Rise in Ethanol Raises Concerns About Corn as a Food

Rise in Ethanol Raises Concerns About Corn as a Food
   A study found that ethanol plants could use as much as half of the U.S. corn crop next year, renewing concerns over a shortage in corn.

With Mild Winter, the City Revisits Fall Fashion and the Record Books

With Mild Winter, the City Revisits Fall Fashion and the Record Books
   With parts of the nation shivering and the Rockies and the Midwest pummeled by another snowstorm, the record for latest appearance of snow in New York City was broken with little fanfare.

Saturday Interview: A Future With the Wind

Saturday Interview: A Future With the Wind
   Paul Hanrahan, chief executive of AES, the big power company, spoke about branching out to wind power generation and other alternative energy.

The Land of Rising Conservation

The Land of Rising Conservation
   Japan, the most energy-efficient developed country, offers a lesson in using technology to reduce energy consumption.

Rains may be to blame for Kenya flamingo deaths

Rains may be to blame for Kenya flamingo deaths
   NAIROBI (Reuters) - Natural changes in the environment, not man-made pollution, may be to blame for the mass deaths of flamingos in Kenya, scientists said on Thursday.

Surreal warmth (weather.com)

Surreal warmth (weather.com)
   weather.com -

Amazon.com founder shows off November rocket launch

Amazon.com founder shows off November rocket launch
   HOUSTON, Jan 4 (Reuters Life!) - Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos has launched a new product -- literally.

Google to help build giant telescope (AP)

Google to help build giant telescope (AP)
   AP - Google has already planted its flag on Earth, the Moon and Mars. The universe could be next.

Authorities find U.S. home hit by meteorite

Authorities find U.S. home hit by meteorite
   NEW YORK (Reuters) - A metallic rock that smashed through the roof of a home in New Jersey was a meteorite, authorities said on Friday.

Metamaterials found to work for visible light

Metamaterials found to work for visible light
   For the first time ever, researchers at the US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory have developed a material with a negative refractive index for visible light. Ames Laboratory senior physicist Costas Soukoulis, working with colleagues in Karlsruhe, Germany, designed a silver-based, mesh-like material that exhibits a refractive index of -0.6 at the red end of the visible spectrum.

Google joins Large Synoptic Survey Telescope project

Google joins Large Synoptic Survey Telescope project
   Google, the world's largest Internet search engine, has joined a group of 19 universities, national labs and private foundations that is building the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).

Drill ban sought for Alaskan park

Drill ban sought for Alaskan park
   Legislation is introduced in the US to try to make a ban on drilling in an oil-rich Alaskan wildlife refuge permanent.

Authorities find U.S. home hit by meteorite (Reuters)

Authorities find U.S. home hit by meteorite (Reuters)
   Reuters - A metallic rock that smashed through the roof of a home in New Jersey was a meteorite, authorities said on Friday.

Cops charged in La. shooting can work (AP)

Cops charged in La. shooting can work (AP)
   

AP - All seven policemen charged with murder or attempted murder in a bridge shooting after Hurricane Katrina were free on bail Friday, and a judge said the six still on the New Orleans Police force can return to limited duty.

Scientists say NJ object is meteorite (AP)

Scientists say NJ object is meteorite (AP)
   

AP - A mysterious rocklike object that crashed through the roof of a home and landed in the bathroom was a meteorite, experts said Friday.

Fla. fears citrus-leaf-eating butterfly (AP)

Fla. fears citrus-leaf-eating butterfly (AP)
   AP - An Asian butterfly known for ravaging the leaves of young citrus trees has spread from the Dominican Republic to other Caribbean islands and could soon strike fruit producers in Florida, agriculture experts said.

Biophysical Society announces winners of 2007 Student Travel Awards

Biophysical Society announces winners of 2007 Student Travel Awards
   The Biophysical Society has announced the winners of its Student Travel Award to attend the Society's 51st annual Meeting in Baltimore Md., March 3-7, 2007. The recipients of this competitive award are selected based on scientific merit, with priority given to those who will present a paper at the conference. Each awardee receives a travel grant and will be recognized at a reception on Saturday, March 3, 2007.

Biophysical Society announces winners of 2007 International Travel Awards

Biophysical Society announces winners of 2007 International Travel Awards
   The Biophysical Society has announced the winners of its international travel grants to attend the Society's 51st annual meeting in Baltimore, Md., March 3-7, 2007. The purpose of these awards is to foster and initiate further interaction between American biophysicists and scientists working in countries experiencing financial difficulties. Recipients of this competitive award are chosen based on scientific merit and their proposed presentation at the meeting. They will be honored at a reception on March 3, 2007.

Biophysical Society announces winners of 2007 Minority Travel Awards

Biophysical Society announces winners of 2007 Minority Travel Awards
    The Biophysical Society has announced the winner of its Minority Travel Awards to attend the Society's 51st annual meeting in Baltimore, Md., March 3-7th, 2007. The awards are meant to encourage participation at the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting by minority students currently studying biophysics. Recipients will be honored at a reception on March 3, 2007.

ORNL team discovers new way to spin up pulsars

ORNL team discovers new way to spin up pulsars
   A team of scientists using Oak Ridge National Laboratory supercomputers has discovered the first plausible explanation for a pulsar's spin that fits the observations made by astronomers.

Ancient Roman road found in Netherlands (AP)

Ancient Roman road found in Netherlands (AP)
   AP - Archaeologists in the Netherlands have uncovered what they believe is part of the military road Roman soldiers patrolled nearly 2,000 years ago while guarding against hostile Germanic tribes at the Roman Empire's northern boundary.

IEA must do more to engage China, India, says next chief (AFP)

IEA must do more to engage China, India, says next chief (AFP)
   

AFP - The International Energy Agency (IEA) must do more to engage heavyweight oil consumers China and India if it is to remain relevant, its next executive director said.

2 killed by reported tornado in La. (AP)

2 killed by reported tornado in La. (AP)
   AP - Powerful storms that killed at least two people and ripped apart mobile homes in Louisiana headed into Alabama on Friday, where tornado watches were posted across the state.

WW2 bomb find forces evacuation at Hanover Zoo (Reuters)

WW2 bomb find forces evacuation at Hanover Zoo (Reuters)
   Reuters - Around 500 people and more than 2,000 animals were evacuated on Friday after a 500-pound (227 kilograms) World War Two bomb was unearthed in the camel enclosure at Hanover Zoo.

Tomorrow's World to return to BBC

Tomorrow's World to return to BBC
   The BBC is bringing back the Tomorrow's World brand to help audiences understand new technologies.

WW2 bomb found in camel pen at Hanover Zoo (Reuters)

WW2 bomb found in camel pen at Hanover Zoo (Reuters)
   Reuters - Around 500 people and more than 2,000 animals were evacuated on Friday after a 500-pound (227 kilogram) World War Two bomb was unearthed in the camel enclosure at Hanover Zoo.

Rat number surge is 'health risk'

Rat number surge is 'health risk'
   The UK rat population has shot up by 39% since 1999, a survey suggests.

UK-Odd Summary (Reuters)

UK-Odd Summary (Reuters)
   Reuters - Police said on Friday they were hunting a man who stole a urinal from a pub toilet. The suspect walked into the Royal Oak pub in Southampton, ordered half a pint of beer and then made several visits to the men's toilet.

Skywatcher's Almanac: Celestial Highlights in 2007 (SPACE.com)

Skywatcher's Almanac: Celestial Highlights in 2007 (SPACE.com)
   SPACE.com - From a potentially spectacular summer meteor shower to a pair of lunar eclipses and compelling appearances of the planets, this year will be an excellent one for skywatching.

Ryanair hits back in 'green' row

Ryanair hits back in 'green' row
   A UK minister launches an outspoken attack on the airline industry over failure to tackle carbon emissions.

Ryanair attacks 'silly' minister

Ryanair attacks 'silly' minister
   A UK minister launches an outspoken attack on the airline industry over failure to tackle carbon emissions.

Enel to build wind farms in U.S., Canada (AP)

Enel to build wind farms in U.S., Canada (AP)
   AP - Enel SpA, Italy's largest utility, said Friday it will build two wind farms in the United States and Canada with a combined capacity of 277 megawatts as part of a euro4 billion ($5.2 billion) investment in renewable energy.

WHO chief issues bird flu warning

WHO chief issues bird flu warning
   Hong Kong's Margaret Chan takes over at the WHO, warning that bird flu remains a global threat.

Amazon boss reveals spacecraft

Amazon boss reveals spacecraft
   The founder of Amazon.com reveals the first images of the launch of his private reusable space vehicle.

EU tightens animal transport rule

EU tightens animal transport rule
   New regulations come into force to limit the stress suffered by live animals transported across Europe.

Appliance of science into profit

Appliance of science into profit
   Four years after the death of Dolly the sheep, Scottish biotech firms appreciate that financial knowhow is as key as scientific breakthroughs.

Airlines savaged over environment

Airlines savaged over environment
   A UK minister launches an outspoken attack on the airline industry over failure to tackle carbon emissions.

Gene linked to childhood kidney cancer identified

Gene linked to childhood kidney cancer identified
   WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists have identified a gene linked to the most common type of kidney cancer in children, and expressed hope this might help doctors determine which young patients are most at risk of dying.

Herceptin 'shown to save lives'

Herceptin 'shown to save lives'
   Research suggests controversial drug Herceptin can save the lives of early stage breast cancer patients.

Israel eyes West Bank growth (The Christian Science Monitor)

Israel eyes West Bank growth (The Christian Science Monitor)
   The Christian Science Monitor - Tucked into a remote cluster of hills is a rather rare species these days: a new Israeli settlement taking shape.

Black hole found in ancient lair

Black hole found in ancient lair
   Scientists find a black hole in an unusual location - inside a compact group of ancient stars known as a globular cluster.

China's largest lake may vanish in 200 years

China's largest lake may vanish in 200 years
   BEIJING (Reuters) - China's largest lake, holy to Tibetans but suffering from global warming and desertification, may vanish in two centuries even as the government pledges $870 million to stop it shrinking, Xinhua news agency said on Friday.

Stem cell experts slam UK stance on hybrid embryos

Stem cell experts slam UK stance on hybrid embryos
   LONDON (Reuters) - Britain risks losing its position as a stem cell pioneer if the government goes ahead with a proposed ban on creating embryos made from human DNA and animal eggs, scientists said on Friday.