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Bronze Age Facebook(Phys.org) -- Large clusters of rock art spanning thousands of years but located at the same site may hold key to detecting massive cultural changes in prehistoric hunter-gatherers of the north.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 12:27
Hubble spies edge-on beauty
(Phys.org) -- Visible in the constellation of Andromeda, NGC 891 is located approximately 30 million light-years away from Earth. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope turned its powerful wide field Advanced Camera for Surveys towards this spiral galaxy and took this close-up of its northern half. The galaxy's central bulge is just out of the image on the bottom left.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 12:27
Extracting fuels and chemicals from plant life
Concerns over increasing global energy demand and the environmental impacts of fossil fuels are motivating the worlds researchers to try to develop alternative, renewable sources of energy.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 12:27
A necessity or a danger? Why we love and hate our credit cards
A new University of Sydney study has revealed the full extent of Australia's love-hate relationship with credit cards and those who use them.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 12:27
The real cost of coal is quickly adding up
"Cheap coal" is a myth. And like all myths, we accept its wisdom without thinking.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 12:23
Jack Ma: English teacher turned Internet billionaire
After being knocked back by American venture capitalists in 1999, Jack Ma -- a cash-strapped entrepreneur -- convinced friends to give him $60,000 to start Chinese online retailer Alibaba.com.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 12:23
From lemons to lemonade: Reaction uses carbon dioxide to make carbon-based semiconductor
(Phys.org) -- A materials scientist at Michigan Technological University has discovered a chemical reaction that not only eats up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, it also creates something useful. And, by the way, it releases energy.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 12:15
Researchers develop food aid decision-making tool
Shipping food to foreign countries may not always be the best response to food crises; sometimes sending cash or procuring goods locally is cheaper, faster and more effective.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 12:11
The Stats on Statins: Should Healthy Adults Over 50 Take Them?
Everyone over 50 should take statins to lower their cholesterol, an editorial argued last week in The Lancet . The piece based its recommendation on a meta-analysis of 27 clinical trials published in the same issue that concluded statins significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events in healthy people without posing substantial risks. Subsequent articles heralding the meta-analysis's findings were published in the Guardian , Forbes and the U.K. Telegraph . But based on the numbers, many experts still aren't convinced that the drugs' benefits outweigh their risks.
[More]Scientific American | 21-May-2012 12:09
California Considers DNA Privacy Law
California lawmakers are weighing a bill aimed at protecting their state's citizens from surreptitious genetic testing but scientists are voicing their growing concerns that, if passed, such a law would have a costly and damaging effect on research.
[More]Scientific American | 21-May-2012 11:54
Storms lash Cannes, soaking film stars
Lashing wind and rain damaged the roof of a Cannes screening room, organisers said Monday, after soaked stars were left shivering on the red-carpet by a freak storm at the Riviera film festival.
Unseasonably heavy rains beat down on the French city on Sunday night, forcing the cancellation of a 65th-anniversary fireworks display and leaving festival goers huddling under their umbrellas in puddles of water.
france24.com | 21-May-2012 11:45
Spain denies need for external bank aid
Spain denied Monday it needs any foreign help for its banks, which are staggering under the mass of loans that turned sour after a 2008 property crash.
"No external help of any kind is needed," Economy Minister Luis de Guindos told reporters at a forum in Madrid.
Just 10 days earlier, the government instructed banks to set aside an extra 30 billion euros ($38 billion) in 2012 in case property-related loans go bad.
That was on top of 53.8 billion euros in provisions required under reforms enacted in February.
france24.com | 21-May-2012 11:45
Air France-KLM 'to cut 5,000 jobs'
Air France-KLM, the struggling Franco-Dutch airline group, is looking to cut 5,000 jobs over three years, with about half through voluntary payoffs, French daily Le Figaro reported on Monday.
According to the newspaper, Air France-KLM management is counting on 800 people leaving the company through normal attrition, but will also open a voluntary buyout offer for all personnel, including pilots.
Another French news media, La Tribune.fr, said the buyout offer would affect 2,500 to 3,000 jobs.
france24.com | 21-May-2012 11:45
Wildfires Persist in Southwest, Fed by Dry Brush
By Mike Saucier
PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona wildfire whipped up by winds and dry conditions threatened to trigger more evacuations on Sunday, just as firefighters were nearly done battling the biggest of four blazes in the state.
Fires in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado have forced the evacuation of several small towns and torched more than 65 square miles (168 square km) of forest, brush and grass in the U.S. [More]
Scientific American | 21-May-2012 11:39
Syrian forces 'kill 9 deserters in Damascus'
Syrian forces ambushed and killed nine army deserters near a north Damascus suburb as fighting between armed rebels and troops raged around the capital during the night, a monitoring group said Monday.
The deserters were killed as they were retreating under cover of darkness from the village of Jisr al-Ab near Damascus's Douma suburb, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The watchdog had on Sunday reported fighting between rebels and regime troops near Douma, during which a rocket-propelled grenade exploded near a team of UN observers.
france24.com | 21-May-2012 11:25
Skywatchers Hot for 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse
A rare solar eclipse is darkening skies from China to Texas today (May 20), and has crowds of eager skywatchers and photographers hoping to see the sun transform into a dazzling "ring of fire."
[More]Scientific American | 21-May-2012 11:24
Guatemala Volcano Spits Lava and Ash
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemala's Fuego volcano belched burning lava and black ash into the sky early Saturday, leading the government to issue an airplane advisory and close sections of highway.
The volcano, about 25 miles southwest of the capital, erupted about 2:45 a.m. [More]
Scientific American | 21-May-2012 11:09
Anelka threatens to leave Shenhua - report
French striker Nicolas Anelka has threatened to leave Shanghai Shenhua, a state-backed newspaper said Monday, in a sign relations with his Chinese club may have soured.
Speaking in an interview with the Xinmin Evening News, Shanghai's main evening newspaper, Anelka criticised a lack of support from the club.
"If there is still no one to support me and (they) continue to play little tricks behind my back... then I will quickly decide whether or not to retire," he said, in comments published by the newspaper in Chinese.
france24.com | 21-May-2012 11:05
EPA Outlines Risks in Proposed Mine in Alaska's Copper-Rich Bristol Bay
By Yereth Rosen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Large stretches of salmon-spawning streams and thousands of acres of wetlands would be wiped out if a large-scale mining project were to be built in southwestern Alaska's copper-rich Bristol Bay region, according to a report issued Friday by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The report, while not directly addressing it, is a potential blow to the massive Pebble copper and gold mine operation proposed by an international alliance of mining interests, and opposed by environmentalists and local native groups.
Risks from building and operating such a big mine, or series of mines, range from the near-certain loss of wetlands and streams and chronic water pollution to a remote possibility of a catastrophic breach in a tailings dam planned to be taller than the Washington Monument, the report said.
The report uses elements of the Pebble plan and other information about modern mining practices to project a future scenario, an EPA manager said Friday, but the agency made it clear it is not pre-judging the Pebble mine issue.
"EPA's draft study does not provide an in-depth assessment of any specific mining project, but instead assesses the potential environmental impacts associated with mining activities," the EPA wrote in a statement on its website. [More]
Scientific American | 21-May-2012 10:54
Digital media brings erotic books out of the closet
It seems like yesterday that women's erotica was something to be read in private under the sheets. But no more.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 10:51
Eclipse crosses Asia, US: Millions look skyward
From a park near Albuquerque, to the top of Japan's Mount Fuji, to the California coast the effect was dramatic: The moon nearly blotting out the sun creating a blazing "ring of fire."
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 10:49
Reports: Nasdaq 'embarrassed' at Facebook delay
(AP) -- The CEO of the Nasdaq stock exchange says it is "humbly embarrassed" by its bungling of Facebook's hugely anticipated debut as a public company on Friday.
PhysicsOrg | 21-May-2012 10:47
Three climbers die on Everest
Three climbers died as they descended from the summit of Mount Everest on Sunday, tour agents and officials said, bringing the season's death toll to five on the world's highest peak.
A German and South Korean died on the mountain's south face on Sunday, Ang Tshering Sherpa of the Kathmandu-based Asian Trekking adventure agency said on Monday.
Tilak Pandey, a tourism ministry official at the Everest base camp, told AFP separately that a Nepali-born Canadian woman named Shriya Shah had also been killed on Sunday.
france24.com | 21-May-2012 10:45
Eclipse crosses Asia, US: Millions look skyward
From a park near Albuquerque, to the top of Japan's Mount Fuji, to the California coast the effect was dramatic: The moon nearly blotting out the sun creating a blazing "ring of fire" eclipse.
Yahoo! News | 21-May-2012 10:36
USDA lifts mad cow quarantines
A quarantine placed on two California farms under investigation for mad cow disease has been lifted, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday.
Topix.net | 21-May-2012 09:06
Rare 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse: First Photos
Yahoo! News | 21-May-2012 05:51
Solar eclipse projects 'ring of fire'
This image shows the "triple play" of space events in May and June this year. The left part of the image shows the "perigee moon" we had on May 5, when the moon was at its closest to earth and brightest this year.
Topix.net | 21-May-2012 04:51
Skywatchers Hot for 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse
Yahoo! News | 21-May-2012 03:11
Elusive 'Asian Unicorn' Faces Extinction
Yahoo! News | 21-May-2012 02:18
Despite Legal Challenge, Tyrannosaur Sells for $1 million
Yahoo! News | 21-May-2012 02:13
Despite Legal Challenge, Tyrannosaur Sells for $1 million
The rare specimen has been sold, but with some legal strings attached.
livescience.com | 21-May-2012 01:27
Slight earth tremor felt in East Texas
A slight earthquake was registered in East Texas near the Louisiana border, four days after a sharper shock struck the area.
Topix.net | 21-May-2012 00:47
LIVE Q&BA Hangout for the eclipse | Bad Astronomy
[UPDATE: The hangout's over. Thanks to all who watched! I'll have the YouTube video up as soon as I can!]
I know this is last minute, but I decided to do a live Hangout on Google+ to talk about the solar eclipse. I’ve embedded the video below if you want to watch. If you want to ask questions, go to the link above or send me something on Twitter. If you leave a comment here I won’t see it!
discovermagazine.com | 21-May-2012 00:39
When Should Schools Start in the morning?
This is not really a new post. But it is not exactly a re-publishing of an old post either. It is a lightly edited mashup or compilation of excerpts from several old posts – I hope it all makes sense this way, all in one place. The sources of material are these old posts:
Sleep Schedules in Adolescents (March 26, 2006) [More]
Scientific American | 21-May-2012 00:01
What Is It?
The honeycomb lattice is one of nature’s favorite patterns. In the two-dimensional crystal of carbon atoms known as graphene, for instance, the honeycomb structure arises from bonds among the atoms. Kenjiro K. Gomes of Stanford University and his colleagues have learned to make a honeycomb material in a striking new way. They place carbon monoxide molecules at regular intervals on the surface of a copper crystal, creating an imitation graphene layer. (The added molecules appear as black dots.)
[More]Scientific American | 20-May-2012 23:46
Climate scientists say they have solved riddle of rising sea
Massive extraction of groundwater can resolve a puzzle over a rise in sea levels in past decades, scientists in Japan said on Sunday.
PhysicsOrg | 20-May-2012 23:31
Why Tariffs on Chinese Photovoltaics Are Bad for the Planet
This week, the U.S. government slapped tariffs (pdf) of more than 31 percent on the price of solar cells made by Chinese companies that cooperated with a recent probe. Those companies that stayed mum face even higher tariffs--as much as 250 percent.
[More]Scientific American | 20-May-2012 23:31
Facebook stock limps into Monday
Facebook resumes trading on Wall Street on Monday with shares being closely watched to see how well they stand on their own after stumbling out of the gate in a historic but lackluster debut.
PhysicsOrg | 20-May-2012 23:30
Pakistan blocks Twitter over contentious tweets
(AP) -- Pakistan blocked the social networking website Twitter for much of Sunday because it refused to remove tweets considered offensive to Islam, said one of the country's top telecommunications officials.
PhysicsOrg | 20-May-2012 23:29
Reports: Yahoo nears deal to sell stake in Alibaba
(AP) -- Yahoo Inc. may finally be nearing a deal to sell a part of its prized stake in the major Chinese e-commerce provider Alibaba.
PhysicsOrg | 20-May-2012 23:28
Napoli end Juve run with Italian Cup triumph
Juventus' record-breaking 43-match undefeated run came to an end on Sunday when Napoli won the Italian Cup 2-0.
Serie A champions Juventus saw their hopes of a league and cup double shattered by two second-half goals, with defeat particularly painful for skipper Alessandro Del Piero, who was playing the last match of his 19-year career with the club.
Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute when goalkeeper Marco Storari brought down Ezequiel Lavezzi.
It was Cavani's 33rd goal of the season.
france24.com | 20-May-2012 23:25
Anxious finish for Montpellier as PSG win
Montpellier were left needing a draw at Auxerre to claim their first ever Ligue 1 title on Sunday after a protest by home fans held up their final match and second-placed Paris Saint-Germain won 2-1 at Lorient.
Auxerre fans threw tennis balls and toilet rolls onto the pitch at Stade Abbe Deschamps in protest at their club's relegation, which held up the second half by 15 minutes.
Montpellier were drawing 1-1 with around 20 minutes remaining when home fans threw flares onto the pitch, forcing the players to go off again.
france24.com | 20-May-2012 23:05
S. Korea think tank cuts 2012 growth outlook
South Korea's state-run think tank Sunday cut the nation's growth forecast for this year to 3.6 percent from 3.8 percent estimated in November, citing weakening demand amid a global slowdown.
The Korea Development Institute, in its twice-yearly economic forecast report, said however the global economy would likely pick up pace in 2013 to help Asia's fourth-largest economy to expand 4.1 percent that year.
france24.com | 20-May-2012 23:05
Spain to pick bank audit firms on Monday: PM
Spain will pick on Monday two independent auditing firms that will look at how deeply the country's banks are exposed to the collapsed real estate sector, the prime minister said on Sunday.
Mariano Rajoy, speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago, told reporters that he expected the results of the audit to be released in a month.
Amid growing concerns that Spain may need help from eurozone partners to save its banks, Rajoy spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel for an hour and half during a boat trip on the Chicago River, a German official said.
france24.com | 20-May-2012 22:45
Syrian monodrama mocks Assad reforms
Audiences in the UAE, mostly Syrian expats, have been receiving "Spring Sonata," a one-man show mocking Syria's promised programme of reforms in the face of an uprising with tears and applause.
The monodrama, inspired by Ingmar Bergman's 1978 film "Autumn Sonata," tells the story of Issam, a history professor banned from teaching for having refused to forge the grades of a high-ranking Syrian official's daughter.
"You have destroyed the country ... You have destroyed values," he tells the official.
france24.com | 20-May-2012 22:25
18 years post-apartheid, S.Africans struggle for education
A court ruling that the lack of textbooks in schools breached the constitution has returned to the fore the battle most South Africans still face to quality education, 18 years after apartheid.
A court last week found two government schools that went for five months without books in the northern Limpopo province in breach of the country's constitutional right to basic education.
The case taken to court by a local rights lobby, Section 27, is in a way common of many government schools in South Africa, a regional power-house to which many countries on the continent look up.
france24.com | 20-May-2012 22:25