Japanese whaler restarts engines

   The disabled Japanese whaling ship stricken in Antarctic waters sails again under its own steam.
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Europe comet probe makes key Mars flyby (AP)

   

AP - A European spacecraft executed a close flyby of Mars on Sunday, a crucial maneuver in its meandering, 10-year voyage through the solar system to make the first soft landing on a comet.

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Indonesia drops balls into volcano (AP)

   

AP - Indonesian engineers temporarily halted an attempt to plug a fissure that has been gushing mud for nine months, after a steel cable hoisting cement balls into the crater broke Saturday, officials said.

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Space probe performs Mars fly-by

   Europe's unmanned Rosetta space probe flies within 250km of Mars on its 10-year journey to land on a comet.
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Coastal Brits fret about climate change (AP)

   AP - A 12-bedroom guest house, with beautiful views of the North Sea, a lighthouse and sandy beaches, sounds like prime real estate.
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African scientists will train at Emory University in latest drug discovery techniques

   African scientists will soon begin training at Emory University as part of a unique partnership between Emory and the Republic of South Africa. The South Africa Drug Discovery Training Program will address the rising dangers of diseases that unduly affect developing countries. By training African scientists in drug discovery, the partnership is designed to give South Africans not only a voice but also a choice in how best to combat their disease epidemics.
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University of Nevada professor demonstrates new hydrogen fuel system

   With energy costs soaring, Nevada professor has the answer to a cleaner, more environmentally friendly and completely renewable form of energy through a $3 million grant -- work to make hydrogen energy a reality.
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Understanding occupational safety and health issues of nanotechnology

   The earliest and most extensive exposures to engineered nanoparticles are most likely to occur in the workplace. In fact, such exposures are already occurring. What progress has been made in understanding and preventing work-related injuries and illnesses potentially caused by nanoparticles and nanomaterials? This question is the focus of an event and live webcast on Wednesday, February 28th at 12:30 p.m. in the 5th Floor Conference Room of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
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XMM-Newton's anniversary view of nearest detected supernova

   Twenty years after the first detection of SN 1987A, the nearest supernova ever detected so far, XMM-Newton provided a fresh-new view of this object. The source keeps brightening -- XMM-Newton confirms.
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Timeline: Mars swingby at 36 000 km per hour

   The timeline for Rosetta's speedy swingby of Mars on 25 February includes a series of slew manoeuvres, an occultation and signal blackout, an eclipse and some excellent opportunities for scientific observations.
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Fluid dynamics works on nanoscale in real world

   In 2000, Georgia Tech researchers showed that fluid dynamics theory could be modified to work on the nanoscale, albeit in a vacuum. Now, seven years later they've shown that it can be modified to work in the real world, too -- that is, outside of a vacuum.
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AGU Journal Highlights -- February 23, 2007

   In this issue: Ground rises at Naples volcano; Unclouded water-vapor measurements; Irrigation cools atmosphere; Undersea landslide sans methane; When sea heights reveal deep pressures; Ocean mixing near Japan; Shear slip and deep earthquakes at plate interfaces; Greenhouse-gas rise may slow ocean circulation; Tidal mixing in Indonesian seas; Daily wind patterns in coastal ocean; Modeling Mt.Vesuvius' volcanic hazards; Troposphere-stratosphere mixed by typhoons/hurricanes; Summer echoes over Antarctica; Rapid Greenland-glacier shrinkage; CO2-caused ocean acidification may reduce shellfish populations.
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March GEOLOGY and GSA TODAY Media Highlights

   Topics include: discovery of ancient Triassic bacteria with strong resemblance to their modern counterparts; relationship of increased atmospheric CO2 to storm frequency and severity; Southern Hemisphere recovery from the K-T impact event and mass extinction; movement of volatile compounds in Mount St. Helens leading up to its October 2004 eruption; and differences in earthquakes generated by mature vs. less well developed faults. The GSA TODAY science article examines the future of coastal development.
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Japan launches its 4th spy satellite (AP)

   

AP - Japan launched its fourth spy satellite Saturday, completing its capabilities to monitor activities worldwide and bolstering its ability to observe neighboring North Korea's nuclear program.

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