Scientists Prowl to Destroy Mute Swan Eggs April 30, 2007 • Nobody objects when government biologists move to kill off ecologically destructive invasive species, such as zebra mussels or snakehead fish. But when the target is the elegant mute swan — which destroys native wetlands — nasty fights break out. In Maryland, biologists are using Wesson oil and wiles to destroy swan eggs.
Causes Your Questions: Carbon Power April 30, 2007 • NPR science editor David Malakoff answers your questions: How exactly does carbon dioxide warm the Earth? And if we use machines to put CO2 into the atmosphere, why can't we use machines to suck it out?
Apes Will Choose Names for New Neighbors April 29, 2007 • A pair of trumpeter swans have joined bonobo apes living at a research facility in Iowa. Besides being neighborly, the apes are expected to name their feathered friends.
Science Out Of The Box What Is Sugar, Really? April 28, 2007 • The makers of Equal and NutraSweet are suing the makers of Splenda over its slogan: "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." When does a sugar cease to be a sugar? And what is a sugar?
National Shipping Suffers with Drop in Lake Superior's Level April 28, 2007 • Lake Superior is experiencing some of the lowest water levels recorded in 80 years. The shallow water is an inconvenience for recreational boaters, and an expensive problem for commercial shippers.
Environment An Elephant Seal Terrorizes California April 28, 2007 • There's an aggressive elephant seal on the loose in California. Nibbles, as he's known, has bitten a surfer, a kayaker and killed a dozen harbor seals. Apparently, the young male seal has been unlucky in love and is not happy about it.
National Farmer Seeks to Make a Mammoth Deal April 27, 2007 • A Wisconsin farmer is seeking a six-figure deal for bones belonging to a 12,000-year-old mammoth. Experts say the skeleton in John Hebior's basement is the best mammoth specimen ever found in North America.
Environment U.S. Navy Wants Landing Strip in Birds' Backyard April 27, 2007 • The U.S. Navy has been trying for several years to build a practice landing strip for F-18 Hornet fighting jets in coastal North Carolina. But birds — a lot of birds — are getting in the way.
Environment Cambridge, Mass. Adopts Plan to Go Green April 27, 2007 • Cambridge, Mass., announces a plan to cut electricity use and greenhouse-gas emissions in the city. The plan will offer energy audits and cheap loans to homes, businesses and schools for installing low-energy light bulbs, insulation and more-efficient heating and cooling systems.
Environment Genetically Modified Alfalfa Tested in Court April 27, 2007 • A federal judge halted the planting and sale of genetically engineered alfalfa and is expected to hear arguments Friday on whether the ban should stay in place while the government carries out a lengthy environmental study.
Research News Studies Decode Genetic Risk for Type 2 Diabetes April 26, 2007 • Four new separate studies announce the discovery of three regions of human DNA that contain clear genetic risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. The study is among the first to apply a suite of genomic resources to common diseases.
Space For a While, Stephen Hawking Leaves Gravity Behind April 26, 2007 • Renowned physicist and author Stephen Hawking, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, has been restricted to a wheelchair for years. But for a few seconds Thursday, he floated free of gravity's pull on a zero-gravity flight in Florida.
World U.N. Aid Chief Tours Darfur's Refugee Camps April 26, 2007 • The new head of the U.N. World Food Program is visiting Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced by fighting between African rebels and Arab militias known as janjaweed, which are backed by government troops.
Politics House Bill to Ban Genetic Bias Advances April 26, 2007 • The House passed a measure Wednesday that would ban employers and insurance companies from discriminating against people based on genetic makeup. President Bush says he will sign a bill that has been in the works for more than a decade. Some groups say the measure goes too far.
Holy Kryptonite! A Mineral Discovery in Serbia April 25, 2007 • Geologists have discovered a mineral in Serbia that has a similar chemical composition to Krypton, the basis of Superman's famous fictional weakness.