According to findings that could have been pulled from a deep-sea sequel to Avatar, bacteria appear to conduct electrical currents across the ocean floor, driving linked chemical reactions at relatively vast distances. Noticed only when reseachers happened to test sediment leftovers from another experiment, the phenomenon may add a new mechanism to Earth’s biogeochemistry. “The cycling of elements... 

PORTLAND — Sperm whales sometimes collaborate when they forage the depths, new tracking data suggests, with some individuals herding prey into dense schools while others lunge into the fray and feed. Scientists have long known that sperm whales, like many other toothed whales, form long-lasting social groups that typically consist of females and their young. While some researchers have suggested... 

SAN DIEGO — Not all crime hot spots are created equal, a new mathematical model suggests. For some areas repeatedly hit hard with crime, police intervention can shut down lawlessness and keep it down. But for others, police involvement just shifts the trouble around. “If you see a hot area of crime, you want to know: If you send the police in, will that displace the crime or get rid of the crime... 

Engineered hybrids of bird and human flu strains have proven virulent in mice, raising the disturbing possibility that a natural recombination could be deadly to humans. For years, researchers have worried that H5N1 avian influenza would mix with human flu viruses, evolving into a form that keeps its current lethality but is far more contagious. That hasn’t happened — but the latest findings,... 

The Army wants to instantly get eyes in the sky to watch over a potential enemy. But spy drones or satellites or even fighter jets can be too slow to handle the job. The answer: missiles that carry surveillance drones inside. That’s right. The military wants to shoot off loads of flying, spying robots, using missiles to make for faster surveillance and attack. “ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and... 

The Cassini spacecraft’s November flyby of Saturn’s moon Enceladus has revealed new features including at least 20 more icy plumes spewing from the moon’s southern pole. New infrared data gives scientists the highest resolution temperature map of one particular warm fissure called a “tiger stripe.” The moon’s four tiger stripes are fractures that spew a mix of ice particles, water vapor... 

Pentagon officials have been talking for years about weaning their jets off of fossil fuels. Now they say they’re only months away from producing a cheap fuel made from algae — for less than $3 a gallon. In addition to the Pentagon, several airlines have been publicizing efforts to produce alternatives to traditional jet fuel. But other than a few publicity efforts, there has been very little... 

How all-female species avoid the shrinkage of their gene pool is among the animal kingdom’s great mysteries. Now biologists think they’ve discovered the trick. According to a study published Sunday in Nature, egg-producing cells in a ladies-only species of whiptail lizard contain double the standard genetic complement. They pick the healthiest set of chromosomes, preventing the loss of vital variation. In... 

The American exit strategy from Afghanistan not only hinges on beefing up the local army and police. It also requires persuading “small t” Taliban to leave the insurgency and reconcile with the government. A leading U.S. general is pointing the way to tackling both problems at once. In a conference call with bloggers this morning, Major General David Hogg, the deputy of NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan,... 

The amount of wind power that theoretically could be generated in the United States tripled in the newest assessment of the nation’s wind resources. Current wind technology deployed in nonenvironmentally protected areas could generate 37,000,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year, according to the new analysis conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and consulting firm AWS Truewind.... 

Cellphone conversations don’t just interfere with driving. Driving dents the capacity to describe and remember cellphone messages, at least for some of the youngest and oldest drivers, a new study finds. sciencenewsRoutine driving impedes a person’s ability to relay information from a cellphone call accurately to a conversation partner and to remember key elements of that information, say psychologist... 

A short period of fasting prior to chemotherapy may protect healthy cells but leave cancer cells vulnerable to drugs, according to a new study. The results are very preliminary, based on animal research and a case study of just 10 people. But if they hold up, doctors could have a new tool for reducing chemotherapy’s side effects and safely administering larger doses. “Side effects aren’t just,... 

The Pentagon’s scientific fringe want to fast-track the quick and easy repair of wartime wounds, by eliminating one of the most important elements of tissue engineering – and replacing it with magnetic fields. Last year, Darpa-funded researchers successfully generated human muscle tissue, and the agency requested proposals for a device that could pump out new body parts made with adult stem... 

A new analysis shows that a deadly mud volcano in Indonesia may not have been a natural disaster after all. The research lends weight to the controversial theory that the volcano was caused by humans. Villagers near Sidoarjo noticed a mud volcano beginning to erupt at 5 a.m. local time May 29, 2006. It was about 500 feet from a local gas-exploration well. Every day since then, the Lusi mud volcano... 

The beautiful hourglass-shaped nebula Sharpless 2-106 shines with brilliant colors in this new image from the Gemini North telescope. Giant star S106IR lies near the waist of the hourglass. Astronomers estimate the star could be up to 15 times more massive than our sun. The winds the star sends ripping through space appear to have generated the nebula’s distinctive shape. Scientists believe that... 

A newly discovered mechanism of antibiotic resistance helps explain how bacteria have so quickly undermined medicine’s front-line defenses, turning miracle drugs into duds in just a few decades. Scientists have long known that exposing bacteria to the right antibiotics will kill most of them, but leave a few mutants that happen to be resistant. These mutants will go on to multiply, and eventually... 

Screenshots The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you’re not on the Digg site itself. With a notification window built into the toolbar, you’ll never miss a popular story or when friends Digg, submit, or comment on stories. Install the Toolbar Using the Toolbar When you’re browsing the web, the toolbar will let you know if... 

From time to time I have written about myths that I see when dealing with aspiring entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur.com has put together their own Top 10 list of Small business Myths that are worth a read for anyone thinking about starting a business. Several of their myths dealing with financing issues: Myth No. 1: “The government has grants for startups.” Generally this is not true. There... 

This title is like the title for a children’s book, however this is the title of our anime food news report! This is Jackie Chan at Shanghai G Sushi about to devour the World’s Largest Sushi Roll! In Japanese cuisine, sushi (寿司, 鮨, 鮓 ?) is vinegared rice, usually topped with other ingredients, including fish, dishes.[1] In Japan, sliced raw fish alone is called sashimi and is distinct... 

Have you ever wondered what songs the legends sang just before they die? Did they feel that something was going wrong and the end was getting closer? These are impossible questions since we can never know if Lennon was whistling any of his latest songs while he was walking towards the apartment Dakota or Cobain singing anything just before he pulled the trigger… etc. But at least, we can follow...