Young Island Is Scientists' Playground

Relativity, theory of evolution top the list

(NEWSER) - Every year, the website Edge poses a big, open-ended question to leading scientists. This year's query— "What is your favorite deep, elegant or beautiful explanation?" —received 191 answers covering a wide range of ideas, with Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution receiving the most replies, reports Reuters . Some interesting responses:

• "Darwin's natural selection wins hands down," writes Richard Dawkins, unsurprisingly. "Never in the field of human comprehension were so many facts explained by assuming so few."

Katla would make last year's eruption look 'small'

(NEWSER) - Another Icelandic volcano has begun to grumble—and if it erupts, it could make last year's ash cloud look like a joke, experts say. The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokul was "small," according to a scientist; it didn't seem that way to the airlines that lost $2 billion thanks to disrupted service. Now researchers are detecting strengthening earthquakes around the more dangerous Katla, a volcano named for "an evil troll," the AP reports. More»

Authorities say little risk of full eruption, issue level 1 alert

(NEWSER) - After a month's quiet, a volcano spewing ash and smoke in the Philippines today forced at least 2,000 villagers to flee to safety. Shooting ash more than a mile into the air, it was the volcano's 13th ash explosion since November, but officials said there is no sign that Mount Bulusan is poised to erupt, reports the AP . The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which attributed the ash explosion to steam buildup, warned people to avoid the 2.5-mile danger zone around Mount Bulusan. Click for more . More»

Air Space closed as Eyjafjallajökull blows again

(NEWSER) - Ash clouds from Iceland's spewing volcano disrupted air traffic across Europe today as authorities closed air space over Britain, Ireland and the Nordic countries. Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded as flights were canceled and it was not clear when it would be safe enough to fly again, the AP reports . London's Heathrow Airport has been completely shut down for the rest of the day, sparking a wave of like cancellations throughout Europe. More»

Scientists fear small eruption could trigger larger one

(AP) - A volcano erupted near a glacier in southern Iceland, shooting ash and molten lava into the air and forcing the evacuation today of hundreds of people from nearby villages. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, but scientists feared the eruption could trigger a larger and potentially more dangerous eruption at the Katla volcano. More»