Reuters: Science News

Science justifies California water limits

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:09:05 -0400

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Federal limits on water that can be pumped out of a major river delta for California farmers are scientifically justified, a much-anticipated report said on Friday, a finding hailed by environmentalists in the state's epic water wars.

Experts design elastic iron for surgeries, buildings

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:17:21 -0400

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers in Japan have designed a super-elastic iron alloy which they hope can be used in sophisticated heart and brain surgeries and even buildings in earthquake zones.

Scientists hide gold with 3D "invisibility cloak"

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:16:29 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - German scientists have created a three-dimensional "invisibility cloak" that can hide objects by bending light waves.

Chileans' quake knowledge saved thousands of lives

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:18:01 -0400

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chileans' knowledge of earthquakes, combined with the abnormally long time it took for the February 27 quake to reach its crescendo, saved thousands of lives, a leading geophysicist said on Thursday.

U.S.-Russian duo returns to Earth from space station

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:02:23 -0400

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying a U.S. astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut from the International Space Station landed safely in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

Dogs domesticated in Middle East, not Asia

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:00:02 -0400

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - From French poodles to German shepherds, domestic dogs likely trace most of their ancestry to the Middle East, as opposed to East Asian origins suggested by previous research, a genetic study reported on Wednesday.

NASA chief Bolden sees opportunities for industry

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:46:39 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - NASA Administrator Charles Bolden defended the U.S. space agency's budget on Tuesday and said its focus on commercial space transportation would provide "incredible opportunities" for U.S. companies.

Hobbit ancestors once colonized Indonesia island

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:20:07 -0400

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Ancestors of a hobbit-like species of humans may have colonized the Indonesian island of Flores as far back as a million years ago, much earlier than thought, according to a new study published Thursday.

People leave unique trail of germs

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:19:50 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People leave more than fingerprints when they touch stuff -- they also deposit a tell-tale trail of germs that could help investigators solve crimes, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

F-35 fighter fleet's price may be double forecast

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:17:54 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The estimated total cost of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jets being bought by the Pentagon may be nearly twice as high as originally forecast, the Defense Department said Friday.