By Accident, Scientists Discover Lakes Beneath Greenland
There are hundreds of lakes beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, but nobody has found lakes under Greenland's ice. That is until now, and they weren't even looking for them.
Science
U.S. May Be Producing 50 Percent More Methane Than EPA Thinks
Previous estimates of the climate-warming gas were based on the rough number of methane-emitting sources on the ground — such as factories, refineries, stoves, swamps, landfills and cattle herds. But by directly measuring levels of methane in the air instead, a new study puts the total much higher.
'Ghost Particles' In Antarctica Offer Glimpse Of Deep Space
By putting light sensors inside a giant ice cube that's a mile beneath the South Pole, scientists detected 28 neutrinos from beyond the solar system. It's just a start – but researchers hope the work could eventually yield a way to see through debris clouds to the core of exploding stars.
Inside The Beef Industry's Battle Over Growth-Promotion Drugs
Beta agonists, a class of drugs widely fed to cattle and hogs to make them put on weight faster, are coming under increasing scrutiny. Reports suggest animals fed these drugs can seem reluctant to move — lethargic, unable to walk properly — and may die more often, too.
At Climate Meeting, Tensions Rise Between Rich And Poor Nations
At the United Nations climate talks in Warsaw, Poland, conflict between rich and poor nations is mounting. The developing world wants large sums of money to help them adapt to climate change. The U.S. and Europe say they're doing what they can to help but times are tough.
Antibiotic Use On The Farm: Are We Flying Blind?
No one knows exactly how farmers use antibiotics. Many public health experts say the government should collect and publish detailed information because antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an increasingly urgent problem. But many farm groups are opposed.
Are Antibiotics On The Farm Risky Business?
Farmers give antibiotics routinely to pigs, beef cattle and poultry. They say the drugs help keep animals healthy and get them to market faster. Others say this practice practically guarantees that bacteria will develop resistance to these antibiotics more quickly, endangering human lives and the long-term viability of the drugs.
Is Running Your Car On Rubbish The Future Of Fuels?
The EPA proposed a new standard on Friday for how much biofuel must be mixed into the nation's gasoline. The portion of vehicle fuel that comes from plants has increased dramatically over recent years to about 10 percent. But most of it comes from corn. Congress hoped that, by now, a billion gallons would be coming from advanced biofuels, which have much smaller greenhouse gas footprints. That hasn't happened. But the nascent cellulosic fuel industry says don't count it out. Several plants are on the verge of opening and more will be on the way.
Bacterial Competition In Lab Shows Evolution Never Stops
Day after day, workers at Michigan State University care for and feed colonies of evolving bacteria. The original microbes have produced more than 50,000 generations in the 25 years since the experiment began. Despite predictions the bacteria might someday reach a point where they would evolve no more, the results show they keep changing.
Old Dogs, New Data: Canines May Have Been Domesticated In Europe
A study of DNA extracted from wolf and dog fossils suggests that ancient wolf populations in Europe are the direct ancestors of most modern-day domestic dogs. The study suggests wolves became dogs between 18,800 and 32,100 years ago, before the start of agriculture.