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Science

Friday

Environment

Critics Protest Plans to Shutter EPA Libraries

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to close several of its libraries by Oct. 1. The agency says it will eventually make its records available online. Critics say the move will make much of the agency's work inaccessible to its employees and the public, and could make it harder to prosecute polluters.

Critics Protest Plans to Shutter EPA Libraries

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Environment

Philadelphia Tackles Rainwater Runoff Pollution

The City of Philadelphia has set a goal to reduce the rainwater runoff that pollutes local rivers and causes flooding. They are focusing on measures to create places where rain is quickly absorbed into the ground, rather than sheeting off pavement.

Philadelphia Tackles Rainwater Runoff Pollution

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Thursday

Devious Dodder Vine Sniffs Out Its Victims

Some flowers release a pleasing fragrance. Other plants smell. And then there's the vampire-like dodder vine, a parasitic plant which sniffs out its victims, sinks its fangs in and starts drinking.

Devious Dodder Vine Sniffs Out Its Victims

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Research News

Fleet-Footed Tarantula with Comic Book Powers

It's a discovery Spider-Man would love -- scientists have discovered a type of tarantula that shoots webs from its toes. Researchers made the find during an experiment studying how spiders gain traction on surfaces.

Fleet-Footed Tarantula with Comic Book Powers

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Tuesday

National

Bedbugs Make a Comeback in the Big Apple

Bedbugs have reappeared across the country, and they're making a dramatic comeback in New York City, where residents reported five times as many infestations this year as last year. The City Council wants to ban reconditioned mattresses, but parasite experts say that won't work.

Bedbugs Make a Comeback in the Big Apple

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Environment

Black-Footed Ferrets Fight Extinction

Twenty-five years ago today, a dog in Wyoming arrived at its owner's doorstep with a dead black-footed ferret in its mouth. Until then, biologists thought the species was extinct. Today, the species struggles to survive.

Black-Footed Ferrets Fight Extinction

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Vaccine May Eliminate E. Coli in Cattle

One likely source of the recent E. coli outbreak in spinach is cattle waste. At the University of Nebraska, researchers are working on a vaccine that would be given to cattle to destroy E. coli before it harms your food.

Vaccine May Eliminate E. Coli in Cattle

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Xeni Tech

A Digital 3-D Brain Map Breakthrough

Researchers at the Paul Allen Brain Institute -- thanks to a $100 million donation from the Microsoft co-founder -- celebrated the completion of a new digital atlas of the mouse brain, an achievement that will likely lead to a greater understanding of how the human brain works.

A Digital 3-D Brain Map Breakthrough

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Monday

Marketplace Report

Marketplace Report: Honda's Super-Clean Diesel

Officials with the Honda Motor Co. announced the company has developed a "super-clean" diesel engine for passenger cars. Bob Moon of Marketplace talks with Madeleine Brand about the likely effect on the auto industry.

Marketplace Report: Honda's Super-Clean Diesel

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Technology

GPS Is Smartening Up Your Cell Phone

Imagine standing on a corner and instantly getting the median income of the neighborhood or the crime rate on your street -- all by using your cell phone. Cell phone companies are starting to tap into GPS technology and software companies are already imagining how to use it.

GPS Is Smartening Up Your Cell Phone

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Space

Commercial Space Drive Takes a Stumble

The drive to commercialize space travel took a slight stumble Monday in the New Mexico desert, where the first launch from Spaceport America failed to reach space. The unmanned 20-foot rocket, built by Connecticut-based UP Aerospace Inc., took off safely before flying erratically.

Commercial Space Drive Takes a Stumble

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Friday

Environment

Researchers Say Gulf Hurricanes Added New Wetlands

A controversial new research paper in Science magazine says Hurricanes Katrina and Rita helped build new coastal wetlands. The report concludes that big storms -- rather than rivers -- are the main source of new material for the marshlands that help protect the coast.

Researchers Say Gulf Hurricanes Added New Wetlands

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Thursday

Environment

EPA Unveils Tighter Rules on Particles in Air

The EPA announces new air-pollution standards for particulate matter. The standard affects what pollution controls power plants and other big industries are required to install. The agency says the change will save billions in health-care costs.

EPA Unveils Tighter Rules on Particles in Air

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