New Planets Discovered

August 20, 2010
Some may harbor intelligent life - It has now been found that there must be many small, rocky planets in our galaxy, and probably spread across the universe. This means that the likelihood of there being intelligent life elsewhere could... continued

Pretty People Get Ahead

August 19, 2010
in politics - It's so unfair: Attractive people are less likely to get convicted (and short people commit more crimes), and it turns out that attractive politicians are more likely to get elected. With such widespread TV coverage of candidates,... continued

Trust

August 19, 2010
Leave it up to a robot - We predict that the future will reveal a world filled with robots, and there are all kinds of them out there already. How do you teach someone to trust, especially someone who has... continued

Whew!

August 19, 2010
Seafood from the Gulf is OK - Did the BP oil spill contaminate Gulf Coast seafood? After receiving a shipment of Louisiana seafood samples collected by a reporter with "Good Morning America," Texas researchers found NO evidence of petroleum hydrocarbons.... continued

Pets Made Us Human

August 18, 2010
Human evolution may have been shaped by our pets. But if humans want to avoid food poisoning, they shouldn't feed their pets in the kitchen. In LiveScience.com, Jeremy Hsu quotes paleoanthropologist Pat Shipman as saying, "Once you undergo that funny... continued

GM Seeds Spreading Like Weeds

August 18, 2010
One problem with genetically-modified crops is that their seeds spread far and wide and contaminate fields where other crops are growing. Scientists have found populations of wild plants with genes from genetically modified canola in the United States. Globally, canola... continued

Computers R Us

August 17, 2010
The next generation of computers will try to duplicate the way the human brain works, meaning that they may be able to SEE and HEAR in the future. They may even be able to feel emotions. Meanwhile, our brains are... continued

Shortage of Something Essential

August 17, 2010
Global warming is being blamed for the 40% decline in the ocean's phytoplankton, which is an essential part of the marine food chain: If there is no more plankton, there will be no more fish. Not only that, phytoplankton produce... continued

Solar Cycle Restarting

August 17, 2010
The solar cycle usually works like this: Every 11 years there is a period of intense solar activity. But the sun has been unusually quiet for years now. However, scientists have obtained evidence that a new cycle of solar activity... continued

Are You a Workaholic?

August 16, 2010
Don't shoot--I'm working as fast as I can! Workaholics are like alcoholics--only the ones who have recovered talk about it. One of them calls this "the best-dressed problem of the 21st century." With a shortage of jobs, workers who are... continued