New idea in mortuary science: Dissolving bodies with lye

Since they first walked the planet, humans have either buried or burned their dead. Now a new option is generating interest — dissolving bodies in lye and flushing the brownish, syrupy residue down the drain. Complete Story...

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Fishermen suspected after 6 sea lions are killed in Oregon

There's "protected" on paper and there's "protected" on the river.

Mechanical squirrels, robot lizards jump into research

One gray squirrel, its bushy tail twitching, barked a warning as another scrounged for food nearby. It was an ordinary spring day at Hampshire College, except that the rodent issuing the warning was powered by amps, not acorns.

Major Arctic sea ice melt is expected this summer

The Arctic will remain on thinning ice, and climate warming is expected to begin affecting the Antarctic also, scientists said Friday.

Scientists share $500,000 prize for biomedical research

The nation's richest prize in medicine and biomedical research was awarded Friday to two researchers for work that has improved disease treatments and may lead to new ones for degenerative and other age-related disorders.

Federal agency declares West Coast salmon fishery a disaster

Federal authorities have declared the West Coast ocean salmon fishery a failure, opening the way for Congress to appropriate economic disaster assistance for coastal communities in California, Oregon and Washington.

The Androgynous Pharaoh? Akhenaten had feminine physique

Akhenaten wasn't the most manly pharaoh, even though he fathered at least a half-dozen children. In fact, his form was quite feminine, which has puzzled experts for years. And he was a bit of an egghead.

Scientists to capture DNA of trees worldwide for database

The New York Botanical Garden may be best known for its orchid shows and colorful blossoms, but its researchers are about to lead a global effort to capture DNA from thousands of tree species from around the world.

Baby birds babble just like human babies learning to talk

The happy babbling that entertains parents as their babies try to mimic speech turns out to have a parallel in the animal world. Baby birds babble away before mastering their adult song, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

Study: Warmer ocean water means less oxygen

Low-oxygen zones where sea life is threatened or cannot survive are growing as the oceans are heated by global warming, researchers warn.

NASA: Hubble mission delayed until fall for fuel tank work

NASA's final visit to the Hubble Space Telescope has been delayed at least a month, until the fall, because of extra time needed to build the shuttle fuel tanks needed for the flight and a potential rescue mission.

Scientist rediscovers rare plant unseen since 1985

A scientist with the Missouri Botanical Garden has rediscovered and identified a rare parasitic plant that hasn't been seen by botanists in more than 20 years.

Inspector General: Conflict of interest on NASA review board

A board set up to review construction of the spaceship to return astronauts to the moon is loaded with employees of the very contractors they are supposed to scrutinize, breaking federal law, a government watchdog says.

Food scientists say stop biofuels to fight world hunger

Some top international food scientists Tuesday recommended halting the use of food-based biofuels, such as ethanol, saying it would cut corn prices by 20 percent during a world food crisis.

Low-profile singers of the animal world!

Female canaries adore a good old-fashioned love song that abides by rigid musical rules. Mature males always follow the rules. Curiously, young males will go against convention — and rock out to tunes that would not impress the ladies.

Biologists say dozens of grizzlies reside in Anchorage

A study by state biologists has found parts of Anchorage are much more popular among grizzly bears than they previously thought.

Giant squid has world's largest eyes

Marine scientists studying the carcass of a rare colossal squid said Wednesday they had measured its eye at about 11 inches across — bigger than a dinner plate — making it the largest animal eye on Earth.

Idaho lab develops a quicker way to catch a thief

Federal researchers say they've developed a human identification test that's faster and possibly cheaper than DNA testing.

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NASA: Earth May Once Have Had Three Moons

Source: FOXNews.com

Earth may once have had more than one moon, most probably two more, NASA scientists think. Prevailing scientific consensus holds that the existing Moon was formed when a Mars-sized planet collided with the Earth 4.5 billion years ago, when the solar system was very young.

Dissolving bodies: 'Green' alternative to cremation

Source: SeacoastOnline.com

Since they first walked the planet, humans have either buried or burned their dead. Now a new option is generating interest — dissolving bodies in lye and flushing the brownish, syrupy residue down the drain.

Seagulls: Are males the weaker sex?

Source: EurekAlert!

Male seagulls may be more vulnerable to their environment during embryonic development than females, according to Maria Bogdanova and Ruedi Nager from the University of Glasgow in the UK.

Study confirms ancient Chile settlement is 14,000 years old

Source: Agence-France Presse

Scientists have confirmed that the famed Monte Verde archaeological site in southern Chile is about 14,000 years old, making it the earliest known human settlement in the Americas, the journal Science reported Thursday. The age of Monte Verde has been the subject of controversy  …

Climate-Driven Ecosystem Succession in the Sahara: The Past 6000 Years

Source: mydeadspace.cn

Desiccation of the Sahara since the middle Holocene has eradicated all but a few natural archives recording its transition from a "green Sahara" to the present hyperarid desert.

Crushing Critters

Source: abc.net.au

Majestic stretches of golden sand are considered to be Australian icons – national treasures, even.

Emotions, Moral Choice Linked in Study Watching Brain Activity

Source: Bloomberg.com

Bloomberg reports: Brain activity in a region tied to human emotion may help prompt people to be fair rather than efficient in handing out rewards and burdens, say researchers aiming to understand the inspiration behind moral actions.

Magnetic rocks may reveal Martian life

Source: New Scientist

A miniature detector could pick out magnetic rocks on Mars that might harbour telltale signs of ancient life.

Suicide victims' brains bear chemical scars of child abuse

Source: sciencenews.org

Child abuse can leave lasting scars on its victims, both physical and psychological. It may also leave chemical marks in the brains of its victims who will later kill themselves.

Do Abell 222 and Abell 223 Contain The Universe's 'Missing' Baryonic Matter?

Source: Scientific Blogging

A team of Dutch and German astronomers have discovered part of the missing matter in the Universe using the European X-ray satellite XMM-Newton. They observed a filament of hot gas connecting two clusters of galaxies.

Amazon Under Threat From Cleaner Air

Source: Scientific Blogging

You wouldn't think that clean air would be bad for the Amazon rainforest but UK and Brazilian climate scientists writing in Nature say just that.

Top billing for platypus at end of evolution tree

Source: News at Nature

A draft sequence of the platypus genome reveals reptilian and mammalian elements and provides more evidence for its place in the ancestral line of animal evolution.

Video - Wanted: Astronauts

Source: Life, The Universe...

The European Space Agency is recruiting astronauts for the first time in 15 years. People aged between 27-35, with a pilot's medical certificate and advanced science degree or test pilot background are welcome to apply.

Nasa plans landing on 28,000mph asteroid travelling towards the Earth

Source: the Mail online

Nasa is planning to land spacemen on an asteroid that is travelling at 28,000mph towards the earth, it emerged today.

The science of amazing moms

Source: MSNBC

Science has linked strong mom-and-baby bonds to smarter, healthier and happier children. Turns out, nature -- our DNA -- alone might not guarantee these coveted characteristics.

Justice in the brain: Equity and efficiency are encoded differently

Source: PhysOrg.com

Which is better, giving more food to a few hungry people or letting some food go to waste so that everyone gets a share? A study appearing this week in Science finds that most people choose the latter, and that the brain responds in unique ways to inefficiency and inequity.

The Dark Tower in Scorpius

Source: APOD

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