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Widely used fragranced products in cleaning agents and laundry detergents–including those that claim to be "green"–give off many chemicals that are not listed on the label, including some that are classified as toxic. Researcher Anne Steinemann says, "We analyzed best-selling products, and about half of them made some claim about being green, organic or natural. Surprisingly, the green products’ emissions of hazardous chemicals were not significantly different from the other products." Art credit: Dreamstime.comread more

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NASA researchers are analyzing the light reflected by Earth–and other planets–to try to figure out which ones have conditions that might harbor life. The Earth shines with a blue light and stands out clearly among the other planets, "like a blue jay in a flock of seagulls." In PhysOrg.com, Daniel Pendick quotes researcher Carolyn Crow as saying, "The method we developed separates the planets out. It makes Earth look unique." Pendick quotes NASA astronomer Lucy McFadden as saying, "Eventually, as telescopes get bigger, there will be the light-gathering power to look at the colors of planets around other stars.read more

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Denver voters resoundingly rejected a proposal for the city to set up a means for residents to report UFO sightings and alien encounters. The proposal was overwhelmingly defeated, 102,776 to 20,162. The proposal’s advocate, Jeff Peckman, claims that opponents outrageously exaggerated the cost of the plan, and says that the government is already tracking UFO sightings, but is keeping the information secret. The proposals would have established a commission to track extraterrestrials and would have allowed Denver residents post their observations and sightings on Denver’s city website.

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Two different species of dolphins– Bottlenose and Guyana–often meet in the waters off the coast of Costa Rica. Bottlenose dolphins emit longer, lower frequency calls, while the Guyana dolphins use higher frequency whistles (it’s the equivalent of a French speaker and an English speaker getting together and trying to communicate). The dolphins’ solution: create a NEW language. In BBC News, Matt Walker quotes biologist Laura May-Collado as saying, "I wouldn’t be surprised that they can modify their signals to mimic, and even possibly communicate with other species. Particularly when their home ranges force them to interact on a daily basis." Art credit: Dreamstime.comread more