Science News

U.S., Russian crew blast off for space station

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KOROLYOV, Russia - A Soyuz spaceship carrying two Russians and one American astronaut blasted off for the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday after more than a month's delay over a problem with the hull of the Russian-built capsule.

Children at risk as "button" battery use grows: study

- Children face a growing risk from "button" batteries, according to a U.S. study showing a near doubling of emergency room visits in the past two decades as the objects can cause electrical or chemical burns if swallowed.

Life, Health, 15 May 2012

Maya lunar calendar notes discovered in Guatemala

WASHINGTON - On the wall of a tiny structure buried under forest debris in Guatemala, archaeologists have discovered a scribe's notes about the Maya lunar calendar, which they say could be the first known records by an official chronicler of this ancient civilization.

Life, 10 May 2012

Google-backed wind power line clears hurdle

- A planned $5 billion transmission line to send power from wind farms off the East Coast cleared a hurdle, allowing the Google Inc-backed project to move to the next step in the approval process, officials said.

Environment, Water, 14 May 2012

Eastern rattlesnake slithers closer to U.S. endangered list

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - The eastern diamondback rattlesnake, North America's largest venomous snake, may need its own antidote.

Environment 11 May 2012

Scientists spot unseen planet in Kepler scope data

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - Scientists poring over data collected by NASA's Kepler space telescope have discovered a world outside its field of view, demonstrating a new technique for finding planets beyond the Solar System, scientists reported on Thursday.

10 May 2012

Scientists urge action on world's biggest problems

LONDON - Scientists from 15 countries are calling for a better political response to the provision of water and energy to meet the challenge of feeding a world of 9 billion people within 30 years.

Environment, Water 10 May 2012

U.S. downs test missile with new interceptor

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces said they had destroyed a target in the first successful test of the Navy's newest anti-missile interceptor, designed to protect allies from attacks by countries like North Korea and Iran.

10 May 2012

Shuttle rocket-builder vying for NASA space taxi work

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - Two of NASA's prime contractors are teaming with Europe's Astrium to develop a commercial space taxi built from shuttle heritage booster rockets and a prototype NASA spaceship originally designed as an alternative to the deep-space Orion capsule, the companies announced on Wednesday.

Aerospace & Defence 10 May 2012

U.S. military embraces robots with greater autonomy

PENN HILLS, Pennsylvania - The unattended steering wheel on the 15-ton military truck jerked sharply back and forth as the vehicle's huge tires bounced down a rain-scarred ravine through mounds of mine rubble on a rugged hillside near Pittsburgh.

09 May 2012
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Insecticide resistance threatens malaria fight

LONDON - Malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Africa and India are becoming resistant to insecticides, putting millions of lives at greater risk and threatening eradication efforts, health experts said on Tuesday.