March 10th 2010

Google adds bike lane with latest mapping feature
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) - Google is adding a bike lane with
its latest online mapping option.
The new bicycling directions available on Google Maps Wednesday
supplement the guidance already provided to motorists and
pedestrians. The biking directions initially will be available only
for the United States.
Google spent the past six months tweaking its mapping service so
it could recommend routes that would steer bicyclists away from big
hills and heavily congested streets.
The new feature makes Google the first major Internet mapping
service to provide bicycling directions.
Google's mapping service is the most popular in the U.S., with
more than 55 million visitors in February, according to comScore.

 

March 9th 2010

As Chile shook, cities rolled to the west a bit
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Earth really did move during the massive
Chile quake: Researchers say cities and islands physically shifted
west a bit.
Thanks to GPS, scientists at Ohio State University and the
University of Hawaii found that the city of Concepcion moved at
least 10 feet to the west. It is the nearest major city to last
month's quake,
Chile's capital, Santiago, moved just shy of a foot, and even
Buenos Aires, in Argentina, moved an inch. The Falkland Islands
also went a tad west.
Researcher Ben Brooks said this happens with every quake, but
usually it is too small to notice. This time with an 8.8 magnitude
whopper, the scientists saw a great deal of shifting.

 

March 3rd 2010

Scientist say variety of gut bacteria a good thing
WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists report finding roughly 170 types of
bacteria in the average person's gut. And they say that's a good
thing.
A study that catalogs all these bacteria found that people with
inflammatory bowel disease had fewer species of the microbes. Many
of these germs keep us healthy. There are at least 1,000 different
types of bacteria living in people's intestinal tracts. Scientists
found at least 57 that inhabit just about about everyone.
Their study is being published in the journal Nature.

 

March 2nd 2010

Chile earthquake may have shortened Earth's day
By MALCOLM RITTER
AP Science Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - Earth's days may have gotten a little bit
shorter since the earthquake in Chile. But don't feel bad if you
haven't noticed.
A NASA scientist says the difference would be only about
one-millionth of a second.
Richard Gross and his colleagues at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., calculated that Saturday's quake
shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds. A microsecond is
one-millionth of a second.
An earthquake can make Earth rotate faster by nudging some of
its mass closer to the planet's axis. That's the same way that ice
skaters speed up their spins by pulling in their arms.
The length of a day is the time it takes for the planet to
complete one rotation - 86,400 seconds or 24 hours.

 

Northwest at risk of earthquake like one in Chile
By ALICIA CHANG
AP Science Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The earthquake in Chile has brought new
attention to a dangerous undersea fault along the Pacific
Northwest.
The fault is capable of producing the same type of mega
earthquake as in Chile and inflicting heavy damage on cities like
Seattle, Portland and Vancouver.
The fault has been dormant for more than 300 years, but the
consequences could be devastating when it awakens. Poorly
constructed buildings could be toppled from Vancouver to Northern
California, and a tsunami could result from such a quake.
The fault is part of several seismic hotspots around the globe
where plates of the Earth's crust grind and dive. They are often
called subduction zones.

 

Apple suing phone maker HTC over iPhone patents...
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) - Apple is suing Taiwan's HTC, saying the
handset maker has violated patents related to the iPhone.
HTC Corp. was the first company to manufacture cell phone based
on Google Inc.'s Android operating system, which as emerged has a
significant competitor to the iPhone. It is also making the Nexus
One phone that Google is selling directly to consumers.
Apple Inc. says HTC has infringed on 20 of its patents covering
aspects of the iPhone's user interface and hardware.
In a statement Tuesday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said, "We can sit
by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can
do something about it. We've decided to do something about it."
HTC spokesman Linda Mills says the company hasn't had time to
review Apple's claims.

 

Authorities bust 3 in infection of 13M computers
By JORDAN ROBERTSON
AP Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Authorities have smashed one of the world's
biggest networks of virus-infected computers. It was a data vacuum
that stole credit cards and online banking credentials from as many
as 12.7 million poisoned PCs.
The "botnet" of infected computers included PCs inside more
than half of the Fortune 1,000 companies. More than 40 major banks
were infiltrated, according to investigators.
Spanish investigators, working with private computer-security
firms, have arrested the three alleged ringleaders of the so-called
Mariposa botnet, which appeared in December 2008 and grew into one
of the biggest weapons of cybercrime.
More arrests are expected soon in other countries. That is
unusual - the masterminds behind the biggest botnets aren't often
taken down.

 

February 16th 2010

King Tut felled by malaria and broken leg
By PAUL SCHEMM
Associated Press Writer
CAIRO (AP) - A DNA study published in a U.S. medical journal
says Egypt's famed King Tutankhamun suffered from a cleft palate
and club foot and died from complications from a broken leg
exacerbated by malaria.
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, is based on two years of DNA testing and CT
scans of 16 mummies, including Tutankhamun's.
The study says that because of multiple disorders, the young Tut
was likely a "frail king who needed canes to walk."
It says his death was likely from his broken leg, which
developed into "a life threatening condition when a malaria
infection occured."
Tut, who became pharaoh at the age of 10 in 1333 B.C., ruled for
just nine years until his death.

 

February 10th 2010

DNA suggests even ancient man had baldness issues
NEW YORK (AP) - Scientists have pieced together most of the DNA
of a man who lived in Greenland about 4,000 years ago.
They know a little bit about what he looked like -- and more.
An analysis of the DNA suggests that the man probably had brown
eyes, and darker skin than most Europeans.
He also had type A-positive blood -- and an increased chance of
going bald.
And, he had several biological adaptations for surviving in a
cold climate.
It's the first genome from an ancient human. And it shows the
potential for what one expert calls a time machine for learning
about the biology of people from thousands of years ago.
The research appears in the journal Nature.

 

January 27th 2010

Apple unveils $499 tablet with AT&T data plans
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Apple will sell its newly unveiled
tablet-style iPad starting at $499.
The iPad resembles an iPhone, but larger. Apple will sell some
iPad models with data plans from AT&T, with no contract required.
Apple Inc. will have to convince consumers, many of whom already
have Internet-connected phones, computers and TVs, that they'll
want to pay that much for such a device, when many small,
lightweight "netbooks" cost less than $400.
CEO Steve Jobs says the iPad will be better for reading books,
playing games and watching video than either a laptop or a smart
phone.
The initial price is likely to drop. Apple sold the first iPhone
for $599 but slashed the price to $399 after a few months,
upsetting early buyers.

 

January 27th 2010

Dino tail feathers were carrot colored, study says
WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists have known a lot about what
dinosaurs looked like -- but now, for the first time, they're
finding out what color one of the creatures was. At least part of
it was reddish-orange.
The first solid proof comes in the fossilized tail features of a
smallish, meat-eating dinosaur that was found in China
(Sinosauropteryx).
According to a paper published online in the journal Nature, the
125-million-year-old tail has the same internal cellular coloring
agents as the hair of a red-haired person.
The same finding offers what some outside experts say is even
more conclusive evidence that some dinosaurs had feathers -- which
would further link them to birds.
Drawings of dinosaurs show them in all sorts of hues, usually
duller Earth tones, but scientists have only speculated on their
coloring.

 

January 26th 2010

NH peak loses claim to world's fastest wind gust
By HOLLY RAMER
Associated Press Writer
CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire's Mount Washington has lost its
distinction as the site of the fastest wind gust ever recorded on
Earth.
The World Meteorological Organization says a review of climate
data turned up a 253 mph gust recorded in 1996 on Barrow Island in
Australia during Cyclone Olivia. That tops the 231 mph record set
atop Mount Washington in 1934.
Mount Washington Observatory director Scot Henley said Tuesday
that holding the record for so long was part of the observatory's
soul and that he's disappointed to lose it.
But he points out that Mount Washington still can claim to be
home to some of the world's worst weather. It regularly sees wind,
bitter cold, snow and freezing fog.

 

January 26th 2010

NASA ends effort to free rover from Martian sand
LOS ANGELES (AP) - NASA's Mars rover Spirit will rove no more.
The space agency said Tuesday that scientists have given up
trying to free Spirit, which has been trapped in soft sand since
last April. Instead, the focus will turn to tilting it to the north
so it can get enough sunlight on its solar panels to survive the
upcoming Martian winter.
Though Spirit's roving career has ended, it will still do
research stuck where it is as long as it has the energy.
Since landing on Mars in 2004, Spirit has trekked nearly five
miles and climbed a mountain as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Its
twin, Opportunity, continues to drive and explore.

 

January 22st 2010

Black bear on Internet gives birth to cub in Minn.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A researcher says Lily the black bear has
given birth to a cub in her den in northeastern Minnesota.
Biologist Lynn Rogers says Lily gave birth just after 11:30 a.m.
Central Time Friday in her den, which is equipped with a video
camera. He says it was difficult to see her giving birth, so he
based his conclusion on contortions the bear made, followed by her
"sweet grunts" that show concern for a cub.
Rogers and his North American Bear Center put a camera in Lily's
den outside Ely (EE'-lee), Minn., that streams her activity live
over the Internet.
Rogers says he doesn't know if the cub is male or female. He
says a bear's first litter is typically one or two cubs, so the
3-year-old Lily might go into labor and deliver a second cub.
---
On the Net:
North American Bear Center:
http://www.bear.org/website/visit-us/lily-den-cam.html

 

January 21st 2010

NASA: No word from Phoenix Mars lander
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - NASA says there's no word from the
Phoenix lander that is presumed to be frozen near the Martian north
pole.
The space agency said Thursday the Mars Odyssey spacecraft
passed over the Phoenix landing site 30 times during the last three
days and did not hear anything.
Scientists have said it is highly unlikely that Phoenix survived
the Martian winter. It landed on Mars in May 2008 and operated for
five months.
NASA will listen for Phoenix again next month.

 

January 20th 2010

Tetris passes 100 million paid mobile downloads
NEW YORK (AP) - Tetris is the best-selling mobile game of all
time, with more than 100 million paid downloads on cell phones
around the world.
That's according to the companies behind the 25-year-old game,
which plan to formally announce the milestone on Thursday.
Created by a Soviet programmer in 1984, Tetris rode to
popularity on the Game Boy in 1989. Millions of people have
continued to play it since, on gaming consoles and over the Web, as
well as on mobile devices.
The game's neat interface, simple controls and addictive nature
make it especially well-suited for mobile gadgets. These include
the iPhone as well as simple cell phones.
Blue Planet Software licenses Tetris to EA Mobile, a unit of
video game company Electronic Arts Inc.

 

January 20th 2010

Toyota secures lithium supply in Argentina
By DAN STRUMPF
AP Auto Writer
A key supplier of Toyota Motor Corp. has formed a partnership to
mine lithium in Argentina, a sign of the growing importance of the
metal which is critical in the production of next-generation
hybrids and electric cars.
Toyota Tsusho Corp. has partnered with the Australian miner
Orocobre Ltd. to develop a lithium mine in northwestern Argentina.
The companies announced the joint venture late Tuesday. Toyota
Tsusho is partly owned by Toyota Motor, based in Toyota City in
central Japan.
Lithium is a key component of cell phone and laptop batteries.
Its application is expected to grow in the coming years in plug-in
hybrids and pure-electric cars.
Toyota Tsusho is securing a low-cost loan from the Japanese
government to help fund 60 percent of the mining project.

 

January 20th 2010

Study links Asia to smog component in western US
By JEFF BARNARD
AP Environmental Writer
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - A new study finds that while U.S.
controls on air pollution have been driving down a major ingredient
of smog, ozone blowing over from Asia is raising background levels
over California and other western states.
Dan Jaffe is a professor of atmospheric chemistry at the
University of Washington-Bothell who contributed data to the study.
He says it is the first time Asian pollution has been directly
linked to ozone over the United States.
Lead author Owen Cooper, a research scientist at the University
of Colorado, says the amounts are small, and have been traced only
at middle altitudes.
But he says the amounts have been steadily rising since 1995,
and probably longer, and could complicate U.S. efforts to lower
ozone levels at home.

 

January 20th 2010

Microsoft backs AT&T, sues TiVo over TV technology
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Microsoft is backing AT&T in a patent
lawsuit that TiVo has filed against the phone company. Microsoft's
tactic: Filing a lawsuit of its own against TiVo.
Microsoft is suing TiVo for allegedly infringing on patents that
cover an on-screen TV guide and a technology for letting viewers
order and view shows. This comes in response to TiVo's lawsuit
against AT&T last year for allegedly infringing on a technology
that lets viewers pause and rewind live TV.
Microsoft's Mediaroom software is used in AT&T's set-top boxes
and the company could be held financially liable if TiVo prevails.
TiVo has also sued Verizon over the same patents and won a
string of court victories against Dish Network. That case is being
appealed.

 

January 13th 2010

Male chromosome evolves faster than rest of genome
By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Researchers say the chromosome that makes a
man male is evolving faster than the rest of the genetic
instruction book.
Women may not buy that. But a new study says it's true.
Scientists found a big 30 percent difference in the Y chromosomes
of male chimps and men, suggesting dramatic evolution in comparison
to the full human genome.
Lead study author Karen Hughes offers some words of caution,
however: Just because the Y chromosome is rapidly evolving doesn't
necessarily mean men themselves are more evolved.
The results are in a study appearing online Wednesday in the
journal Nature.

  

January 5th 2010

ESPN-3-D SPORTS CHANNEL
NEW YORK (AP) - ESPN is looking to ride one of the next big
waves in consumer electronics with a new 3-D sports channel.
The network, owned by the Walt Disney Co., says it will
introduce a channel this year that will broadcast live sports
events using the technology. It will begin with the FIFA World Cup
soccer match on June 11.
The channel will not operate 24 hours a day, but plans to run at
least 85 live events in its first year.
Major electronics makers such as Sony Corp. plan to bring 3-D TV
sets to market soon, duplicating the 3-D trend that is being seen
in the movie industry.

 

January 5th 2010

Hubble photo shows galaxies from toddler universe
By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a
snapshot of when the universe was just a toddler, 600 million years
after the Big Bang, the earliest image yet.
Astronomers Tuesday released their most complete picture of the
early universe, gazing back as far as possible in time and
distance. The photo shows galaxies with stars that are already
hundreds of millions of years old, but with the unmistakable
primordial signs of the first cluster of stars.
The Hubble picture captures those distant simpler galaxies
juxtaposed amid closer, newer and more evolved ones. The result is
a cosmic family photo that portrays galaxies at different ages and
stages of development over the course of more than 13 billion
years.
http://hubblesite.org

 

January 4th 2010

Planet-hunting telescope unearths hot mysteries
WASHINGTON (AP) - NASA's impressive new planet-hunting telescope
has found two mystery objects that are too hot to be planets and
too small to be stars.
The Kepler Telescope, launched in March, discovered the two new
heavenly bodies, each circling its own star. Telescope chief
scientist Bill Borucki (Bah-ROO-kee) of NASA said the objects are
thousands of degrees hotter than the stars they circle. That means
they probably aren't planets. They are bigger and hotter than
planets in our solar system, including dwarf planets.
The new discoveries don't fit into any definition of known
astronomical objects, and so far don't have a classification of
their own. Details about the mystery objects were presented Monday
at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington.

 

December 9th 2009

Atom smasher catches 1st high-energy collisions
GENEVA (AP) - Another step forward for the world's biggest atom smasher.
A spokeswoman says it's recorded its first high-energy collisions of protons.

Scientists hope the collisions will help them understand phenomena

such as dark matter, antimatter, and even the creation of the universe.
The collisions occurred yesterday evening as the Large Hadron Collider in

Switzerland underwent test runs in preparation for operations next year.

 

December 8th 2009

Hubble spies never-before-seen galaxies
WASHINGTON (AP) - The refurbished Hubble Space Telescope has
spotted what may be the oldest galaxies yet.
The image released Tuesday by NASA was captured this summer by
Hubble's newly installed wide field camera. The new camera allows
the telescope to peer deeper into the cosmos and understand how
galaxies formed in the universe's early history.
Astronomers said the galaxies in the image formed 600 million
years after the Big Bang, which scientists think led to the
creation of the universe.

Click here to peer back in time...
http://hubblesite.org

 November 11th 2009

Watch concerts free online at BillboardLive.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A new Web site allows music lovers to watch
concerts for free online, choosing from five different camera
angles as they watch.
BillboardLive.com says its new concert-viewing Web site offers
visitors different perspectives on performances by Alicia Keys,
Usher, David Archuleta, Daughtry and other artists yet to be
announced.
Music fans can select from five different views as they take in
full concerts by these artists, focusing solely on the drummer or
guitarist if they choose.
The site also allows visitors to use Twitter or Facebook during
the Webcast without leaving the show. The application is also
available on the iPhone. New concerts will be added through
February.
Founder Michael Williams says the site is "reconnecting artists
with their fans, for free."

 

October 27th 2009

Music service Lala heralds MP3-killing iPhone app
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Online music retailer Lala is preparing an
iPhone program that its co-founder says paves the way for the end
of downloading songs in the MP3 format.
The app allows users to buy the right to stream songs forever
for just 10 cents each. The song quality is lower than what Apple's
iTunes offers, but the tracks load and play in seconds, with
playback possible even outside of cell phone coverage.
Lala hopes to launch the app next month, pending approval from
Apple.

 

October 26th 2009

Statistics experts reject global cooling claims
By SETH BORENSTEIN
WASHINGTON (AP) - An analysis of global temperatures by
independent statisticians shows the Earth is still warming and not
cooling as some global warming skeptics are claiming.
The analysis was conducted at the request of The Associated
Press. Talk of a cooling trend has been spreading on the Internet,
fueled by some news reports, a new book, and temperatures that have
been cooler in a few recent years.
The statisticians, reviewing two sets of temperature data, found
no trend of falling temperatures over time.
U.S. government data show that the decade that ends in December
will be the warmest in 130 years of record-keeping and 2005 was the
hottest year recorded.

 

October 14th 2009

New Wi-Fi technology to let gadgets talk directly
SEATTLE (AP) - Starting in mid-2010, new versions of gadgets
like cameras, cell phones and computers will be able to talk to
each other using Wi-Fi without needing to connect to a wireless
network first.
The Wi-Fi Alliance, an industry group, said Wednesday it is
nearly finished putting together set of technical "rules" that
guide consumer electronics companies that plan to add the new
capability. For instance, it would let people send pictures
directly to digital photo frames, the television and the printer.

 

October 6th 2009

Hold the mayo? Not when it comes to astute pilots
By DAVE KOLPACK
Associated Press Writer
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - Running a marathon, grab a carbohydrate
bar. Lifting weights, gulp a protein shake. But climbing into a
fighter jet? Try butter-soaked lobster.
That was the surprising finding of a new military-funded study
that sought to figure out what types of foods were best for pilots
if missions restricted when and what they could eat.
University of North Dakota researchers tested student pilots and
found that those who ate the fattiest foods had the quickest
response times in mental tests. They also made fewer mistakes when
flying in tricky conditions.
Those on a high-carbohydrate diet came in a close second and
high-protein dieters were third.
Follow-up tests will begin this spring to determine how elements
in the food and other factors affected the results.

 

October 1st 2009
Police use acoustic warfare to disperse crowds
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The debate is on in Pittsburgh over a police
tactic used to disperse protesters.
Police used a device that can beam earsplitting alarm tones and
verbal instructions that the manufacturer likens to a "spotlight
of sound," but that legal groups called potentially dangerous.
The Long Range Acoustic Device concentrates voice commands and a
car alarm-like sound in a 30- or 60-degree cone that can be heard
nearly two miles away.
Police used the device to order demonstrators to disperse and to
play a high-pitched "deterrent tone" designed to drive people
away.
Those who heard it said authorities' voice commands were clear
and described the "deterrent tone" as unbearable.
A legal observer for the National Lawyer's Guild, said he was
overwhelmed by the tone and called it "overkill."

October 1st 2009
Before Lucy came Ardi, new earliest hominid found
WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists are rethinking the theory that
humans evolved from an ancient chimp-like creature.
Studies of a 4.4 million-year-old skeleton called "Ardi"
suggest that chimps and humans actually evolved from some long-ago
common ancestor, but each evolved and changed separately along the
way.
Tim White of the University of California, Berkeley says Ardi
isn't the common ancestor, "but it's the closest we have ever been
able to come."
Ardi's bones were discovered in Ethiopia in 1994. The 110-pound,
4-foot female roamed forests a million years before the famous
Lucy, who has long been studied as the earliest skeleton of a human
ancestor.
Research indicates Ardi lived in the woodlands and could climb
on all fours along tree branches, but on the ground could walk
upright, on two legs.
Ardi has many traits that do not appear in modern-day African
apes, leading to the conclusion that the apes evolved extensively
since we shared that last common ancestor.
The findings are detailed in 11 research papers published by the
journal Science.

September 24th 2009
Big earthquake rattled Utah 500 years ago
By MIKE STARK
Associated Press Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Geologists say a major quake could strike
at any time in Utah, with new research showing the last large
temblor along the Wasatch Front was more recent than previously
thought.
The Utah Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey say in a
study released Thursday that an earthquake about 500 years ago tore
a deep gash along a 35-mile segment of the fault.
The Utah Geological Survey's Christopher DuRoss says the quake
was likely a magnitude 6.5 or 7 - large enough to cause major
damage if it occurred today.
Previous research indicated the last major quake in the area was
800 to 1,500 years ago. Researchers also found evidence of large
quakes about every 1,500 years going back 10,000 years.

September 24th 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - A United Nations update says Earth's
temperature is likely to jump nearly 6 more degrees by 2100 even if
every country cuts greenhouse gas emissions as planned.
Scientists looked at emission plans from 192 nations and
calculated what would happen to global warming. The projections
even take into account 80 percent pollution cuts from the U.S. and
Europe, which are not sure things. The U.S. figure is based on a
bill that passed the House of Representatives but is running into
resistance in the Senate.
Scientists said China's pollution accounts for nearly 2 degrees
of increase.
The update also said sea level rise and loss of Arctic sea ice
looks to be worse than projected just two years ago.

September 24th 2009
Spacecraft spies frozen water in Martian craters
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - A spacecraft orbiting Mars has spotted
frozen water in several craters midway between the north pole and
equator.
Instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter estimated that
the newfound ice is 99 percent pure.
It's the first time ice so close to the surface has been
discovered so far south on the red planet, and it comes as a
surprise to scientists.
Previous spacecraft have spied ice lurking below the Martian
surface. Before the Phoenix lander froze to death last year, it dug
trenches and touched ice specks at its arctic landing site.
Last year, radar observations from the Reconnaissance Orbiter
pointed to the presence of buried glaciers in the Martian
mid-latitudes.
The findings are in tomorrow's issue of the journal Science.

September 24th 2009
Butterfly antennas key to navigating in migration
WASHINGTON (AP) - How do millions of Monarch butterflies find
their way to Mexico?
The secret of the migration has puzzled scientists -- but now,
they may have the answer. It turns out the butterflies' antennas
help them get there.
Researchers proved this, by painting butterfly antennas black.
And those butterflies got lost.
Like most animals, Monarchs have a so-called circadian clock in
their brain that helps them know what time it is. Knowing the time
and the position of the sun allows them to orient to the south.
A new study finds that they have a second clock based in their
antennas, which also sense light.
Dr. Steven Reppert of the University of Massachussetts says this
type of knowledge will help reveal more about how the human brain
works.
The research appears in the journal Science.

September 17th 2009
Coldest place in the solar system? Right nearby...
WASHINGTON (AP) - Astronomers have found the coldest spot in our
solar system and it may be a little close for comfort. It's on our
moon, right nearby.
NASA is making the first ever temperature map of the moon. They
found that at the moon's south pole, it's colder than far away
Pluto. The area is inside craters that are permanently shadowed so
they never see sun.
Temperatures there were measured at 397 degrees below zero.
That's just 35 degrees higher than the lowest temperature possible.
It's also about a degree chillier than what's been found on
Pluto.
The information is from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
which started its science mission last week.

September 17th 2009
Arctic sea ice melt still heavy, but no record
WASHINGTON (AP) - The summer melt of Arctic sea ice wasn't quite
as bad this year as the last two years. But it still ranked as the
third biggest melt on record.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center announced Thursday that
the Arctic sea ice reached its annual low last week. Ice extended
just shy of 2 million square miles. That's 620,000 square miles
less than the 30-year average.
But there was more ice this September than the record low set in
2007 - about one-third of a million square miles more. Last year
ranked No. 2.
Arctic sea ice is important because it helps moderate warmer
temperatures elsewhere. Experts blame global warming for the
increased melting of sea ice and fear that eventually no sea ice
will survive the summer.

September 9th, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - A refurbished Hubble Space Telescope is
showing Earth the sharpest photos yet of cosmic beauty, complete
with heavenly glows.
NASA on Wednesday unveiled the first deep space photos taken by
Hubble since its billion dollar repair mission last spring. That
work included installing two new cameras, other science instruments
and replacing broken parts.
The images of galaxies and nebulas are sharper than previous
photos taken of the same places by Hubble before the upgrade. Some
of the colorful images have brilliant glows of light that give them
halos that to some people can appear heavenly.
Earlier this summer, Hubble took pictures of Jupiter when an
asteroid or comet hit it.
---
On the Net:
NASA's Hubble page:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/multimedia/ero/index.html

August 27th 2009
Researchers: Pacific trash possibly killing fish
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Researchers say a Texas-sized garbage patch in
the Pacific Ocean is possibly killing marine life and birds that
are ingesting the trash.
Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography on Thursday
announced findings from an August expedition to the Great Pacific
Garbage Patch, about 1,000 miles west of California. The patch is a
vortex formed by ocean currents and collects human-produced trash.
Among researchers' findings were confetti-like plastic shards
and barnacles clinging to water bottles. The scientists say they
will analyze the trash to determine the density of the patch and
its consequences for sea creatures.
They worry marine life is dying from ingesting plastic, which
does not biodegrade but breaks into small pieces.

August 26th 2009
NEW YORK (AP) - An experimental technique that might keep women
from passing certain genetic diseases on to their children is
proving successful in monkeys.
It involves the part of the egg called the mitochondria
(my-toh-KAHN'-dree-uh). Most DNA is in the nucleus of the egg, but
there is some in the mitochondria. If it's defective, offspring can
develop one of a number of fatal illnesses.
Researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University
transplanted normal DNA from the nucleus of a female monkey with
flawed mitochondria into donor eggs that have healthy mitochondria.
Healthy monkeys resulted.
An authority on mitochondria who wasn't involved in the
experiment says the results are exciting, but that there are safety
issues.
One researcher expects regulatory hurdles because the method
would change the DNA inherited by future generations.


August 25th 2009
Union wants ban on lithium batteries in cargo
By JOAN LOWY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The world's largest pilots union wants the
federal government to ban the shipment of lithium batteries on
passenger and cargo planes.
The Air Line Pilots Association said in a statement on Tuesday
that there have been three incidents in the past two months in with
lithium battery shipments caused fires aboard U.S. airliners. It
said the incidents took place in Minneapolis, Honolulu and Santo
Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
John Prater, the union's president, said there is clear evidence
the danger is increasing and an immediate ban is warranted to
protect airline passengers, crew and cargo. If the batteries
short-circuit, they can produce intense heat and even explode.


August 20th 2009
World's ocean temps warmest recorded
By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The world's oceans this summer are the

warmest on record. The National Climatic Data Center,

the government agency that keeps weather records, says the

average global ocean temperature in July was 62.6 degrees.

That's the hottest since record-keeping began in 1880.

The previous record was set in 1998. Meteorologists blame a

combination of a natural El Nino weather pattern on top of

worsening manmade global warming. The warmer water could

add to the melting of sea ice and possibly strengthen some hurricanes.

August 14th 2009
NEW YORK (AP) - Verizon Wireless says it has completed the first
calls using a brand-new network that's planned to go live next
year, offering faster Internet speeds.
The calls were made Friday in Boston and earlier in Seattle,
using cell-tower equipment from Alcatel-Lucent and LM Ericsson AB.
Prototype tablet-style handheld devices from LG Electronics Inc.
and Samsung Electronics Co. dialed in.
The calls used the 700 megahertz frequency band, just recently
freed up for cellular use after being assigned to TV stations.
Verizon Wireless' chief technology officer, Tony Melone, says
the trials gave confidence that the commercial launch would yield
average download speeds of 7 to 12 megabits per second, faster than
current wireless broadband.

August 11th 2009
DETROIT (AP) - General Motors Corp. says its Chevrolet Volt
rechargeable electric car should get 230 miles per gallon of
gasoline in city driving.
The Volt is powered by an electric motor and a battery pack with
a 40-mile range. After that, a small gasoline engine kicks in to
generate electricity. It's due in showrooms in November of 2010.
Volt project manager Tony Posawatz says GM made the calculation
of 230 miles in tests using a draft set of guidelines from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. GM says the Volt should be the
first car to break into triple-digit gas mileage when the figure is
confirmed in EPA tests.

August 3rd 2009
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Power generated by utility customers
from their own solar photovoltaic systems is still a tiny fraction
of Sunshine State's electric needs but it's growing fast.
The Florida Public Service Commission on Monday reported 577
customers last year together could generate up to 2,830 kilowatt
hours - enough to power 700 households.
Of the total, 383 customers were connected to Florida's five
investor-owned utilities. That's up from just 99 in 2007.
Municipal systems had 137 connections and rural cooperatives had
57 in 2008. It's the first year they've been included in the tally.
If customers generate more electricity than they use the surplus
goes into the power grid and they get a credit on their next bill.

August 3rd 2009
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) - Central Michigan University
students have developed a cane equipped with the same technology
retailers use to tag merchandise to prevent theft. They say it could

help the blind avoid obstacles and reach their destinations.
The "Smart Cane" comes from an engineering professor and five
students taking his spring term course.
It is able to read electronic navigational tags installed to aid the blind.
The Smart Cane contains an ultrasonic sensor that is paired with
a miniature navigational system inside a shoulder bag.
Project leader and professor Kumar Yelamarthi says it's one of
the first outdoor applications of Radio Frequency Identification
technology. Future classes will further refine the system.

July 27th 2009
OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) - Virgin Group's billionaire chairman Richard
Branson says he hopes to have a spaceship ready in time to take his
92-year-old father and 89-year-old mother into space with him.
He said Monday he promised they could come.
Branson is at the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual
AirVenture convention. He spoke to The Associated Press while
waiting for Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo to land.
That plane is designed to carry a spacecraft to 50,000 feet,
where the spaceship will then detach and rocket into space.
Branson says most people never thought this would ever be a
reality. He says he still pinches himself when he realizes he's
only a couple years away from becoming an astronaut.

July 9th 2009
Mysterious tremors detected on San Andreas Fault
By ALICIA CHANG
AP Science Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Scientists say they have detected a spike in
underground rumblings on a section of California's San Andreas
Fault that produced the 1857 magnitude-7.8 earthquake.
What these mysterious vibrations say about future earthquakes is
far from certain.
But some think the deep tremors suggest underground stress may
be building up faster than expected and may indicate an increased
risk of a major temblor.
The new study by scientists at the University of California,
Berkeley appear in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Could eating less extend your life?
It seems to work for monkeys. A 20-year study of rhesus monkeys
found cutting calories by almost a third slowed their aging and
fended off death.
It backs up what scientists have long known about mice, worms
and flies, that their lifespan can be extended by deep, long-term
cuts in what should be normal consumption.
And the study found the monkeys didn't just live longer, they
were healthier.
The calorie-cut monkeys had less than half the incidence of
cancerous tumors or heart disease as the monkeys who ate normally.
Brain scans showed less age-related shrinkage in the dieting
monkeys. They also retained more muscle, something else that tends
to waste with age.
The question for scientists now is whether that kind of
calorie-cutting would have a similar effect on humans.
The study on monkeys living at the Wisconsin National Primate
Center appears in the journal Science.

July 7th 2009
Satellite shows big thinning of old Arctic sea ice
By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - New NASA satellite measurements show that
sea ice in the Arctic is more than just shrinking in area, it is
dramatically thinning.
The volume of older crucial sea ice in the Arctic has shrunk by
57 percent from the winter of 2004 to 2008. That's losing more
volume of ice than water in Lake Michigan.
NASA scientist Jay Zwally said global warming is to blame. He
said rapidly shrinking sea ice in the Arctic warms the rest of the
globe indirectly. Older ice is more important in the Arctic because
it is thicker, surviving the heat of summer and building over time.

Study: Saturn moon has liquid water below surface
June 24th 2009
By MALCOLM RITTER
AP Science Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - Scientists have found new evidence that one of Saturn's moons
has an ocean beneath its surface. That's important because liquid water is a key
ingredient for life. The moon is an icy body called Enceladus (en-SELL-uh-duss.)
It gives off huge plumes of water vapor and ice grains, and scientists used the
Cassini spacecraft to sample material from those jets. They found particles
containing sodium salts, which indicates that the plumes arise from liquid water.
But a second team of scientists found no sign of sodium with a different sampling
method. They concluded there could still be a deep ocean on Enceladus, but that
there are also other possible explanations for the moon's jets. Both papers are
reported in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)