5 second test-fire on Tuesday of the Falcon 9 rocket aborted immediately after it started. The Falcon 9 sits on Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and
Where's My Jetpack? Right Here
Step right up — you can now get your very own jetpack. That's right, a real, not-science-fiction-honest-to-goodness jetpack. New Zealander Glenn Martin has been working on perfecting his jetpack for 30 years, and in 1998 created the Martin Aircraft Company
Carnival of Space #144, Oscar Edition
This week's Carnival of Space is hosted by Ian O'Neill over at Discovery News/Space, (and formerly of Universe Today!) who has given the Carnival the "Red Carpet" treatment.Click here to read the Carnival of Space #144.And if you’re interested in
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iconThe New York Times

Panel Urges New Look at Caesarean Guidelines
The medical experts told an National Institutes of Health conference that the trend of “once a Caesarean, always a Caesarean” may be safely reversed.
Arguments Against Dolphin Slaughter
An Oscar-winning filmmaker describes his goals in revealing details of the ongoing dolphin slaughter in a Japanese town.
Disease Cause Is Pinpointed With Genome
Geneticists said the new research shows it is now possible to sequence the genome of a patient at reasonable cost and with sufficient accuracy to be of practical use to researchers.
Einstein's Theory of Relativity On Display
For the first time, the complete, original manuscript of the theory of relativity, profoundly human and surprisingly moving to examine, has been put on display in Jerusalem.
Panel Will Review U.N. Climate Work
The review aims to help the U.N. climate change panel avoid the kinds of errors that have brought its work into question in recent months, officials said Wednesday.
Neighbors Oppose Green Label for the Software Mogul Mitch Kapor’s Big House
When the software mogul Mitch Kapor won planning approval for his 10,000-square-foot house in Berkeley, Calif., neighbors were surprised that it will qualify as “green.”
Dogs That Detect Bedbugs
Bedbug-sniffing dogs are the new and furry front line in an escalating domestic war.
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iconScientific American

Researchers Gain New Insights into the Mystery of Thalidomide-Caused Birth Defects
Half a century ago, thousands of pregnant women in 46 countries took a drug for morning sickness that would later be discovered to cause severe malformations in developing fetuses. Worldwide, roughly 10,000 affected children nicknamed "thalidomide babies" were born with
A New Spin on Conductivity: Electric Signals Can Propagate through an Insulator
An electric insulator, in the simplest terms, blocks the flow of electric current. So it would be a bit counterintuitive, to say the least, if a current on one side of an insulator could produce voltage on the other.
Floor Plan: Linoleum May Be Green, but Is There an Ecofriendly Way to Keep It Clean?
Dear EarthTalk: I have a new linoleum floor, which I chose partly for its ecofriendliness. How do I clean and maintain it without using harsh or toxic chemicals? --A. J. Maimbourg, via e-mail
Japan fish sellers blasts tuna ban
Japan is opposing a proposed Atlantic bluefin tuna ban, with everyone from fish sellers to the government calling it unnecessary.
Egyptian sarcophagus returns home
The United States hands over a well-preserved, 3,000-year old Pharaonic Sarcophagus to Egypt at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Arranged Marriages Can Be Real Love Connection
Think arranged marriages are loveless? Not so, says psychologist Robert Epstein, a contributing editor for Scientific American Mind magazine. He spoke March 10 at the 92nd Street Y’s Tribeca site in New York City:“And there’s even a study published in
Genomes for the whole family
By Janelle WeaverBy sequencing the genomes of three patients with rare genetic disorders, and comparing them with genetic information from unaffected family members, two studies have managed to narrow down the causes of the diseases.Between them, the analyses bring the
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iconSpace.com

Water Discovered in Apollo Moon Rocks Likely Came from Comets
Genuine lunar water has been in Apollo moon rocks for the first time, a finding that suggests the wet stuff originally came from comets.
Life-Enabling Molecules Spotted in Orion Nebula
NASAs Herschel telescope finds signatures of life-enabling molecules in Orion nebula.
Satellite Radar Photo Shows Eerie Space Station
A newly released photo from a German satellite has revealed the International Space Station (ISS) as an eerie apparition glowing in X-rays.
Sun's Nemesis Pelted Earth with Comets, Study Suggests
Is our Sun part of a binary star system? Some have suggested an unseen companion star, nicknamed Nemesis, is sending comets towards Earth.
Just One Hitch in Choosing China's First Women Astronauts
China has selected two female pilots as its first women astronauts, but they had to pass the marriage test first.
Einstein Was Right: General Relativity Confirmed
Score one more for Einstein. A new study has confirmed his theory of general relativity works on extremely large scales.
SpaceX Aborts Test Firing of Falcon 9 Engines
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) aborted the Falcon 9 rockets first static fire test March 9.
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iconScienceDaily

Water oxidation advance boosts potential for solar fuel
Chemists have developed the most potent homogeneous catalyst known for water oxidation, considered a crucial component for generating clean hydrogen fuel using only water and sunlight.
Immune cells that fight parasites may promote allergies and asthma
Millions of people in both the developing and developed world may benefit from new immune-system research findings that identify a cell population that fights off parasitic infections but also causes allergies and asthma.
Cassini data show ice and rock mixture inside Saturn's moon Titan
By precisely tracking NASAs Cassini spacecraft on its low swoops over Saturns moon Titan, scientists have determined the distribution of materials in the moons interior. The subtle gravitational tugs they measured suggest the interior has been too cold and sluggish
Aquatic 'dead zones' contributing to climate change
The increased frequency and intensity of oxygen-deprived dead zones along the worlds coasts can negatively impact environmental conditions in far more than local waters. Scientists explain that the increased amount of nitrous oxide produced in hypoxic waters can elevate concentrations
To Arctic animals, time of day really doesn't matter
In the far northern reaches of the Arctic, day versus night often doesnt mean a whole lot. During parts of the year, the sun does not set; at other times, its just the opposite. A new study shows that Arctic
New Alzheimer's test offers better opportunities for early detection
Early detection is key to more effective treatment for Alzheimers disease and other forms of cognitive impairment, and recent research shows that a new test is more than 95 percent effective in detecting cognitive abnormalities associated with these diseases.
If bonobo Kanzi can point as humans do, what other similarities can rearing reveal?
You may have more in common with Kanzi, Panbanisha and Nyota, three language-competent bonobos living at Great Ape Trust, than you thought. And those similarities, right at your fingertip, might one day tell scientists more about the effect of culture
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iconNew Scientist

Shoddy construction beats precision in quantum world
Instead of striving to eliminate imperfection physicists would do better to inject a bit of randomness into their quantum devices
'Terminator' asteroids could re-form after nuke
Wed better make sure that we send a big enough bomb to stop an incoming asteroid – if we dont, the space rock could reassemble
Today on New Scientist: 11 March 2010
All todays stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: how the climate science battle spread to US classrooms, the worlds oldest rivers, and an upgraded robot toddler
Complete genomics flags its first disease triggers
Whole-genome sequencing has found its first disease-causing mutations – but will it illuminate our genetic dark matter, asks Ewen Callaway
Your partner has herpes - now the good news
The genes that allow herpes virus to evade our immune system have been identified and deleted to form a new vaccine
The green revolution sweeps into the bathroom
The humble toilet is set for a techno upgrade that could reduce pollution and save water, says Helen Knight
World's oldest rivers mapped under huge desert dunes
Ancient waterways buried beneath Australias Simpson desert have been traced – even though massive dunes make remote sensing impossible
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iconBBC

Thalidomide effect mystery solved
The mechanism by which thalidomide causes malformed limbs is revealed by scientists.
Half-cock chicken mystery solved
Researchers in Edinburgh say they have solved the mystery of why some chickens hatch out half-male and half-female.
Farming future
The dawning age of the agricultural automatons
Parched island
Politicians look away as Cyprus dies of drought
Japan protest over tuna ban plan
Japan voices opposition to a proposed ban on international trade in bluefin tuna, after the EU backs the plan.
In pictures: Bear power
The European brown bears love of electricity and telegraph poles is helping scientists gain new insights into its behaviour.
Scientists to review climate body
The UN Secretary-General asks the worlds leading science academies to review the UNs climate science body.
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iconCNN

Mars Science Lab launch delayed two years
NASAs launch of the Mars Science Laboratory -- hampered by technical difficulties and cost overruns -- has been delayed until the fall of 2011, NASA officials said at a news conference Thursday in Washington.
Shuttle lands at California air base
NASA officials Sunday waved off the first opportunity for space shuttle Endeavour to return to Earth, citing poor weather conditions.
iReporters watch planets, moon align
Inspiration for 'Contact' still listening
From a remote valley in Northern California, Jill Tarter is listening to the universe.
Indian lunar orbiter hit by heat rise
Scientists have switched off several on-board instruments to halt rising temperatures inside Indias first unmanned lunar spacecraft.
Mars Science Lab launch delayed two years
NASAs launch of the Mars Science Laboratory -- hampered by technical difficulties and cost overruns -- has been delayed until the fall of 2011, NASA officials said at a news conference Thursday in Washington.
Shuttle lands at California air base
NASA officials Sunday waved off the first opportunity for space shuttle Endeavour to return to Earth, citing poor weather conditions.
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iconDiscovery

Brain Scan Can Read Your Thoughts
New insights into brain activity could explain how memories are formed and how they change over time.
'Miracle' Elephant Baby Beats the Odds
Zookeepers thought that Mr. Shuffles had died during labor, but the calf pulled through.
Parents Pass on Fewer Bad Genes Than Thought
The genetic code of an entire family reveals mutations arent passed on to children as commonly as thought.
Chicken Have Sexual Identity Issues
Birds that appear to be half-hen, half-rooster arent quite as mixed up on the cellular level.
Friday News Feedbag for March 5, 2010!
If this is your first exposure to the Friday News Feedbag...were glad to have you in the club. Welcome to Feedbag Nation, which stems from our weekly science news podcast that you can subscribe to here on iTunes and chat
Copernicus Invented Geology, Study Claims
The field of geology goes back further in history and deserves more respect, claim (you guessed it) geologists.
Dark Asteroids Found Near Earth
A new infrared telescope has found 16 previously unknown asteroids that swing close to Earth.
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iconScience/AAAS

Thalidomide's Partner in Crime
A protein that binds to the notorious drug may help explain how it causes birth defects
Half a Million for Gene Sequencers
The 10th annual Albany Medical Center Prize—the U.S.s biggest prize in biomedicine—will go to...
Podcast: Genetics of Pain, Where HIV Hides, and More
Listen to a roundup of some of our favorite stories from the week
Fostering a Civil Conversation About Animals in Research
Q&A with Dario Ringach
Pardon, Your Thoughts Are Showing
Brain imaging and computer algorithms can detect specific memories in action
Fusion Delayed: ITER Start Date Moved Again
The scheduled start-up date for the ITER fusion reactor project looks set to slip again...
Roundup 3/10: Do the Math Edition
Governors and school superintendents from 48 states have released a draft of common math...
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iconUSATODAY

Texas earthquakes may be linked to wells for gas mining
Saltwater pumped into the earth to release natural gas offers a plausible, but not definitive, explanation for small quakes in 2008 and 2009.
How Henrietta Lacks' cells fueled medical breakthroughs
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of a poor black woman and some of the most important discoveries of modern medicine.
Researchers link inflammation to illness in overweight people
Obesity scientist dig deep to find the connection between body fat, white blood cells and a cascade of diseases.
Former head of Johnson Space Center dies in Texas
Aaron Cohen, the former director of NASAs Johnson Space Center who helped create the space shuttle program, has died in College Station after a long fight with cancer. He was 79.
Scientists misread data on global warming controversy
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then, with apologies to Kipling, you might not be a climate scientist.
Undersea Arctic methane could wreak havoc on climate
The potent greenhouse gas appears to be seeping through the Arctic Ocean floor and into the Earths atmosphere, research shows.
Scientists conclude asteroid, not volcanoes, wiped out dinosaurs
An international team Thursday concluded that it was an asteroid, not volcanoes, that wiped out dinosaurs 65.5 million years ago.
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iconDigg Science

Half-Hen/Half-Rooster Shows Cells Can Decide Sex
In mammals, a flood of hormones tells cells to develop male or female features. But a new study of gender-bending chickens reveals that birds may be different. They have an additional way of determining whether they appear male or female:
Thicker Than Water? Antarctica's Amazing Ecosecret
Blood Falls is a waterfall in Antarctica that spews blood-red water from five stories up. It was first discovered in 1911, but it wasn’t until recently that scientists have begun to dig into just how significant the location really is
All-black penguin discovered | Yahoo! Green
An extremely rare sight in Antarctica makes one bird appear underdressed.
Brain Scans Depict Gulf War Syndrome Damage
SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly two decades after vets began returning from the Middle East complaining of Gulf War Syndrome, the federal government has yet to formally accept that their vague jumble of symptoms constitutes a legitimate illness.
How the Chile Earthquake Went Nuclear
As has been widely reported, the Chile quake was a megathrust earthquake, the largest class of tremor we know of. At magnitude 8.8, it was over 500 times more powerful than the Haiti quake.
New Charging Method Could Slash Battery Recharge Times
Apply an oscillating electric field to the anode of a lithium battery and the recharge drops dramatically, say chemists
Einstein's Gravity Confirmed on a Cosmic Scale
We may finally have proof that general relativity applies to cosmic bodies great and small, and that dark matter and dark energy are real. The theory of gravity proposed by Albert Einstein nearly a century ago can explain the dance
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iconScience News Online

Magnetic flows cause sunspot lows, study shows
Satellite observations could improve forecasts of future solar cycles
For quantum computer, add a dash of disorder
Flawed crystals could help couple light to matter
Science & the Public: For a lucky few, ‘dioxins’ might be heart healthy
It all boils down to what they received in the genetic lottery
Temporary hearing impairment leads to 'lazy ear'
Brain rewiring after ear infections may cause long-term hearing problems, rat study shows
First complete look at families' genes
Genome sequences of parents and children pinpoint disease-causing mutations
Polymer shifts shape with changing temperature
Common materials memory could be exploited for applications
Chicken cells have strong sense of sexual identity
In birds, hormones may not be the last word in determining males and females
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iconNASA

Spirit's Journey to the Center of Mars
NASAs venerable Mars rover Spirit is starting a second career as an explorer of the Martian core--but first it must survive the deadly Martian winter.
Cool Movie: SDO Destroys a Sundog
NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory amazed onlookers last week when it flew past a sundog and destroyed it. Must-see videos of the event captured shock waves from the rocket billowing through the sundog, eliciting cries of delight and amazement from the
3D Sun for the iPhone
Imagine holding the entire sun in the palm of your hand. Now you can. A new iPhone app developed by NASA-supported programmers delivers a live global view of the sun directly to your cell phone.
Are TGFs Hazardous to Air Travelers?
Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) surge through thunderstorms at about the same altitude where commercial airliners fly. Do these blasts of gamma-radiation pose a hazard to air travelers?
Solar Dynamics Observatory: The 'Variable Sun' Mission
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), slated for liftoff on Feb. 9th, will make IMAX-quality movies of solar explosions, peer beneath the stellar surface to see the suns inner dynamo, and--researchers hope--unravel the mysteries of solar variability.
Hubble Sees Suspected Asteroid Collision
NASAs Hubble Space Telescope has observed a mysterious X-shaped debris pattern and trailing streamers of dust that suggest a head-on collision between two asteroids.
Firefly Mission to Study Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes
Theres a mystery in the skies of Earth: Something is producing bright flashes of gamma radiation in the upper atmosphere of our own planet. A new NASA-NSF mission called Firefly is going to investigate.
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