Surprises from the Sun's South Pole

   Although very close to the minimum of its 11-year sunspot cycle, the Sun showed that it is still capable of producing a series of remarkably energetic outbursts - ESA-NASA Ulysses mission revealed.
Source

'Dilbert of academia' brings humor to talk at UH

   Known as the "Dilbert of academia," Jorge Cham chronicles the ups and downs of life in graduate school with his comic strip "Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD)." Cham, who has a doctorate in mechanical engineering, will speak at the University of Houston about "The Power of Procrastination." The first lecture in a series to inspire college students to attend graduate school, the event is free and open to the public.
Source

Indonesia to welcome endangered rhino (AP)

   AP - The first Sumatran rhino born in captivity in more than 100 years is headed to Indonesia on Tuesday with a single task — to breed and help save the endangered species from extinction.
Source

Warm U.S. weather to prevail in March: WSI (Reuters)

   

Reuters - Temperatures will be above normal in most parts of the United States through March, spelling a mild end to the winter heating season, private forecaster WSI Corp. said on Monday.

Source

Romney defends position on stem cells (AP)

   

AP - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday defended his opposition to most embryonic stem cell research despite its scientific promise to cure diseases like multiple sclerosis that afflicts his wife, Ann.

Source

Stressed Singaporeans crack down on thieving monkeys (Reuters)

   

Reuters - With monitor lizards, snakes, and bats prowling their parks, residents of tropical Singapore are no strangers to the occasional animal ambush.

Source

Winter storm warning Cascades, Olympics (weather.com)

   weather.com -
Source

Sirius plans to buy XM in $4.6 billion stock deal (Reuters)

   

Reuters - Sirius Satellite Radio plans to buy larger U.S. rival XM for $4.6 billion in stock to bring entertainers such as Oprah Winfrey and shock-jock Howard Stern under one roof, but a top regulator said the deal would face a tough time winning approval.

Source

US radio satellite groups to merge (AFP)

   

AFP - Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio announced a 13-billion-dollar "merger of equals," saying their tie-up would create a new US entertainment group serving 14 million combined subscribers.

Source

February thaw east of Rockies; West gets wet (weather.com)

   weather.com -
Source

Global warming scientist is encouraged (AP)

   

AP - A top scientist in the study of climate change says she is optimistic about public understanding of the dangers of global warming.

Source

Aboriginals sue U.K. museum over bones (AP)

   AP - A Tasmanian aboriginal group is suing Britain's Museum of Natural History to keep it from conducting tests on bones, teeth and skulls taken from the island, saying Monday that the experiments would desecrate the corpses.
Source

Mud tomb found near oldest Egypt pyramid (AP)

   

AP - A mud brick tomb dating back more than 4,000 years has been discovered near Egypt's most ancient pyramid in the Saqqara complex south of Cairo, antiquities official announced Monday.

Source

US-born rhino heads to Indonesia

   The only Sumatran rhino bred in captivity in more than 100 years is taken from LA Zoo to Indonesia to help save the species.
Source

Science finds new ways to regrow fingers (AP)

   

AP - Researchers are trying to find ways to regrow fingers — and someday, even limbs — with tricks that sound like magic spells from a Harry Potter novel.

Source

Call to halt deep sea 'plunder'

   Fuel subsidies allowing trawlers to "plunder" vulnerable fish stocks should be scrapped, scientists say.
Source

NI voyage finds many sponges

   Twenty-eight new species of sponge are uncovered in the seas around Rathlin Island.
Source

Autism gene breakthrough hailed

   Scientists are praised for finding new autism genes by scanning families with the condition.
Source

How irises 'reveal personalities'

   Personality really can be read in a person's eyes, a study has said.
Source

Ending in sight for hedgehog cull

   A controversial annual cull of hedgehogs in Scotland may be about to end as wildlife groups withdraw support.
Source

Robot watches for woodpecker

   A robot ornithologist has been installed in a wildlife refuge to look for the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker.
Source

Virtual treatment for US troops

   US soldiers returning from Iraq with post-traumatic stress disorder are being treated with virtual reality.
Source

Call to end deep sea "plunder"

   Fuel subsidies allowing trawlers to "plunder" vulnerable fish stocks should be scrapped, scientists say.
Source

Ice threatens to trap stranded Japanese whaler (Reuters)

   

Reuters - Ice threatened to trap a damaged Japanese whaling ship stranded off Antarctica, anti-whaling activists said on Monday, raising fears of an environmental disaster close to a major penguin colony.

Source