Sands of Sahara moved slowly
Cologne, Germany | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A German geologist said layers of sediment in the bottom of a lake in the Sahara suggest the region dried up gradually over thousands of years.

 Respiratory issues rise after Katrina
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said complaints of respiratory illness among Gulf Coast children increased after Hurricane Katrina.

 Vaccine falls short in fighting flu
New York | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
U.S. researchers said survey results show last year's flu vaccine fell far short, compared to past years, in keeping people from getting the virus.

 California limits salmon fishing
Sacramento | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
California officials said salmon fishing in the Central Valley will be limited this year to a small stretch of the Sacramento River.

 Huge owl moves into English village
Harthill, England | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A large eagle owl has moved into a village in Northern England, scaring some residents and fascinating others.

 Norway may halt salmon fishing season
Oslo, Norway | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Norwegian wildlife management officials said stocks of wild salmon have dropped so low they may have to halt the salmon fishing season.

 Canada to ban BPA baby bottles
Ottawa | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Canada became the first country to declare the widely used chemical bisphenol A unsuitable for use in baby bottles and set a ban mechanism in motion Friday.

 Chicago to test water for drugs
Chicago | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Chicago water officials said they're testing Lake Michigan drinking water for the presence of pharmaceutical drugs and other unregulated chemicals.

 Toxic chemicals found in pets
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A U.S. environmental group said high levels of industrial chemicals have been found in household pets.

 Chaos theory scientist Edward Lorenz dies
Cambridge, Mass. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Edward N. Lorenz, a meteorologist who developed chaos theory, has died of cancer at age 90 in his home in Cambridge, Mass.

 Study: Cars are major threat to amphibians
West Lafayette, Ind. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A study led by Purdue University biologists finds cars may be a large factor in the declining U.S. population of several types of amphibians.

 FDA proposal on drug articles under fire
New York | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Claims that the pharmaceutical company Merck hired ghostwriters for Vioxx articles has put heat on a U.S. proposal to loosen drug promotion rules.

 Swedish tobacco tied to premature death
Gothenburg, Sweden | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A form of moist Swedish tobacco known as snus has been linked to premature death in users, a new longitudinal study has found.

 Moose multiplying in Scandinavia
Oslo, Norway | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Biologists say there are now record numbers of moose in Scandinavia -- the greatest population since the Ice Age.

 Global warming may boost algae growth
London | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
British researchers said global warming may increase ocean plankton calcification and boost the development of algae.

 Birds guard each other
Bristol, England | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
British researchers say some birds serve as guards to keep their foraging colleagues safe while looking for food.

 Ancient marble staircase found in Rome
Rome | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Italian archeologists said an ancient staircase made of marble was uncovered during excavations beneath Rome's Piazza Venezia.

 New DNA testing bring free will into play
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A new generation of DNA testing gives a peek at biological and psychological traits allowing lawyers to question free will in U.S. criminal cases, experts say.

 Teen marijuana use linked to depression
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
U.S. researchers said recent data suggest teens use of marijuana to cope with depression may lead to more serious mental illness.

 Loggerhead turtles on decline in Florida
Tampa, Fla. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The number of loggerhead sea turtle nests is on the decline throughout Florida, indicating a potential threat to the animals, wildlife experts say.

 World's first thermal nanomotor is created
Barcelona, Spain | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Spanish scientists say they've created the world's first thermal nanomotor that functions as a nanotransporter, moving cargo in a carbon nanotube.

 Hawaii's botanical history is expanded
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Smithsonian Institution scientists say one of Hawaii's most dominant plants, Metrosideros, has existed on the islands much longer than previously believed.

 Lizard's hunting style impacts their walk
Athens, Ohio | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A U.S. study suggests the technique lizards use to grab food influences how they move.

 Milky Way black hole flared 300 years ago
Kyoto, Japan | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A team of Japanese astronomers has discovered the Milky Way galaxy's central black hole produced a powerful flare about three centuries ago.

 Bikini corals recover from atomic blast
Townsville, Australia | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A team of international scientists says the Pacific Ocean atoll of Bikini, the site of the most powerful U.S. nuclear bomb explosion, is recovering.

 Scientific model maps coral reefs' status
New York | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
U.S. and Dutch researchers have created a scientific model that can map where coral reefs are in the most trouble and where they can best be protected.

 Saturn images to be displayed in New York
New York | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration says some of the best images from Saturn and the planet's rings and moons will be displayed in New York.

 Brain size predicts duration of immaturity
Durham, N.c. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
U.S. and Swiss researchers examining the development of 28 primate species say they discovered brain size predicts the time needed to reach maturity.

 U.S. to fund three biorefinery projects
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The U.S. Department of Energy says it's selected small-scale biorefinery projects in Maine, Kentucky and Tennessee for up to $86 million in funding.

 Sunny arctic weather causing more ice melt
Boulder, Colo. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
U.S. scientists say they've determined the shrinking expanse of Arctic Ocean ice is becoming increasingly vulnerable to summer sunshine.

 Synthetic gene therapy material is created
Philadelphia | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
U.S. cardiology researchers report creating a versatile synthetic material that can bind to a variety of gene therapy vectors.

 Potential cancer drug does well in study
Birmingham, Ala. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A U.S. university study suggests the drug triphendiol causes tumor cell death in pancreatic and bile duct cancer, as well as slowing tumor growth.

 NASA tech might be used for Web gaming
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The U.S. space agency says educators soon might soon be able to use computer-simulation games that employ space age technologies.

 Twin space probe design phase begins
Laurel, Md. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The U.S. space agency said design has started on its radiation storm probes -- twin spacecraft that will be launched into the Earth's radiation belts.

 DEET found in drinking water
Chicago | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Tests of Chicago's drinking water turned up low levels of the bug repellent DEET, the Chicago Sun-Times said.

 Beetle offers clue to ancient pest control
Jerusalem | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Israeli researchers said an ancient beetle provides clues to how the Bible's Joseph the Dreamer was able to keep the people of Egypt from starving.

 Bird migration from Africa in decline
London | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
British researchers said it appears the number of birds that migrate to Europe from Africa every spring is in decline.

 PETA offers $1 million for fake meat
New York | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the animal rights group based in Virginia, is offering a $1 million prize for meat produced in a laboratory.

 China world's largest Internet market
Beijing | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A Chinese research firm said China has surpassed the United States as the world's largest Internet market based on number of users.

 Urine could signal sleeping sickness
London | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
An international team of researchers said urine and blood tests could be used to diagnose deadly sleeping sickness in Africa.

 Swedish emergency rooms closed by strike
Stockholm, Sweden | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
Emergency rooms were closed at a number of Swedish hospitals Monday after nurses and other healthcare workers went out on strike.

 NASA, M2MI work on satellite development
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The U.S. space agency says it and the Machine to Machine Corp. have signed an agreement to make nanosats to improve space telecommunications.

 FDA OK's arterial plaque imaging device
Washington | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has approved a device that can see inside a blood vessel to assess the fat content of the arterial plaque.

 Yellowstone bison population halved
Gardiner, Mont. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
U.S. wildlife officials said they put a halt to its disease management program because the bison population in Yellowstone National Park declined by half.

 New targets found for modification enzymes
Atlanta | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A consortium of U.S., German and Japanese scientists has found new non-histone targets for one enzyme previously thought to modify only histones.

 Study: Cochlea shape important in hearing
Nashville | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
U.S. scientists say they've found the shape of the cochlea -- a snail shell-shaped inner ear organ -- is important in low-frequency hearing.

 NASA's Polar satellite ends its mission
Greenbelt, Md. | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
The U.S. space agency says its Polar satellite has concluded its 12-year mission to study the Northern and Southern lights.

 Researchers find salt retention channel
San Diego | May 10, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A U.S. research team announced development of the first small molecule that can reversibly activate a key protein involved in balancing sodium levels.