Beijing Forces Half of Drivers Off the Road

Expert calls new data 'surprising'

(NEWSER) - The Chinese government, under fire from its citizens about its unbelievably upbeat pollution reports , has started to release more detailed data about smog in Beijing, reports the AP . For the first time, Beijing's official weather website yesterday included readings about PM2.5, or particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size—extra-small particles that are considered more dangerous. So far, though—surprise, surprise—the new readings have been good, with data one expert called "surprisingly low." More»

Cost advantage isn't the only reason Asia is gaining on US

(NEWSER) - Asia isn't just snapping up low-wage unskilled manufacturing jobs from the US; thanks to rapidly expanding engineering and research capabilities, the continent, and particularly China, have been able to lure away America's high-tech manufacturing jobs, too, according to a new report from the National Science Board. In the last decade the US lost 687,000 of these high-tech jobs—a sizable 28%, the Washington Post reports. More»

Rail against government's 'fog' label

(NEWSER) - The Chinese know smog when they see it—even when the government calls it "fog." So Beijing citizens are taking their own pollution readings. "If people know what their air is like, they are more likely to take action," said a researcher at an environmental group that is showing residents how to test pollution on a locally made monitoring machine—then posting the results online. More»

Health officials suggest trying actual medicine

(NEWSER) - Put down that gecko: The Philippine health department is warning citizens that using geckos to treat AIDS, asthma, and tuberculosis doesn't work and endangers those who don't seek proper treatment. There's no scientific evidence to the folklore behind the practice, and it's caused an increase in illegal trade of the reptiles—which are reportedly also shipped to Malaysia, South Korea, and China, where they're also used as aphrodisiacs. An 11-ounce gecko reportedly sells for $1,160 in the Philippines, according to the AP . More»

How does your 'highway to hell' rank?

(NEWSER) - We all know LA has a traffic problem, but Honolulu? It's No. 2 in the nation, finds the Daily Beast , which crunched the numbers to rank America's 75 worst commutes. Some of the highlights:

• No. 3, Capital Beltway, Washington, DC: This slow moving route totals an average of 194 hours of congestion per week. "It's a rough road," says a local transportation reporter.