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September 2008
- Fireflies May Be Succumbing to Light Pollution
  
  Associated Press | Sep 1, 08 8:24 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - From backyards in Tennessee to river banks in Thailand, fireflies are disappearing. And the lights may be going out, said scientists who gathered last week in Thailand, because of human light pollution. Urban sprawl has caused a loss of habitat, AP reports, but it also may be that bright cities are interfering with the insects' love life. Mating males attract females by blinking their lights. More »
August 2008
- Octopus Has How Many Legs? Guess Again
  
  AFP | Aug 14, 08 8:26 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Octopuses may not be eight-legged creatures after all, new research suggests. They do indeed have eight limbs, but some function more like arms, AFP reports. It breaks down like this: the front two are the most nimble and armlike, and are used for exploration; the back two are used mostly for propulsion, like legs; and the others pull double-duty to varying degrees. More »
- Polar Bears May Have Yet Another Worry: Sharks
  
  Reuters | Aug 12, 08 6:42 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - As if polar bears in the North Pole didn't have enough to worry about these days: Scientists have found the bone of a young bear in the stomach of a Greenland shark, Reuters reports. The unprecedented discovery prompts a "million dollar question," says one researcher: Do the bears now have to worry about sharks as predators? It seems improbable that the sluggish shark could catch and kill a bear, but the possibility raises intriguing questions. More »
- Perseid Meteors Fly Tonight
  
  Space.com | Aug 11, 08 7:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Earth will plow into the heart of the Perseid meteor stream tonight and give star-gazers a spectacle, Space.com reports. We'll hit the stream's densest part at 7 am EST, but best viewing hours may be after 1:30 am local time—when the moon sets and gives viewers a darker sky. Ideal spots to watch the Swift-Tuttle comet debris are rural areas far from ambient light. More »
- Iconic Arch in Utah Park Collapses
  
  Associated Press | Aug 10, 08 1:52 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A popular stone arch collapsed early last week in Utah's Arches National Park, the AP reports. First discovered in 1948, the Wall Arch fell victim to gravity and the very same force that formed the sandstone structure—erosion. "They all let go after a while," said a park employee. It was the first collapse since 1991. More »
July 2008
- Eclipse Draws 15K to Siberia
  
  Guardian (UK) | Jul 31, 08 11:01 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Prospects of rare total solar eclipse have drawn thousands of sky-watchers to the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, where the moon’s passage between the earth and sun will create 140 seconds of darkness at 5:45 pm local time today. Hotels in the city—Russia’s third-largest—are fully booked, reports the Guardian. US viewers, meanwhile, won't be able to see a full eclipse, but residents of the Northeast may see a partial one at sunrise today. More »
- 'One in a Million' Conjoined Birds Found in Arkansas
  
  Associated Press | Jul 18, 08 8:39 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A pair of barn swallows born joined at the hip are being sent to the Smithsonian Institute for study, the AP reports. An Arkansas landowner found them fallen out of a tree this week and kept them for a day, but they refused to eat and died. Conjoined birds are extremely rare: “I can't even say it's one in a million,” one expert said. “It's probably more than that.” More »
- Grand Canyon Is No Disneyland
  
  NPR | Jul 1, 08 6:15 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Every day from before dawn until around midnight, a staff of thousands unites to keep the Grand Canyon in good condition and its 4.4 million annual visitors safe. NPR travels to the iconic destination to see how it works. "I hope that you are not imagining a pony ride at Disneyland," warns a mule manager about the steep trip down the canyon. More »
June 2008
- This View Zaps Stress, Naturally
  
  Seattle Times | Jun 11, 08 1:14 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - For stress relief, there is no substitute for views of nature, the Seattle Times reports. A University of Washington study found that students who faced a stressful task returned to a normal heart rate most quickly while looking out the window at trees and grass. More »
May 2008
- Clean-Air Changes 'Imperil Parks'
  
  Washington Post | May 16, 08 4:33 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Clean air rules likely to be changed this summer are causing serious concerns about future pollution at some of America's most spectacular national parks, reports the Washington Post . The changes will pave the way for 28 new coal-fired power plants near ten parks, according to a report supported by some National Park Service officials . Parks already have "impaired visibility" because of pollution, and the changes represent a major "setback," said one official. More »
March 2008
- Grand Canyon Flood Creates New Landscape
  
  Associated Press | Mar 14, 08 11:00 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The manmade flood that washed out part of the Grand Canyon last week has already produced sandbars, which indicate the project was a success, National Park officials tell the AP. The flood was designed to make up for the loss of natural distribution of sediment that accompanied the erection of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. "The benefits are substantial," said the park superintendent. More »
- Canyon Older Than Thought?
  
  Washington Post | Mar 6, 08 7:56 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The Grand Canyon might be three times older than previously thought, the Washington Post reports. A study in Science claims that a river—not the Colorado, but a smaller one—began carving the oldest part of the canyon 17 million years ago. It contends that the canyon-building greatly accelerated 5 or 6 million years ago, which is why most geologists use that time frame as its age. More »
January 2008
- Kamikaze Palm Baffles Botanists
  
  Sydney Morning Herald | Jan 17, 08 3:30 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Scientists have found a gigantic—and suicidal—new species of palm tree in a remote area of Madagascar, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The tree, so big it can be seen in satellite photos, grows normally for a century or so until it spectacularly erupts with countless tiny flowers that morph into fruit. Then it dies, apparently exhausted. More »
- '08's Best Meteor Show Tonight
  
  Space.com | Jan 3, 08 4:01 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The most exciting space show of 2008 might well be the Quadrantid meteor shower's peak at 1:40 a.m. EST tomorrow, Space.com reports. Though factors such as moonlight and weather usually obscure the annual spectacle, a rural observer this year may see one or two shooting stars per minute. Eastern North America and Western Europe are prime viewing positions. More »
December 2007
- Eek! A Giant New Rat
  
  BBC | Dec 18, 07 2:25 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Amid the lush paradise of a so-called lost world, researchers ran into a little reminder of the developed world's sewers: A heretofore undiscovered giant rat five times the size of gutter-variety rodents. The group also came across a new pygmy possum and various rare birds in the remote area of Papua New Guinea, the BBC reports. More »
- What Makes a Monster Wave?
  
  Reuters | Dec 12, 07 10:45 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Stories of 100-foot ocean waves have existed in our cultural memory for centuries, but a new finding may get to the bottom of these sea behemoths, Reuters reports. Similar phenomena have been observed in light waves, according to a study in the journal Nature, and scientists say they hope they can use those findings to predict ocean waves. More »
- Source of Northern Lights Seen
  
  National Geographic | Dec 12, 07 6:54 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Scientists are getting closer to understanding what causes the vivid display of the Northern Lights, National Geographic reports. New satellite research indicates that charged particles from the sun are flowing toward Earth’s upper atmosphere in magnetic streams. The waves of charged particles, called solar wind, likely provide energy for the bright geomagnetic storms and auroras. More »
- Get Ready for a Light Show
  
  National Geographic | Dec 11, 07 12:39 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - This week's incarnation of the annual Geminid meteor shower should be particularly awe-inspiring, reports National Geographic , because it coincides with dark, moonless sky for the first time since 1996. Skywatchers can expect at least 110 meteors per minute, with the best viewing on Thursday and Friday. The peak will be on Friday at 11:45pm EST.

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Stories

Fireflies May Be Succumbing to Light Pollution

Octopus Has How Many Legs? Guess Again

Polar Bears May Have Yet Another Worry: Sharks

Perseid Meteors Fly Tonight

Iconic Arch in Utah Park Collapses

Eclipse Draws 15K to Siberia

'One in a Million' Conjoined Birds Found in Arkansas

Grand Canyon Is No Disneyland

This View Zaps Stress, Naturally

Clean-Air Changes 'Imperil Parks'

Grand Canyon Flood Creates New Landscape

Canyon Older Than Thought?

Kamikaze Palm Baffles Botanists

'08's Best Meteor Show Tonight

Eek! A Giant New Rat

What Makes a Monster Wave?

Source of Northern Lights Seen

Get Ready for a Light Show