US on Hong Kong: Calling the kettle black - Jan 4th, 2003

A clear manifestation of US exceptionism is a December 27 editorial in the New York Times deploring "Hong Kong's current drive to enact insidious security legislation that threatens its people's freedoms".

Tinkering with clouds - Jan 4th, 2003

Researchers say evolving technologies could allow manipulation of major weather patterns. But should humans tamper?

Turtles die in record number - Jan 4th, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG - Sea turtles died in record numbers in 2002 for the second year in a row, biologists from the Florida Marine Research Institute announced Thursday.

Second cloned baby to be born in Europe in next few days, Clonaid says - Jan 2nd, 2003

PARIS - The head of the company claiming to have created the world's first cloned human told French television Thursday that a second cloned baby would be born somewhere in Europe in the next few days.

Hundreds of Species Pressured by Global Warming - Jan 2nd, 2003

STANFORD, California, January 2, 2003 (ENS) - Hundreds of plant and animal species around the world are feeling the impacts of global warming, although the most dramatic effects may not be felt

Internet Use in U.S. Homes Routine - Jan 2nd, 2003

WASHINGTON - The Internet has become a staple source of information for American households about health care, government services and potential purchases, a survey to be issued on Monday finds.

Myths of Cloning Distort Reality, Scientists Say - Jan 2nd, 2003

NEW YORK - The claim that a human being has been cloned for the first time has fueled concern that science fiction is about to become reality.

China Aims to Put Man in Space This Year - Jan 2nd, 2003

BEIJING - China said Thursday it plans to launch its first manned spacecraft in the second half of this year, starting a countdown for its ambitions to become the third country capable of putting people in space.

Climate change puts nature on the move - Jan 2nd, 2003

Gradual warming over the past century has forced a global movement of animals and plants northward, and it has sped up such perennial spring activities as flowering and egg hatching across the globe: two signals that the Earth's species are dramatically responding to a minute shift in temperature, according to two studies published today.

A Fearful New Year - Dec 29th, 2002

Dec. 28 � Americans have grown sharply more fearful about the new year ahead, in terms of both their personal outlook and the world's in general, an ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll has found. Two prime factors appear to be at play: the possibility of war with Iraq, and the condition of the nation's economy.

The year�s top 10 space mysteries - Dec 29th, 2002

The funny thing about discoveries is that they often produce new mysteries, too. This year was no exception, as many remarkable space science findings generated puzzling problems for astronomers to look into.

NASA Testing K9 Rover In New 'Marscape' For Future Missions - Dec 29th, 2002

NASA scientists and engineers are testing new technologies using a K9 rover in a newly built 'Marscape' test facility in preparation for future missions to Mars.

Iraq Shoots Down US Recon Robot - Dec 29th, 2002

"The sky eagles and the courageous men manning anti-aircraft artillery downed a US Predator reconnaissance aircraft which flew in from Kuwaiti airspace to violate our airspace," the spokesman said.

Ten-year-old boy dies after wind storm - Dec 29th, 2002

SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Utility crews scrambled to restore power Saturday to tens of thousands of homes and businesses left in the dark after a deadly storm whipped the coasts of Washington and Oregon.

Telescope Tips: How to Use a New Scope and Where to Point It - Dec 29th, 2002

Over the years when I�ve spoken with amateur astronomers about their interest in the sky, most have said that it could be traced back to receiving their first telescope at Christmas time.

California Town Sells for $1.78 Million on eBay - Dec 29th, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An 82-acre town in northern California sold on eBay Inc. on Friday for $1.78 million, a strong price considering the sellers called the place a "fixer-upper" and the first bidder had only wanted to pay $5,000 for it.

Raelians seek path to human immortality - Dec 29th, 2002

MONTREAL -- Rael, the spiritual guru behind the world's first alleged human clone, says his Quebec-based cult is already turning to the next chapter in the quest for human immortality -- deathbed cloning.

Group claims 1st human clone - Dec 29th, 2002

HOLLYWOOD, FLA. -- Ushering in either a brave new world or a spectacular hoax, a company founded by a religious sect that believes in space aliens announced Friday that it has produced the world's first cloned human baby.

U.S. global warming emissions in biggest decade drop - Dec 29th, 2002

WASHINGTON � U.S. greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming fell by 1.2 percent last year, the largest decrease in a decade, due in part to slow economic growth and a milder winter, the government said recently.

An alternative to reservoir construction - Dec 29th, 2002

It is no secret in Texas that Tarrant County's Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is growing exponentially and that having an adequate water supply is of mounting concern.

'Human shields' head for Iraq - Dec 29th, 2002

A convoy of anti-war activists, likely to include dozens of British volunteers, will leave London next month to act as human shields protecting strategic sites in Iraq.

Unmanned drones will guard U.S. coastlines - Dec 29th, 2002

NEW YORK - Aerial drones have had starring roles in the war on terrorism, but a new generation of the flying robots is going to be deployed to patrol the U.S. coastline for drug smugglers, refugees and ships in distress.

Navy plan on dolphins faces flak - Dec 29th, 2002

One of the most peace loving creatures, the dolphins, are becoming the victims in a war not of their making. While many other countries are discontinuing the use of dolphins to plant mines on enemy ships and submarines, the Indian Navy has plans of training them to do the dangerous job.

Pluto is undergoing global warming, researchers find - Dec 27th, 2002

(OLD NEWS) BIRMINGHAM, Ala.�Pluto is undergoing global warming, as evidenced by a three-fold increase in the planet�s atmospheric pressure during the past 14 years, a team of astronomers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Williams College, the University of Hawaii, Lowell Observatory and Cornell University announced in a press conference today at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society�s (AAS) Division for Planetary Sciences in Birmingham, AL.

Former hacker Mitnick headed back online next month - Dec 27th, 2002

WASHINGTON (AP) � A man the federal government once labeled "the most wanted computer criminal in U.S. history" has won a long fight to renew his ham radio license and next month can resume surfing the Internet.

Birth of girl through cloning: Raelian sect - Dec 27th, 2002

A baby has been born through cloning, French scientist and member of the Raelian sect Brigitte Boisselier has told AFP.

Mysterious Oak Island up for sale - Dec 27th, 2002

French crown jewels, pirate treasure chests said to be buried there

Humans on Mars 'by 2025' - Dec 27th, 2002

Europe is considering sending humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond within the next few decades.

Meteorite 'ready-made home' for life - Dec 27th, 2002

CNN) -- Strange organic bubbles in one of the oldest known meteorites could have served as habitats for primitive microbes on our planet, according to a NASA study.

Mild Earthquake Shakes Upstate New York - Dec 26th, 2002

REDFORD, N.Y. �� A mild earthquake shook upstate New York on Wednesday and was believed to be an aftershock of the April tremor that jolted the Northeast.

Senator praises Osama, criticizes U.S. - Dec 25th, 2002

Seattle, WA � Today The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver reported that U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) told a group of local students that Osama bin Laden had done good things for Afghanistan and the Third World, and asked whether the people of poverty-stricken countries would have a better view of the United States if we had followed bin Laden�s example.

Lewis & Clark Revisited: Satellite Archeology Digs Out The Past - Dec 25th, 2002

The U.S. Congress made an Apollo-like decision nearly 200 years ago to dispatch an expedition of explorers into uncharted territory. Back then the financial bar to probe the unknown was a bit lower than the $25 billion needed to hurl human adventurers to the Moon.

New clues to ancient Mississippi culture - Dec 25th, 2002

To a visitor walking up a slight rise to the tracks' end at a pile of dirt and two makeshift worktables, it appears that no one is home. Suddenly, a hand hefting a bucket sprouts from the ground, vanishes, and is replaced by a human.

Mexico to Exploit Consular Offices to Issue Drivers Licenses to Illegals - Dec 24th, 2002

State Dept. Permits Mexico to Exploit Consular Offices Across U.S. to Issue Drivers Licenses & Bank Accounts to Illegal Aliens

Terrorists on the Net? Who Cares? - Dec 22nd, 2002

To all those Chicken Littles clucking frantically about the imminent threat of a terrorist attack on U.S. computer networks, a new report says: Knock it off.

Bombs Away: Airport Security Hole - Dec 22nd, 2002

Bad news for airline passengers this holiday season: Despite heightened security measures implemented since Sept. 11, airports still do not systematically screen luggage or passengers for explosives.

Even NASA Unsure How to Counter Claims of Faked Moon Missions - Dec 22nd, 2002

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- Is that the moon or a studio in the Nevada desert? How can the flag flutter when there's no wind on the moon? Why can't we see stars in the moon-landing pictures?

Curse of the Mummy's Tomb Broken - Dec 22nd, 2002

LONDON (Reuters) - King Tutankhamen's infamous "curse of the mummy's tomb," supposed to have killed off many of those involved in the opening of the pharaoh's tomb 80 years ago was a myth, Australian researchers say.

XP Flaw Puts MP3, Windows Media Files at Risk - Dec 22nd, 2002

Thanks to a newly found flaw in Windows XP, two of the most popular audio file formats can be used by crackers to take control of remote PCs. Users only need to hover their mouse pointers over the icons for malicious MP3 or Windows Media files to execute the attacker's code, Microsoft Corp. said in a bulletin published Wednesday.

Bush Administration to Propose System for Monitoring Internet - Dec 22nd, 2002

The Bush administration is planning to propose requiring Internet service providers to help build a centralized system to enable broad monitoring of the Internet and, potentially, surveillance of its users.

Floating 'spider webs' fill Galveston skies - Dec 21st, 2002

GALVESTON -- Galveston residents are still trying to figure out what caused the skies over their coastal city to literally be filled on Friday with floating strands of wads that looked like spider webs.

Microbes Rain Down from Space? More Support for Controversial Theory - Dec 21st, 2002

A controversial finding last year of microbes high in Earth's atmosphere and thought to have come from space gained another scientist's support this week.

Atlantis Still Alive - Dec 21st, 2002

They live in their underwater cities and sometimes frighten people

Survey Says U.S. Confused About Smallpox - Dec 21st, 2002

Survey Finds Many Misconceptions About Smallpox, but Public Wants to Take Vaccine

Missing: four tons of nerve gas, 8.5 tons of anthrax, and assorted nuclear bomb parts - Dec 21st, 2002

The United States pushed the world closer to armed conflict last night when Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, asserted that Iraq's declaration on its weapons capacities "totally failed" to meet the conditions laid down by the United Nations. The document, he said, was nothing more than "a catalogue of flagrant omissions and recycled information."

Global Warming Emissions in Biggest Decade Drop - Dec 21st, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming fell by 1.2 percent last year, the largest decrease in a decade, due in part to slow economic growth and a milder winter, the government said on Friday.

Surprise Comet Streaks Into Solar System - Dec 21st, 2002

Astronomers have received a holiday bonanza in the form of the arrival of a previously unknown comet that has entered our part of the solar system.

Moon's 'youngest' crater discovered - Dec 21st, 2002

Astronomers have discovered the only known lunar crater to have been formed in recorded history.

Endangered whales win right of way - Dec 21st, 2002

Endangered whales are to be given right of way in North Atlantic waters after collisions with ships became the primary cause of their death.

Norwalk-like virus symptoms detected in Southern Oregon - Dec 21st, 2002

ROSEBURG - Illnesses caused by a Norwalk-like virus have been reported in three Douglas County senior care facilities and one elementary school.

Neil Armstrong: Much progress since Wright brothers - Dec 21st, 2002

(CNN) -- The Wright brothers made history 99 years ago this week, ushering in a new era with their series of manned flights. Only six decades later, another adventurer from Ohio, Neil Armstrong, took the first steps on the moon.

Deep Space 1: The Archeology Mission - Dec 20th, 2002

A thousand years from now NASA's Deep Space 1 probe could make some archeologist very happy.

Quebec group claims human clone days away - Dec 20th, 2002

An international fringe religion based in Quebec says it is about to make human cloning a reality. A spokesman for the Raelian organization told CTV News that a baby girl is expected to be born in the next 14 days.

NASA Builds Tiny Spider Robot - Dec 20th, 2002

NASA has built a "spider-bot," named for its spider-like appearance, which one day may be used for exploring other planets, comets, asteroids, the moon or even Earth.

Hubble Spies Birth of Tiny Galaxy POX 186 - Dec 20th, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A tiny, late-blooming galaxy -- a distorted clump of gas and stars whose development lags far behind its galactic cousins -- has been captured in Hubble Space Telescope images released on Thursday.

Mysterious energy source detected - Dec 20th, 2002

A mysterious cloud of high-energy electrons envelops a young cluster of stars in our Milky Way galaxy

Michigan city razes house overrun by hundreds of guinea pigs - Dec 20th, 2002

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) - Hundreds of guinea pigs did so much damage to a house in this Detroit suburb that authorities called in a demolition crew and razed it to the ground. The owner had given more than 440 guinea pigs free run of his house in a prosperous subdivision of brick ranch houses.

Salmonella armoury exposed - Dec 20th, 2002

Scientists have identified the genes that the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium uses to make us ill.

FTC acts on telemarketing - Dec 20th, 2002

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators are creating new protections for people plagued by unwanted telemarketing calls, establishing a national "do-not-call" list that consumers can use to keep their phones from ringing with sales pitches.

E-card virus warning for Christmas - Dec 20th, 2002

LONDON (CNN) -- Sophisticated computer viruses are hiding behind some Christmas e-cards, wrecking the season of goodwill, analysts warn.

Galaxies in death waltz spied by Hubble - Dec 20th, 2002

(CNN) -- Several galaxies appear to be dancing toward mutual destruction in a newly released image from the Hubble Space Telescope.

'Thunderstorms' spotted on Saturn moon - Dec 20th, 2002

(CNN) -- Bright patches of methane have been detected swirling around the southern pole of Titan, settling a longstanding question as to whether Saturn's largest moon possesses clouds, according to a new study.

Cascade glaciers are shrinking, posing threat to everything below - Dec 20th, 2002

Eons ago, great ice glaciers carved the canyons of the Cascades. They pulsed with the seasons, swelling in the frigid winters and melting at the edges in the summer to fill the Northwest's rivers.

Military Seeking Radical Ways of Stumping Need for Sleep - Dec 18th, 2002

It was finals week at the University of Illinois when biology major Peggy Gatsinos got a clear sign she was running short on sleep.

Is the South Sister closer to an eruption? - Dec 18th, 2002

BEND - Seismic recorders detected a tiny earthquake this week near the South Sister, an indication that a bulge on the volcano's west flank could be closer to eruption.

Fastest computer sparks global race - Dec 18th, 2002

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Dec. 18 � It�s a machine so fast it performs more computations per second than there are stars in our galaxy. It�s so large it�s housed in a building the size of an aircraft hangar. Running 35.6 trillion calculations per second, the Earth Simulator is the fastest supercomputer in the world, almost five times faster than the next best one, and as fast as the top five U.S. supercomputers combined.

Detailed Photos Reveal Clouds on Saturn's Moon Titan - Dec 18th, 2002

The most detailed images ever made of Saturn's moon Titan confirm earlier weather reports that suggested Titan generates clouds and thunderstorms much as Earth does.

Saltwater May Streak Across Martian Surface - Dec 18th, 2002

Dark streaks appearing and disappearing on martian slopes suggest active water exists on the Red Planet.

Iraq Plans Scorched-Earth Strategy - Dec 18th, 2002

WASHINGTON - Iraq is preparing to destroy its own oil fields, food supplies and power plants and blame America for the devastation in the event of war, U.S. intelligence officials said Wednesday.

Space Scents - Dec 18th, 2002

Researchers hunting for new and profitable fragrances will soon send a pair of flowers into Earth orbit.

Black hole hunter's first image - Dec 18th, 2002

The Integral gamma-ray observatory - described as Europe's "black hole hunter" - has produced its first images of the Universe.

Galileo recorder fixed, data streams home - Dec 18th, 2002

PASADENA, California (AP) -- NASA said it has completed a long-distance repair of the tape recorder aboard Galileo, allowing the aging spacecraft to transmit to Earth the last scientific data of its seven-year mission at Jupiter.

A distant Pioneer whispers to Earth - Dec 18th, 2002

CNN) -- NASA engineers picked up a radio signal this month from the first spacecraft to fly beyond Pluto.

Student gets 'A' for hacking school computer - Dec 18th, 2002

(CNN) -- It was a breeze for 15-year-old Reid Ellison to hack into his high school's computer grading system. But what to do once he broke in took a bit more ingenuity.

2,800-year-old frozen microbes revived - Dec 18th, 2002

Within ice that covers a salty, liquid Antarctic lake scientists have found and revived microbes that were at least 2,800 years old. The discovery points to probable life within the underground lake and suggests the sort of ecosystem that might exist on Mars.

Crash skeleton is 'wanted robber' - Dec 18th, 2002

Detectives are attempting to unravel the mystery of reports of a car crash that led them to discover the skeleton of a man killed at the same spot five months ago.

Ebola 'could be spread by birds' - Dec 18th, 2002

There are fears that birds could spread the deadly Ebola virus.

Survey: 60% of Russian children unhealthy - Dec 18th, 2002

More than half the children in Russia are in poor physical or psychological health, a government survey has revealed.

Key Ancient Egyptian Tomb Found? - Dec 17th, 2002

Dec. 16 � A team of British Egyptologists may have identified the oldest tomb in the Valley of the Kings, solving the long-standing mystery over the burial place of pharaoh Amenhotep I.

Antarctic lake offers Mars clues - Dec 17th, 2002

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In ice that has sealed a salty Antarctic lake for more than 2,800 years, scientists have found frozen bacteria and algae that returned to life after thawing. The research may help in the search for life on Mars, which is thought to have subsurface lakes of ice.

Earth hotter in 2002 - Dec 17th, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- El Nino's return in 2002 helped to hike global temperatures to the second highest on record and scorch the earth with widespread drought, U.S. government forecasters said Tuesday.

Real Lord of the Rings shines - Dec 17th, 2002

(CNN) -- Saturn makes its closest approach to the Earth in 30 years this week, promising exceptional views whether seen with the naked eye or via a telescope.

Why Does This Metal Detector Keep Going Off?? - Dec 17th, 2002

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - It took an airport metal detector to give a Canadian woman a clue to why she was suffering from persistent stomach aches four months after having abdominal surgery.

UK 'close to record warmth' - Dec 17th, 2002

This year will come within a whisker of being the warmest recorded in the UK for 350 years, according to weather experts.

Portland scientists look to unlock key to West Nile Virus - Dec 17th, 2002

PORTLAND - So far this year, the mosquito-borne West Nile virus has claimed the lives of 255 U.S. citizens and almost a dozen endangered Humboldt penguins, former denizens of the Milwaukee County Zoo.

Antarctic lake's secret water - Dec 17th, 2002

A five-kilometre-long ice-sealed super-concentrated saltwater lake has been discovered by scientists working in Antarctica.

First cloned baby 'to be born in Belgrade' - Dec 17th, 2002

Belgrade - The world's first cloned baby would be born in Belgrade in January, controversial Italian gynaecologist Severino Antinori said in an interview in the Serbian weekly Nin.

Northern Californian Dies In Marine Training - Dec 17th, 2002

SAN DIEGO -- A Marine recruit died of a "bacterial infection," but investigators don't know if the death was related to an outbreak of strep A at San Diego's Marine Corps Recruit Depot, officials said Monday.

Staph infections making alarming headway - Dec 17th, 2002

SAN ANTONIO - Outbreaks of a common skin infection are becoming more common and occasionally life-threatening in Texas as the bacteria develop resistance to common antibiotics, officials say.

Record melt in Arctic and Greenland - Dec 17th, 2002

Ice covering the Arctic Ocean and Greenland shrank by record amounts this summer, new research shows. The rise in seasonal melting has led some experts to estimate that 20% of Arctic sea ice could be lost by 2050.

Tiahuanacu, ancient seaport 12,500 feet above sea level - Dec 16th, 2002

As an amateur mesoamerican history buff, I have always wanted to see Tiahuanacu, an ancient city perched high in the Andes above La Paz, Bolivia -- the remains of a civilization predating the Incas which may be over 17,000 years old.

Anthrax Clues Underwater? - Dec 16th, 2002

The FBI is carrying out a major search of Gambrill State Park outside Frederick, Md., in connection with the ongoing anthrax investigation, federal law enforcement sources told ABCNEWS.

Albino penguin hatched at zoo - Dec 16th, 2002

Bristol zoo has hatched an albino penguin which it says may be a world first.

The War After Iraq - Dec 16th, 2002

For the United States, fighting and winning a war against Iraq has become a strategic imperative. Although it is true that this war could engender greater support for al Qaeda among the Islamic masses, the consequences of not attacking Baghdad -- from Washington's perspective -- could be worse.

Friends, Family Members Waiting for Test Results to Determine Possible Poisoning Link - Dec 14th, 2002

INDIANA, Pa. (AP) - Elaine Holodnik lost two of the people closest to her in less than a year: a woman whose son went to school with hers, and a man she said she had dated, rekindling a relationship that started in their teens.

Breathtaking Saturn - Dec 14th, 2002

On Dec. 17th, Earth and Saturn will have their closest encounter in nearly 30 years.

In Austria, Incursion of the American Santa Triggers a Yuletide Backlash - Dec 13th, 2002

Santa Claus is coming to town - and many Austrians wish he'd just stay home. The jolly old elf is getting an icy reception in this alpine country that gave the world "Silent Night" and clings to beloved Christmas traditions.

A Teacher in Space - Dec 13th, 2002

December 12, 2002: NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe today announced that Barbara Morgan, the agency's first Educator Astronaut, has been assigned as a crewmember on a November 2003 Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

More signs that solar system has tenth planet - Dec 13th, 2002

The solar system may have a tenth planet lurking beyond the orbit of Pluto, calculations by astronomers in Britain and Argentina indicate. "Planet X" could lie 60 times further from the Sun than the Earth, roughly 600 million miles out. But nobody would have spotted it directly because, if it exists, it orbits in a direction that astronomers rarely study.

Balder than your average bear - Dec 12th, 2002

OCALA NATIONAL FOREST, Florida (AP) -- More than half the black bears living in the forest around the north-central Florida community of Lynne are suffering from a type of mange that makes their hair fall out.

Most Americans want smallpox jabs, survey shows - Dec 12th, 2002

WASHINGTON - Two-thirds of Americans would get the smallpox vaccine if it were offered, saying they were not confident the government could protect them from a biological attack, according to a survey published on Wednesday.

Dark Streaks on Mars Suggest Running Water Still Present - Dec 12th, 2002

Dark surface streaks along canyon and crater walls on Mars could be signs of running water presently scouring the surface, according to a new study.

Dentist scales tree to fix molar - Dec 12th, 2002

A protester who has lived in a tree for more than five weeks has received a visit from a dentist.

Honda's upgraded walking robot understands gestures - Dec 12th, 2002

Honda has unveiled a new version of its humanoid robot that understands human gestures and movements.

'Tornado in a can' pulverizes materials - Dec 11th, 2002

CLINTON, N.C. � Inside the corrugated tin shed that serves as the top-secret test site for Vortex Dehydration Technology's strange new invention, Frank Polifka cranks open a valve and unleashes the force of a tornado. Compressed air rushes into an 8-foot-tall steel cone and whirls counterclockwise at tremendous speeds, producing winds capable of turning rock into dust.

Scientists Find Tiny Space Alien Probe - Dec 11th, 2002

WASHINGTON � Preliminary examination of a mysterious UFO measuring just �-inch in length has reportedly convinced U.S. Air Force experts that the tiny craft hails from a miniature planet!

Resistant bacteria common in poultry - Dec 11th, 2002

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 � Americans sickened by chicken contaminated with salmonella and campylobacter may stay ill longer and pay more for treatment due to virulent strains of the bacteria that resist common antibiotics, Consumers Union said Tuesday.

Jupiter moon 'full of holes' - Dec 11th, 2002

Amalthea, Jupiter's smallest and strangest moon, recently visited by the Galileo spacecraft, is full of holes.

Bolivian glaciers shrinking fast - Dec 11th, 2002

Glaciers in the Bolivian Andes are shrinking at an alarming rate, say scientists.

Stonehenge tunnel approved - Dec 11th, 2002

Plans for a tunnel through hills near Stonehenge in Wiltshire have been approved.

New Study: Life on Mars Unlikely - Dec 11th, 2002

Dec. 6 � Mars is a cold and dry planet unlikely to have ever fostered life, its barren climate only rarely punctuated with scalding rain caused by the heat of asteroid impacts, according to a report in the magazine Science.

Potato-shaped moon riddled with holes - Dec 11th, 2002

CNN) -- A daring flyby by a NASA probe revealed that an oddly shaped moon orbiting Jupiter is full of empty gaps and as light as ice, the space agency said this week.

Man saved by condiments - Dec 11th, 2002

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- A man trapped for nearly a week in his car after it plunged into a ravine survived in the freezing cold by burning paper, melting snow for water and eating packets of fast-food sauce, rescuers say.

Calling ET - Dec 11th, 2002

We're still waiting for a real signal from an extraterrestrial intelligence

Flu-Like Illness Sweeps Through Hawkins - Dec 11th, 2002

School officials cancelled classes after learning 18 % of the entire student body was out sick on Monday. The students are experiencing headaches, fever and congestion...one student has even been hospitalized with those symptoms.

Three East Texas Women Die From Mysterious Illness - Dec 11th, 2002

Three East Texas women die after suffering from similar flu like symptoms.

Clear Channel Stumbles - Dec 11th, 2002

Can you name a Texas-based multinational company that is facing a Department of Justice investigation, lawsuits for inappropriate business practices, a flurry of criticism in the mainstream press, and a bill in congress to curb its impact on the industry?

World's 1st bionic leg developed - Dec 10th, 2002

'Mini-brain in your knee'

Bigfoot Hoax Revealed - Dec 10th, 2002

CENTRALIA, WA (AP) -- The 16-inch footprints credited by some with reviving the legend of Bigfoot were really meant to scare away thieves. That's according to a co-worker of the man credited with making them in 1958.

Meteors from the Twilight Zone - Dec 10th, 2002

The annual Geminid meteor shower peaks this year on Saturday morning, Dec. 14th.

Of mice and men - Dec 10th, 2002

The publication last week of a complete draft of the mouse genome may lead to developments in our understanding of both human disease and evolution, says Steve Connor

Secret plot to play down risks of air pollution - Dec 10th, 2002

Harold Macmillan's government put pressure on scientists to play down the dangers of air pollution.

Scientists shake down Alaska quake - Dec 10th, 2002

The 7.9 temblor could provide clues about how California faults will act

Seattle Mayor Urges Water Conservation - Dec 10th, 2002

SEATTLE -- Our record-breaking dry weather has Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels asking people to start conserving water immediately.

Smallpox Vaccine Results Are In - Dec 10th, 2002

The first returns are in on the smallpox vaccine. A recent multi-center US government clinical trial on 200 �young adults� has been completed.

BBC News Online Mars Express PT 2 - Dec 10th, 2002

In the second instalment of the BBC News Online Mars Express diary, John Reddy describes how Europe's first probe to the Red Planet is being prepared for the rough and tumble of space.

Shipshape has a new meaning - Dec 10th, 2002

The futuristic-looking Sea Shadow arrives today at PSNS for three months of work.

Astronauts' view of eclipse - Dec 10th, 2002

This is the view the new crew on the International Space Station (ISS) got of the recent total solar eclipse.

Turning food waste into plastic - Dec 10th, 2002

(CNN) -- A meal you don't eat could return to your kitchen table not as leftovers, but as plastic wrap.

NASA: Water, water everywhere on Mars - Dec 10th, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- New observations by a NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars show a planet rich in water, but suggests that for billions of years it has done little other than remain frozen in the soil. The finding challenges theories that Mars was once a warm, wet place hospitable to life.

Record ice loss in Arctic - Dec 10th, 2002

Melting was so severe on the Greenland ice sheet in June that field researcher Konrad Steffen wondered just how he would get off the continent.

Moon's surface brimming with untapped power - Dec 9th, 2002

Astronauts journeyed to the moon as a display of Cold War technical prowess, but the far-reaching legacy of their explorations may be the discovery of an invisible nuclear power source locked in the gray lunar soil.

Secret blasts rattle Cheney's neighbors - Dec 9th, 2002

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- Neighbors of Vice President Dick Cheney are being shaken and rattled at least once a day by mysterious blasts on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory where Cheney lives.

Astronauts recall moon landing on 30th anniversary of Apollo 17 - Dec 9th, 2002

BEVERLY HILLS � Thirty years have passed, but no amount of time could dim the vivid memory Eugene Cernan has of being the last person to leave footprints on the moon.

Water from Air - Dec 9th, 2002

Everyone needs water to live, but not everyone has access to clean drinking water. The situation in many countries is not getting better.

Scientists: Data Suggest Arctic Warming - Dec 9th, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The northernmost reaches of the Earth are warming, reducing the sea ice across the Arctic Ocean, melting the ice sheet in Greenland and spreading shrubs into the Alaskan tundra, scientists said Saturday.

Super typhoon hits Guam - Dec 9th, 2002

HAGATNA, Guam � Super Typhoon Pongsona, with winds as high as 160 mph and 25-foot surf, pounded Guam today.

NORAD to test Santa tracker Dec. 18 - Dec 9th, 2002

ARLINGTON, Va. � Santa Claus has agreed to allow the North American Aerospace Defense Command to conduct a full-blown flight test of his sleigh and all eight tiny reindeer Dec. 18, according to NORAD.

Looking for the dark side of the universe - Dec 9th, 2002

The scientists who brought us the size and shape of the universe are going for something even more ambitious.

World's 'oldest' volcanic rocks - Dec 9th, 2002

The oldest volcanic rocks in the world have been discovered by geologists in Canada.

'Compelling evidence' of global warming - Dec 9th, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- The northernmost reaches of the Earth are warming, reducing the sea ice across the Arctic Ocean, melting the ice sheet in Greenland and spreading shrubs into the Alaskan tundra, scientists said Saturday.

Albino squirrel has its own groupies - Dec 8th, 2002

DENTON, Texas - The albino squirrel is not an obvious magical creature. There is no puff of smoke when he appears, no pot of gold - only a nervous little rodent with eyes pinker than candy.

Who Really Sank the Bismarck? - Dec 8th, 2002

You are 16,000 feet below the North Atlantic, peering out the window of a tiny submersible. The wreck you see was once the most feared warship in the world.

Threat to Earth from supernova blast falls - Dec 8th, 2002

The likelihood of a supernova explosion that would strip off the Earth's protective ozone layer for decades and imperil life has been reduced to a remote threat, according to new calculations by American astrophysicists.

Was Mars once a hot-and-cold hell? - Dec 8th, 2002

Mars in the popular imagination is a planet that was once warm and wet, a place that might have fostered life. But new research shows how these imagined pleasant periods were brief, hellish and punctuated by utter catastrophe.

UT scientist's satellite project will take stock of Earth's ice - Dec 8th, 2002

Bob Schutz likes to use a pencil-sized laser device to aim a red dot at points of interest when he gives slide shows. Soon, the professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas will use an industrial-strength version aimed from space to determine whether the polar ice caps are growing or shrinking.

Scalding Rains, Flash Floods and Worse Plagued Ancient Mars - Dec 8th, 2002

Mars in the popular imagination is a planet that was once warm and wet, a place that might have fostered life. But new research shows how these imagined pleasant periods were brief, hellish, and punctuated by utter catastrophe.

Reliable Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Dec. 13-14 - Dec 8th, 2002

Less than a month after the Leonid meteor shower, another excellent display is just around the corner. The reliable, annual Geminid meteor shower is scheduled to reach its peak during the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, Dec. 14.

FBI Raids Software Firm for al-Qaeda Ties - Dec 8th, 2002

U.S. government investigators have raided a Quincy, Massachusetts software firm with alleged ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network, according to Paul Bresson, an FBI spokesperson.

I want my country back By Harry Browne - Dec 8th, 2002

Thoughts on the American empire � Is it an empire? Whenever I say that America has become an empire, someone is sure to say I'm being ridiculous.

9th Circuit: Gun Ownership Not a Personal Right - Dec 8th, 2002

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled that there is no individual right to gun possession, holding that only state-run militias have a constitutional right to bear arms.

Passport technology to be tested - Dec 8th, 2002

The federal government has decided to test state-of-the-art face recognition technology as a means of spotting fake Canadian passports and impostors.

Researchers accuse ASU's THEMIS of fraud and cover-up on latest image of 'Face on Mars' - Dec 8th, 2002

Under the surface of Mars lies an ancient, nuclear-powered city left by Martian citizens. At least, that's what a group of space researchers think. And they're trying to prove it by invoking a little-known remnant of President Clinton's last days called the "Data Quality Act" that went into force in October of this year. The filing, dated October 31, 2002, gives NASA 40 days to address the complaint that there is faulty data on Arizona State University's THEMIS Web site.

Mexican plaque fragments may bear ancient writing - Dec 8th, 2002

Archeologists digging near Mexico's Gulf Coast have discovered the earliest known example of writing in the New World, pushing the date for the appearance of this crucial development back by at least 350 years to about 650 B.C.

City-swallowing Sand Dunes - Dec 8th, 2002

NASA-supported researchers are studying the complex physics of menacing sand dunes.

Live Nude Ghouls - Dec 8th, 2002

You've heard of haunted houses and haunted forests - now a suburban New Jersey town is the home of America's first haunted strip club.

New Beagle to boldly go to Mars to seek life - Dec 8th, 2002

LONDON (Reuters) -- Nearly two centuries after Charles Darwin set sail in HMS Beagle on a journey that revolutionized the way people viewed the Earth, Beagle 2 will bla