Space & Physics
Hubble released from space shuttle's grasp
From here on out, the Hubble Space Telescope is on its own. Astronaut Megan McArthur released the mighty scope from space shuttle Atlantis 's robotic arm at 8:57 A.M.
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The Sciences
Komodo dragon kills with venom, not bacteria
Komodo dragons ( Varanus komodoensis ) can't chomp as hard as crocodiles and aren't as massive as grizzly bears, so how do they kill huge deer and even humans?
Environment
Trees boost air pollution--and cool temperatures--in U.S. Southeast
Why is the southeastern U.S. getting cooler while the rest of the globe is warming? Thank the trees, say some researchers.
On sweltering summer days, trees and other plants emit volatile organic compounds, such as isoprene, which combine with manmade soot and other aerosols in the atmosphere to produce a cooling haze, says environmental scientist Allen Goldstein of the University of California, Berkeley...
Space & Physics
Spacewalkers complete Hubble's final tune-up
The Hubble Space Telescope has received its last upgrades and repairs. The fifth and final spacewalk of the last shuttle mission to Hubble ended at 3:22 P.M.
Environment
Wolfram|Alpha has arrived. Now what's it good for?
The Wolfram|Alpha Web site went live today, accompanied by a lot of noise and mixed reviews.
Most of the hoopla came from people wondering whether the new site, launched by former particle physicist Stephen Wolfram and his eponymous company, will give Google a run for its money...
Space & Physics
How does NASA's "Astro_Mike" tweet from space?
Astronaut Mike Massimino, currently in orbit on space shuttle Atlantis, is better known in the Twitter verse as Astro_Mike. More than 300,000 Twitter users follow his updates, which began last month as chronicles of his preparations for liftoff...
The Sciences
Drafting the next global treaty to combat climate change
Negotiations on a new global treaty to combat climate change continue to heat up, even though a meeting in Copenhagen that is meant to forge a final deal remains months away.
Mind & Brain
Optical Illusion: Tracking the trajectory of a curveball
In baseball, a good curveball can turn a hitter's legs to jelly, traveling on a devastating arc that causes him to wave his bat awkwardly at where the baseball used to be.
Environment
A new dawn for solar power?
If solar power is ever going to take off—and the world needs it to—photovoltaic cells will have to become a whole lot cheaper to produce.
Space & Physics
Bolden resurfaces in the NASA chief rumor mill
Former astronaut and decorated military man Charles Bolden is reportedly atop the list to head NASA, an agency nearing four months without an administrator.
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