TODAY'S TOP NEWS STORIESEco-Friendly Fireworks Offer Safer PyrotechnicsEmily Sohn, Discovery News July 2, 2009 -- Fireworks are fun, exciting and often free to watch, but there may be a hidden cost: The flashing displays can harm the environment and pose risks to human health. Now, scientists are working on a new generation of kinder, gentler pyrotechnics. While still explosive and dramatic, these fireworks produce less smoke and use fewer toxic metals that end up in soil and groundwater. » More Earth News Eco-Friendly Fireworks Offer Safer Pyrotechnics"Green" fireworks produce less smoke and use fewer toxic metals than other pyrotechnics.Solved: Why Blind Faults Make Big QuakesWhy do blind faults shake harder when they break? Scientists find the answer.Vegans Have Lower Bone DensityVegans have 5 percent lower bone mass density than non-vegans, research finds.Inflatable Tower Promises Easy Access to SpaceA nine-mile-high inflatable tower could offer cheap access to outer space.BLOG: Return to the Moon? Yea or Nay?Should NASA return to the moon or aim straight for Mars? Vote here.Mystery of Salamander Limb Regrowth SolvedScientists have uncovered how salamanders are able to regenerate their limbs.Feathers Revealing Extinct Moa's True ColorsA stash of fossil feathers from the extinct Moa reveal a wealth of information.Trees Buffered Earth From Iceball FateGreenery likely helped save Earth from runaway cooling, research concludes.Astronomers Identify New Class of Black HoleA new class of black hole may help to explain how supermassive black holes develop.Cancer: Another Threat to WildlifeWild animals get cancer too and the disease is another conservation threat.BLOG: Ancient Game Solves Genetic MysteriesA 2,000-year-old logic puzzle is tapped to speed up genetic sequencing.Gravity's Imprint Sought in Big Bang GlowScientists begin a search for gravitational waves stemming from the Big Bang.Human, Ape Ancestor Hails From AsiaA new primate fossil suggests the human and ape ancestor came from Asia.Giant, Spitting Worms Garner Protection PleaSupporters of the Palouse earthworm file a petition to protect this rare, giant worm.BLOG: Radio Waves Faster than Light?A new gadget allegedly speeds radio waves faster than light. Is it for real?Mummified Dino Yields Skin MoleculesDinosaur soft tissue skin structures are recovered from a mummified hadrosaur.L.A. Traffic Causing Premature Births: StudyMoms exposed to high levels of traffic exhaust are at high risk of giving birth prematurely.Predatory Dingoes Promote DiversityAlthough perceived as invasive predators, dingoes actually protect biodiversity.Hadrosaur Had Teeth-Grinding IssuesMarks on hadrosaur teeth show the dinosaurs ground their teeth sideways.SLIDE SHOW: Lights Out for Solar ProbeTake a look at some milestone events in the Ulysses spacecraft's 19-year life.Increasing Dust Accelerates Mountain SnowmeltGreater dust accumulation as a result of climate change speeds up mountain snowmelt.BLOG: Newly-Picked Astronauts Won't Fly on ShuttleNASA taps a CIA agent, Air Force officers and MD's to join the 2009 astronaut class.BLOG: Playboy Bunnies Close to ExtinctionResearchers work to save bunnies named after Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.Rainforests More Fragile Than EstimatedEven moderate global warming may eradicate much of the world's rainforests.Lasers to Seek, But Not Destroy, SubsLasers could help the U.S. Navy detect enemy submarines.BLOG: Dramatic Volcano FootageAn astronaut captures footage of a massive volcanic eruption in Russia from space.WATCH VIDEO: Titanic Artifacts Arrive in NYCArtifacts from the Titanic finally arrive at their intended destination.ET's Earth Appears as Pale, Red (Not Blue) DotMolecules relevant to life in Earth's atmosphere show up in red wavelengths.BLOG: Michael Jackson And His PetsMichael Jackson's first hit was about his pet rat and his pet collections grew from there.Models of Earliest Vehicles FoundTiny models suggest the earliest wheeled vehicles were pulled by camels and bulls.BLOG: Michael Jackson's PatentMichael Jackson, a masterful dancer, held a patent for a dance-assisting device.Pigeons Make Good Art CriticsPigeons have the potential to learn and mark a "good" piece from a "bad" one.Bacteria Plan for Future EventsBacteria and yeast are shown to use one event to predict the arrival of another.Blue Paint Traces Found on Elgin MarblesMarble carvings that once adorned the Parthenon were originally coated in blue.Robot Surgeon Finds Tiny ShrapnelThe robot surgeon successfully found the shrapnel without human help.BLOG: Greenland: The 800-Pound Gorilla?Signs show that Greenland may have begun a big melt, with rising seas a possibility.Spotted Owls Face Genetic BottleneckFaced with declining populations, spotted owls have lost genetic diversity.Mysterious Space Blobs 'Tween' GalaxiesScientists find that these space blobs are adolescent galaxies.NASA Has Plan B to Launch U.S. to MoonThe side-mount shuttle is NASA's backup plan to get the U.S. to the moon.Marble Head of Emperor Titus FoundThe marble head is among many treasures unearthed near Naples.Deeper NewsAir France Plane Crash Follow the investigation of the Air France flight 447 plane crash and how weather affects air travel in this special Discovery News Wide Angle. Discovery Tech WIDE ANGLE: Cool Tech Jobs. Find out what people with amazing tech jobs do, why they love their work and what advice they have. Discovery Earth WIDE ANGLE: Tsunami-Makers. Explore how and why the deadliest waves on Earth have been causing destruction for centuries. Discovery Space WIDE ANGLE: Mars Roving. Landing robots on Mars is critical to studying the Red Planet, and the next generation of rovers is bigger, badder. Discovery News Video Our producers get dirty with scientists and newsmakers, covering the world through a uniquely Discovery lens. News in PicturesLights Out for Solar Probe Take a look at some milestone events in the Ulysses spacecraft's 19-year life. Great White Sharks Attack Great white sharks hunt like serial killers, research shows. Watch them in action. Hubble's Final House Call Astronauts embark on a risky mission to repair the aging Hubble Space Telescope. Top 10 Animals That Carry Flu Which animals can pass the flu virus on to people? Find out in our Top 10. Earth, From a Bird's Eye Take a tour of the home planet through the watchful eyes of Earth-observing satellites. AnimalsArchaeologyDinosaursEarth |
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Free Space: Irene Klotz
"What does a CIA agent, two Air Force officers with the Pentagon and a couple of medical doctors have in common?"
Born Animal : Jennifer Viegas
"Migaloo, the world's only known albino humpback whale, made a rare appearance in Australia..."
Earth Pub
PHOTO: "This is the scene that confronted my colleagues on board the Arctic Sunrise on Monday..."
Archaeorama : Rossella Lorenzi
"Archaeologists carrying routine conservation work at Saqqara's step pyramid have stumbled upon a deep hole full of animal remains and gold..."
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