Government Policy
Report: geoengineering could save or destroy Earth
December 2, 2011 11:41 am | News | CommentsA report released late Thursday in London and discussed Friday at the U.N. climate conference in South Africa said that—in theory—reflecting a small amount of sunlight back into space before it strikes the Earth's surface would have an immediate and dramatic effect. But no one knows what the side effects would be.
U.K. spy agency asks hackers to crack code
December 2, 2011 3:56 am | by Cassandra Vinograd, Associated Press | News | CommentsBritain's electronic listening agency, GCHQ, quietly launched a cryptic Website last month featuring a box of code made up of numbers and letters. There is no branding on the site, only the phrase "Can you crack it?" and a box to type in an answer.
Efficiency metrics for energy storage devices need standardization
November 30, 2011 8:58 am | News | CommentsSolving the mystery of prematurely dead cell phone and laptop batteries may prove to be a vital step toward creating a sustainable energy grid, according to Drexel researcher Yury Gogotsi. In a newly published piece, Gogotsi calls for a new, standardized gauge of performance measurement for energy storage devices that are as small as those used in cell phones to as large as those used in the national energy grid.
Researchers draft blueprint to boost energy innovation
November 22, 2011 6:35 am | News | CommentsThe United States government could save the economy hundreds of billions of dollars per year by 2050 by spending a few billion dollars more a year to spur innovations in energy technology, according to a new report by researchers at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Wanted: Astronauts; Missing: U.S. rocket to fly them
November 16, 2011 4:33 am | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsEven without it’s own manned launch vehicle, NASA is afraid it will soon not have enough astronauts. The space agency needs about 55 astronauts, and currently has 58, but with veteran astronauts leaving the space agency NASA has begun its biggest effort yet to find recruits.
Report sees safety risks in computerized medical records
November 9, 2011 8:12 am | by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press | News | CommentsComputerized medical records have been sold as a powerful tool to improve patient safety, for example by automatically alerting a doctor to potential allergic reactions to a medication prescribed to a patient. But a report by a panel from the Institute of Medicine said such benefits shouldn't be taken for granted.
U.S. report blasts China, Russia for cybercrime
November 3, 2011 12:00 pm | News | CommentsFor years, experts and officials have complained about cyberattacks emanating from China. Now, U.S. intelligence agencies have published a report that offers the first detailed public accusations from U.S. officials, saying computer attacks by foreign governments and corporate hackers are on the rise and represent a "persistent threat to U.S. economic security."
Survey finds public support for geoengineering research
October 24, 2011 11:54 am | News | CommentsThe first international survey by a peer-reviewed journal on the public perception of geoengineering and solar radiation management has found that 72% of respondents approved research into these climate-manipulating techniques.
Largest study on cellphones, cancer finds no link
October 24, 2011 10:54 am | by Maria Cheng, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsThe biggest study ever to examine the possible connection between cellphones and cancer found no evidence of any link, suggesting that billions of people who are rarely more than a few inches from their phones have no special health concerns.
Science fiction-style sabotage a fear in new hacks
October 24, 2011 7:31 am | by Jordan Robertson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe computer attack that hobbled Iran’s unfinished nuclear power plant last year was assumed to be the work of elite hackers backed by a nation-state. Alarming, however, key elements of the attack have been replicated in the laboratory by security experts, often with little time, money, or specialized skill.
Moon rock sting terrifies California grandmother
October 24, 2011 7:18 am | by Thomas Watkins, Associated Press | News | CommentsExpecting the worst, NASA agents swept in on a 74-year-old woman in a Denny’s restaurant five months ago to recover what believed to be a moon rock being sold on the black market. The woman claimed the tiny speck of rock, encased in acrylic, was given to her husband by Neil Armstrong. Armstrong says otherwise, and NASA is silent on the case.
California adopts extensive 'cap-and-trade' plan
October 21, 2011 8:13 am | by Jason Dearen, Associated Press | News | CommentsOn Thursday, California formally adopted the nation's most comprehensive so-called "cap-and-trade" system. The system will be an experiment by the world's eighth-largest economy to provide financial incentives for polluters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Some businesses claim it will hurt job growth and increase electricity costs; proponents say it will do the opposite.
Top Europe court bans stem cell technique patents
October 18, 2011 11:48 am | by Maria Cheng, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsThe European Union's top court ruled Tuesday that scientists cannot patent stem cell techniques that use human embryos for research purposes, a ruling some scientists said threatens important research since no one could profit from it.
Time zone database has new home after lawsuit
October 16, 2011 9:41 am | by Anick Jesdanun, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe organization in charge of the Internet's address system is taking over a database widely used by computers and websites to keep track of time zones around the world. The transition comes a week after the database was abruptly removed from a U.S. government server because of a federal lawsuit claiming copyright infringement.
How foreign insects, diseases get into the United States
October 10, 2011 12:42 pm | by Tracie Cone, Associated Press | News | CommentsDozens of foreign insects and plant diseases slipped undetected into the United States in the years after 9/11, when authorities were so focused on preventing another attack that they overlooked a pest explosion that threatened the quality of the nation's food supply.
First round of Innovation Corps awards announced
October 7, 2011 12:25 pm | News | CommentsThe National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected 21 teams for the inaugural class of its I-Corp awards. Winning teams will receive guidance from private- and public-sector experts, participate in a specially designed training curriculum, and receive $50,000 to begin assessing the commercial readiness of their technology concepts.
Shutdown looms at pioneering American atom smasher
September 30, 2011 5:13 am | by Tammy Webber, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe coming months will be both exciting and bittersweet at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. What was for many years the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, Tevatron, will soon cease to operate. But Fermilab will continue to be America’s “City of Energy”, confirming faster-than-light results from CERN and building Project X.
China launches module for space station
September 29, 2011 10:36 am | by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press | News | CommentsOn Thursday, the box car-sized Tiangong-1 module was shot into space from a launch pad at the edge of the Gobi Desert. Within the next few weeks, another spacecraft will be launched to practice remote-controlled maneuvers with this experiment capsule, setting the stage for what China hopes to a full space station launch beginning in 2020.
Report: EPA cut corners on climate finding
September 28, 2011 1:36 pm | by Dina Cappiello, Associated Press | News | CommentsAccording to an internal government watchdog, the Obama administration cut corners before concluding that climate-change pollution can endanger human health. This key finding underpins costly new regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Spin overtaking facts in Marcellus Shale debate
September 27, 2011 8:44 am | by Kevin Begos, Associated Press | News | CommentsFor some, Marcellus Shale natural gas represents a economic boon for America. For others, it’s an ongoing ecological disaster. Scientists worry that as advocates on both sides spin every shred of research to fit their own views, they will ignore the bigger picture.
Scientists man bioterror front lines
August 26, 2011 7:41 am | by Marcus Wohlsen, Associated Press | News | CommentsOver the past decade, federal research laboratories such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have shifted from Cold War-era defense R&D to meeting the challenges of new terror threats, developing a nationwide system to sniff the air for germs such as anthrax and smallpox.
NSF launches four new engineering research centers
August 17, 2011 2:26 pm | News | CommentsThe National Science Foundation is awarding $74 million to create four new Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) that will advance interdisciplinary research and education in solar energy, sustainable water systems, sensorimotor neural engineering and energy transmission.
EPA, USDA create partnership to improve drinking water systems
August 8, 2011 8:12 am | News | CommentsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a national partnership to protect Americans' health by improving rural drinking water and wastewater systems. The agreement will send federal resources to support communities that need assistance and promote job training, while addressing the growing workforce shortage in the water industry.
Report: Global cyberattack under way for five years
August 4, 2011 4:27 am | by Barbara Ortutay, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsComputer security firm McAfee Inc. issued a report Wednesday reporting the the targets of a concerted wave of cyberattacks totaling more than 70 entities, mostly in the U.S. The attacks, the company reports, are likely originating from a nation state.
Federal court upholds patenting on human genes
August 3, 2011 5:24 am | by Marley Seaman, AP Health Writer | News | CommentsA federal court said Friday that human genes can be patented, reversing a lower court's ruling that involved a test for breast cancer but which could have had big implications for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
