2 Japanese, 1 American share Nobel physics prize
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, 8:19 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Two Japanese citizens and an American won the 2008 Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for discoveries that help explain the behavior of the smallest particles of matter.
American Yoichiro Nambu, 87, of the University of Chicago, won half of the 10 million kronor (US$1.4 million) prize for the discovery of a mechanism called spontaneous broken symmetry.
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6:01 a.m. Oct. 7 (REUTERS)NASA spacecraft zooms above surface of Mercury : WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A car-sized NASA spacecraft zoomed above the surface of Mercury on Monday, viewing rocky terrain never before seen up close on our solar system's sun-baked innermost planet, scientists said.
SALT LAKE CITY, 8:44 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Review planned for 6 rare species in Utah: Federal wildlife officials are re-examining the status of six threatened or endangered species in Utah.
WASHINGTON, 9:03 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Drug companies: No cold medicines for kids under 4: Children under 4 should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, drug companies said Tuesday in a concession to pediatricians who doubt the drugs do much good and worry about risks.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, 7:41 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Deadlines set for designating polar bear habitat: The federal government will designate “critical habitat” for polar bears off Alaska's coast, a decision that could add restrictions to future offshore petroleum exploration or drilling.
8:17 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
German, 2 French share Nobel medicine prize: French researchers Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier were cited for their discovery of human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, in 1983.
SAO PAULO, Brazil, 3:34 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)Who says penguins can't fly?: More than 370 penguins that mysteriously washed up on Brazil's equatorial beaches were flown south and released closer to the frigid waters they call home, environmentalists said Monday. WASHINGTON, 2:24 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Small asteroid about to burn up in sky over Africa: Astronomers say a small asteroid is about to make a fiery but harmless dive into Earth's atmosphere early Tuesday morning over Africa.
WASHINGTON, 5:00 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Scientists: 1 in 4 mammals faces extinction: Conservationists have taken the first detailed look at the world's mammals in more than a decade, and the news isn't good.
SUZHOU, China, 8:58 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Elderly turtle pair fails to produce offspring: She's around 80 years old. He's 100. Breathless scientists watched as the world's most endangered turtles successfully mated.
9:26 p.m. Oct. 5 (AP)
Venus flytraps caught in shrinking natural habitat: GREEN SWAMP PRESERVE, N.C. – Laura Gadd pauses at the edge of a pristine savanna, delicately lifting her feet to avoid trampling any venus flytraps hidden underfoot.
GENEVA, 6:01 a.m. Oct. 4 (REUTERS)Reuters Science News Summary: CERN, the world's biggest particle physics laboratory and creator of the Worldwide Web, on Friday unveiled a new computer network allowing thousands of scientists around the world to crunch data on its huge experiments.
GENEVA, 7:18 a.m. Oct. 3 (REUTERS)
CERN unveils computer grid linking 7,000 scientists: CERN, the world's biggest particle physics laboratory and creator of the Worldwide Web, on Friday unveiled a new computer network allowing thousands of scientists around the world to crunch data on its huge experiments.
Oct. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Fuzzy patch of light is a stunning 2-star cluster: If you are outside just after dark this week and aim binoculars low toward the northeastern sky – about midway between the constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus – you might think you're seeing double.
WASHINGTON, 11:00 a.m. Oct. 2 (AP)
Tuna found to travel across Atlantic: Bluefin tuna from both sides of the Atlantic get together as juveniles, a discovery that could affect how the tuna fishery is managed.
WASHINGTON, 10:36 a.m. Oct. 2 (REUTERS)
Calorie overload sends the brain haywire – study: Overeating makes the brain go haywire, prompting a cascade of damage that may cause diabetes, heart disease and other ills, U.S. researchers reported Thursday.
ORLANDO, Fla., 2:28 p.m. Oct. 1 (AP)
Experts warn species in peril from climate change: Climate change threatens to kill off up to a third of the planet's species by the end of the century if urgent action isn't taken to restore fragile ecosystems, protect endangered animals and manage growth, scientists warned Wednesday as a wildlife summit opened.
Oct. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Questions answered:What caused the migration of early humans out of Africa? Was there sufficient climatic change to make it better to leave than take the risk of trying to adapt to some sort of environmental change?
SACRAMENTO, 6:03 p.m. Sept. 30 (AP)
Schwarzenegger signs greenhouse gas bill: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that attempts to limit greenhouse gases by curbing urban sprawl.
LACEY, Wash., 12:33 p.m. Oct. 1 (AP)
Feds will review protected status of seabirds: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it will review the protected status of the marbled murrelet in response to a petition from the timber industry and others.
CANCUN, Mexico, 5:03 a.m. Sept. 30 (REUTERS)
Pollution slowly killing world's coral reefs: Dainty blue fish dart around coral shaped like moose antlers near the Mexican resort of Cancun, but sickly brown spots are appearing where pollution threatens one of the world's largest reefs.
WASHINGTON, 7:32 a.m. Sept. 30 (REUTERS)Herd mentality rules in financial crisis -experts: Herd mentality rules during a financial crisis because people are wired to follow the crowd when times are uncertain, experts say.
VIENNA, Va., 8:33 a.m. Sept. 30 (AP)
Software billionaire plans 2nd space station trip: A Virginia space company says a software billionaire plans to become the first private traveler to make a second trip to space
BRUSSELS, 8:22 a.m. Sept. 30 (REUTERS)
France proposes phasing in CO2 curbs for cars: European Union President France proposed on Tuesday watering down plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions from cars by phasing in limits up to 2015, with lower fines for narrowly missing the target.
CODY, Wyo., 7:34 a.m. Sept. 30 (AP)
Yellowstone preparing for winter with snowmobiles: Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis says her staff are preparing for a normal winter season despite a court ruling against snowmobiling in the park.
LOS ANGELES, 3:21 p.m. Sept. 29 (AP)
Mars lander finds minerals in soil, snowfall: NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has discovered evidence of past water at its Martian landing site and spotted falling snow in the sky for the first time, scientists reported Monday.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., 12:14 p.m. Sept. 29 (AP)
NASA delays repair mission to Hubble telescope: NASA said Monday it is delaying its mission to the Hubble Space Telescope until next year because of a serious breakdown of the observatory in orbit.
ALBANY, N.Y., 11:06 a.m. Sept. 29 (AP)
Nation's first greenhouse gas auction nets $38.5M: Power companies were the biggest spenders in the nation's first cap-and-trade greenhouse gas auction, raising nearly $40 million that will be spent by Northeast states on renewable and energy efficient technologies.
WASHINGTON, 7:39 a.m. Sept. 29 (AP)
Congress sends mercury export ban to president: The House on Monday sent to President Bush a bill sponsored by Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama that would eventually ban the export of elemental mercury.
LOS ANGELES, 11:43 p.m. Sept. 28 (AP)
SpaceX finally reaches orbit after fourth try: An Internet entrepreneur's latest effort to make space launch more affordable paid off Sunday when his commercial rocket, carrying a dummy payload, was lofted into orbit from the South Pacific.
BEIJING, 9:43 a.m. Sept. 27 (AP)
Chinese cheer as astronauts makes first spacewalk: Chinese celebrated their nation's first spacewalk Saturday, gathering at outdoor TV screens to cheer live video of the milestone for a program that has ambitions of building a space station and challenging the U.S. and Russia in offworld exploration.
LOS ANGELES, 8:49 a.m. Sept. 27 (AP)UCLA group discovers humungous prime number: Mathematicians at UCLA have discovered a 13-million-digit prime number, a long-sought milestone that makes them eligible for a $100,000 prize.
Sept. 25 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Grow figure: As designed by nature, the wild tomato looks a lot like a cherry, though not very much like a cherry tomato. It's small, round, dark and relatively hard, ideally sized and shaped for its primary consuming audience: South American birds and small animals who eat the fruit, then disperse its seeds.
WASHINGTON, 11:05 a.m. Sept. 25 (AP)
Global warming pollution increases 3 percent: Worldwide man-made emissions of carbon dioxide – the main gas that causes global warming – jumped 3 percent last year, international scientists said Thursday.
LOS ANGELES, 2:01 p.m. Sept. 25 (AP)Scientists seek Calif. volunteers to monitor for quakes: Earthquake scientists want to borrow your laptop or maybe a little space in your basement or garage.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., 10:26 p.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
NASA delays Hubble mission by 5 days, Ike blamed: NASA is delaying next month's shuttle launch to the Hubble Space Telescope because of problems stemming from Hurricane Ike and replacement parts for the observatory.
LOS ANGELES, 12:07 a.m. Sept. 25 (AP)
Report: Drought leads to cleaner beach waters: Continued dry weather this year has given California beachgoers another record summer of clean water, according to an annual report released Thursday.
Sep. 25 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Look closely for stardust and its counterglow:One of my least favorite household chores is dusting. I don't know why, but if I let it go more than a week, I can write my name on the TV screen. After two weeks, geologists can do sediment dating in the stuff.
Sep. 25 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Bet wet, or try dry: Guess S.D.'s rain:Will the winter be wet, or will our days stay dry? We're looking for San Diego's finest precipitation predictor. Tell us how much rain you think will fall at Lindbergh Field, San Diego's official weather station, in 2008-09.
Sep. 25 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Questions answered:Why can't the wind wall of a hurricane be zapped with lasers, disrupting the airflow and degrading these destructive monsters to just simple passing storms?
Sept. 24 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Melville is back home after epic voyage: POINT LOMA – After 2½ years at sea, the research vessel Melville sailed home to Point Loma yesterday. The cruise was an epic: 917 days, 100,000-plus miles, 46 scientific missions, 1.6 million gallons of diesel fuel bought for $4 million.
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, 4:07 a.m. Sept. 24 (AP)2 rockets launched, 1 military and 1 commercial: Two rockets blasted off into the sky within the space of a few hours, one carrying a commercial satellite and the other as part of a test of the U.S. missile defense system. UNDERHILL, Vt., 1:13 p.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
Colorful study probes climate change, fall foliage: Could climate change dull the blazing palette of New England's fall foliage? The answer could have serious implications for one of the region's signature attractions, which draws thousands of “leaf peepers” every autumn.
WASHINGTON, 9:52 a.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
New Smithsonian Ocean Hall opens Saturday: Covering more than 70 percent of the planet's surface, the ocean is both a life-giving resource and a highway. Yet it's also a life-threatening obstacle, hiding untold mysteries.
WASHINGTON, 2:29 p.m. Sept. 23 (AP)
Sun's wind and output on extended dimmer switch: The sun has dialed back its furnace to the lowest levels seen in the space age, new measurements from a space probe show.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, 12:36 a.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
Lichen on Yosemite icons key to pollution studies: After exploration by millions of visitors over the past 100 years, it's hard to imagine anything left to discover amid the majesty of Yosemite's glacier-cut granite cliffs and giant Sequoia groves.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, 4:23 p.m. Sept. 23 (AP)Lichen on Yosemite icons key to pollution studies: After exploration by millions of visitors over the past 100 years, it is hard to imagine anything left to discover amid the majesty of Yosemite's glacier-cut granite cliffs and giant Sequoia groves.
GENEVA, 11:15 a.m. Sept. 23 (AP)
Winter, repairs stall atom smasher until spring: The European nuclear research organization says repairs and the onset of winter will delay the startup of the world's largest particle collider until spring.
STAR CITY, Russia, 6:32 a.m. Sept. 23 (AP)
U.S. ex-astronaut's son to be next space tourist: As a computer game designer, he's made millions creating fantasy worlds. Now, Richard Garriott will live out his own fantasy of spaceflight.
WASHINGTON, 8:38 a.m. Sept. 22 (REUTERS)
Common birds in decline,signal biodiversity crisis: Many of the world's most common birds suffered steep population drops over recent decades, a sign of a deteriorating global environment and a biodiversity crisis, BirdLife International said Monday.
MADISON, Wis., 7:08 p.m. Sept. 22 (REUTERS)
Researchers hope for change on stem cell politics: Stem cell experts said Monday they hope the next U.S. president will end political curbs on embryonic stem cell research but some worry recent comments by Republican candidate John McCain suggest his past support for such research may be waning.
LOS ANGELES, 5:07 p.m. Sept. 22 (REUTERS)
Little Mars rover that could heads to new crater: The aging but intrepid Mars rover Opportunity is set to embark on a two-year mission it may never complete – a 7-mile journey to a crater far bigger than one it has called home for two years, NASA said Monday.
PASADENA, 12:43 p.m. Sept. 22 (AP)Mars rover heads to largest crater yet: After conquering one Martian crater, the NASA rover Opportunity is setting out to explore a far bigger one.
GENEVA, 8:13 a.m. Sept. 20 (AP)
CERN: Damage to atom smasher forces 2-month halt: The world's largest atom smasher – which was launched with great fanfare earlier this month – has been damaged twice and will be out of commission for at least two months, its operators said Saturday.
CLEVELAND, 10:27 a.m. Sept. 20 (AP)Scientists monitor growing Lake Erie algae bloom: Giant floating fields of algae are back in strength this year on Lake Erie and scientists are trying to figure out why. 8:47 a.m. Sept. 20 (AP)
Developments in building 'Big Bang' machine: Highlights from the history of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, based in Geneva.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., 9:19 a.m. Sept. 19 (AP)
Rescue shuttle at launch pad for Hubble trip: In an unprecedented step, a space shuttle was moved to the launch pad Friday for a trip NASA hopes it will never make – a rescue mission.
WASHINGTON, 10:01 p.m. Sept. 19 (REUTERS)Reuters Science News Summary: Masses of dust floating around a distant binary star system suggest that two Earth-like planets obliterated each other in a violent collision, U.S. researchers reported on Friday. “It's as if Earth and Venus collided with each other,” Benjamin Zuckerman, an astronomer at the University of California Los Angeles, who worked on the study, said in a statement.
Sept. 18 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Twelve-year search uncovers two massive prime numbers: Quick, what's the biggest prime number you know? OK, here's some help: A prime number is a number divisible only by 1 and itself. Most folks can recite a handful of prime numbers, usually the first few: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 and so on.
GENEVA, 2:18 p.m. Sept. 18 (AP)Transformer glitch shuts down biggest atom smasher: The world's largest particle collider malfunctioned within hours of its launch to great fanfare, but its operator didn't report the problem for a week. SYDNEY, Australia, 2:31 p.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
100s of new creatures found on Australian reefs: Marine scientists have discovered hundreds of new animal species on reefs in Australian waters, including brilliant soft corals and tiny crustaceans, according to findings released Thursday. WASHINGTON, 1:03 p.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
For dinner: Genetically altered 'super chicken': Super Chicken strutted a step closer to the dinner table Thursday. The government said it will start considering proposals to sell genetically engineered animals as food, a move that could lead to faster-growing fish, cattle that can resist mad cow disease or perhaps heart-healthier eggs laid by a new breed of chickens. LOS ANGELES, 1:27 p.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
NASA extends Mars lander mission again: NASA is extending the Phoenix Mars mission again. The three-legged spacecraft has been digging trenches near the Martian north pole since landing on May 25 to study whether the site could have been favorable for microbial life to emerge.
WASHINGTON, 12:25 p.m. Sept. 18 (REUTERS)
Hormone discovery may help combat diabetes , study says: Scientists have identified a member of a new class of hormones produced by body fat that they think could lead to fresh approaches to combat diabetes and other conditions related to obesity.
WASHINGTON, 11:00 a.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
To save fish, promise fishermen their fair share: One way to help prevent overfishing may be to guarantee each fisherman a specified share of the catch, according to a new report.
LANDER, Wyo., 7:39 a.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
Wyo., Mont., Idaho wolf numbers dip: The population of gray wolves in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho apparently has shrunk for the first time in over a decade.
Sept. 18 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Is it going to rain or is it going to pour?: El Niño teased us for a while, but now it looks like the little guy has no intention of gracing us with his presence this winter. Without him, have our chances of a much-needed rainy year gone out the window?
Sept. 18 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
In just a slip of time, spring slips into fall: Autumn is nearly here. This year, the season officially begins Monday at 8:45 a.m. PDT. Many people think that the beginning of autumn occurs when the sun rises due east and sets due west, and when the length of our day and night are equal. And, as long as we don't concern ourselves with fine details, those are both reasonably true statements.
Sept. 18 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Questions answered: QUESTION: Could you inform me of the oldest possible estimates of the age of the Earth? – Ian Titan, San Diego
WASHINGTON, 7:31 a.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
Aspirin: Some plants like it, too: Aspirin is among the most popular remedies used by people. Turns out some plants like it, too.
SYDNEY, 6:00 a.m. Sept. 18 (REUTERS)
Reuters Science News Summary: Scientists using DNA have catalogued and described 100 new species of sharks and rays in Australian waters, which they said on Thursday would help conservation of the marine animals and aid in climate change monitoring.
FRESNO, 12:37 a.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
Scientists study endangered kangaroo rat habitat: Scientists plan to use satellite photos to count Giant Kangaroo Rats, the first-ever monitoring of an endangered species from outer space.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., 6:18 p.m. Sept. 17 (AP)
October launch date for Hubble threatened: The October launch date of NASA's shuttle flight to the Hubble Space Telescope is in jeopardy because of a problem with insulation on the replacement batteries for the telescope.
CHICAGO, 5:32 p.m. Sept. 17 (AP)
U.S. researchers call off controversial autism study: A government agency has dropped plans for a study of a controversial treatment for autism that critics had called an unethical experiment on children.
LONDON, 2:21 p.m. Sept. 16 (AP)
Scientists exhume British diplomat to study flu: Scientists have exhumed the body of a British diplomat who died of flu during the World War I-era pandemic that killed tens of millions around the world, hoping to find clues that might help fight a future global influenza outbreak.
WASHINGTON, 4:14 p.m. Sept. 15 (AP)
NASA awards $485M Mars project delayed by conflict: NASA chose a University of Colorado proposal for a $485 million Mars mission on Monday after a nine-month delay caused by a conflict of interest in the selection process. The delay cost the space agency time, money and science.
SACRAMENTO, 12:19 p.m. Sept. 16 (AP)
Agency expands protected habitat for Calif. frog: Federal wildlife officials say the California red-legged frog needs four times as much protected habitat than was set aside for it two years ago.
WASHINGTON, 10:47 a.m. Sept. 16 (AP)
Arctic sea ice melt comes close, but misses record: Crucial Arctic sea ice this summer shrank to its second lowest level on record, continuing an alarming trend, scientists said Tuesday.
WASHINGTON, 11:18 a.m. Sept. 16 (AP)
Federal study says grizzlies thriving in Montana: The majestic grizzly bear, once king of the Western wilderness but threatened with extinction for a third of a century, has roared back in Montana.
NEW YORK, 2:00 p.m. Sept. 13 (AP)
4 win prizes for cholesterol, other research: A Japanese scientist whose breakthrough research led to the most popular cholesterol drugs and four other scientists who made pioneering discoveries have won prestigious medical prizes.
Sept. 16 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Burnham awarded grant for Parkinson's research: LA JOLLA: The La Jolla-based Burnham Institute for Medical Research will announce today that it has received $8 million in federal money to study whether toxins in the environment cause Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder marked by severe trembling and stiffness.
PHOENIX, 12:59 a.m. Sept. 15 (AP)
Bat man comes to the rescue of, well, bats: He may not be caped, but in the bat world, Jason Corbett is definitely a crusader. Since January, the Arizona conservation biologist has taken on a specialized role that has him descending into mine shafts to ensure bats living underground don't become casualties of efforts to close abandoned mines across the Southwest.
Sept. 11 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Up, up and unweigh: Since Yuri Gagarin became the first human to slip Earth's surly bonds in 1961, fewer than 500 people have followed (space) suit. They have been astronauts and cosmonauts, by and large, who spent years in rigorous training for their missions.
Mars and more:
