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| BBC News - Science & Environment |
| Councils 'must lower emissions' Thu, 17 May 2012 02:52:37 GMT Local authorities across the UK should have a statutory duty to combat climate change, government advisors recommend. |
| Whales can adjust their hearing Thu, 17 May 2012 06:19:51 GMT Whales that use sound to navigate are able to adjust the sensitivity of their hearing to protect their ears from loud noises, say scientists. |
| Tidal turbine 'performing well' Thu, 17 May 2012 01:05:46 GMT A subsea turbine which uses tidal power to generate electricity has successfully completed initial tests off Orkney. |
| UK climate fix balloon grounded Wed, 16 May 2012 14:58:17 GMT A pioneering project to test a climate "technical fix" is postponed and maybe cancelled due to problems with patents and regulations. |
| Robotic arm controlled by thought Wed, 16 May 2012 17:05:51 GMT Two patients in the US paralysed from the neck down are able to control a robotic arm using their thoughts alone. |
| Subways share universal structure Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:31 GMT A study of the world's largest subway networks shows they share a number of mathematical features, irrespective of their age or location. |
| Action urged on city climate risk Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:39 GMT Urban areas need additional capacity to adapt to the range of threats posed by climate change, such as flooding and rising temperatures, studies show. |
| Cameron hears Green Deal concerns Wed, 16 May 2012 15:23:53 GMT Downing Street is about to review the government's flagship Green Deal energy-saving programme after warnings that it is liable to fail. |
| Cutting pollution 'helps hearts' Tue, 15 May 2012 23:31:35 GMT Cutting air pollution has an instant impact on heart health, experts believe, after reviewing studies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. |
| Elgin gas leak 'has been stopped' Wed, 16 May 2012 10:50:37 GMT The gas leak from the Elgin platform in the North Sea has been stopped, oil firm Total says. |
| Google patents Project Glass design Wed, 16 May 2012 12:19:53 GMT Search giant Google patents the design of its augmented reality glasses, known as Project Glass. |
| Milestone for wi-fi with 'T-rays' Wed, 16 May 2012 07:00:35 GMT Researchers smash a record for wireless data transmission in the terahertz band, an uncharted part of the electro-magnetic spectrum. |
| Apple trees in Highlands mapped Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:30 GMT The planting of apple trees could be on the rise in the Highlands, according to the maker of a new map. |
| Escapee penguin 'found' in Tokyo Wed, 16 May 2012 15:34:52 GMT A young penguin which escaped from Tokyo's Sea Life Park has reportedly been spotted swimming in waters around the Japanese capital. |
| Chemicals 'damage male fertility' Tue, 15 May 2012 23:06:22 GMT A study by Scottish researchers suggests chemicals routinely found in the environment could be damaging male fertility. |
| Viruses used to power tiny device Tue, 15 May 2012 14:33:36 GMT A US team of researchers develops a way to generate electricity using viruses. |
| Paralysed man moves hand after op Tue, 15 May 2012 14:06:16 GMT A paralysed man has regained limited use of his hand after pioneering surgery to bypass damage to his spinal cord. |
| Amber preserves pollen carriers Tue, 15 May 2012 11:25:47 GMT What may be the earliest direct example of insect pollination of plants has been identified by scientists in 100-million-year-old amber blocks from Spain. |
| Shark attacks: A magnetic solution? Mon, 14 May 2012 23:31:46 GMT Can magnets stop sharks from attacking? |
| Scientists protest over funding Mon, 14 May 2012 23:01:26 GMT Scientists deliver a coffin to Downing Street on Tuesday to protest about "the death of British science". |
| Seabed test mimics carbon release Wed, 16 May 2012 00:09:28 GMT Scientists begin a month-long experiment in Scottish waters to study the impact of a possible leak from an undersea carbon dioxide storage site. |
| Fawns use predator 'escape plan' Wed, 16 May 2012 00:40:49 GMT Survival of the fittest among baby deer |
| Airlines report emissions to EU Tue, 15 May 2012 11:22:10 GMT The vast majority of airlines are conforming to EU rules on reporting carbon dioxide emissions, despite a number of protests and lawsuits. |
| Work on The Shaft to be sped up Tue, 15 May 2012 10:57:31 GMT Plans are to be accelerated to deal with one of the most controversial areas of the Dounreay nuclear site. |
| Nature protection 'must improve' Mon, 14 May 2012 23:48:10 GMT Environmentalists say leaders at June's Rio+20 summit must urgently step up nature protection, as a report confirms a 30% fall in wildlife since 1970. |
| Hen harriers 'being wiped out' Wed, 16 May 2012 13:59:35 GMT Hen harriers are "perilously close" to being wiped out as a breeding bird in England, with just one pair nesting this year, a wildlife charity says. |
| Nature and culture loss 'linked' Sun, 13 May 2012 00:27:59 GMT A study by US researchers highlights a link between the loss of biologically rich areas and a decline in linguistic and cultural diversity. |
| Crows know familiar human voices Fri, 11 May 2012 11:16:34 GMT Crows recognise and respond to familiar human voices and the calls of other bird species, according to researchers. |
| Turtle dove rescue mission begins Thu, 10 May 2012 00:40:58 GMT Conservationists launch what they call an urgent mission to save the turtle dove from extinction in the UK. |
| VIDEO: Soyuz spaceship docks at ISS Thu, 17 May 2012 06:59:45 GMT A Soyuz spacecraft has successfully docked with the International Space Station. |
| VIDEO: Wildlife Trusts celebrates centenary Wed, 16 May 2012 14:44:28 GMT The movement which started the Wildlife Trusts is celebrating its centenary year. |
| VIDEO: A look at 'wind turbines' of the deep Thu, 17 May 2012 05:13:38 GMT The latest device to harness the power of the tides is being tested in the stormy waters off Orkney in the far north of Scotland. |
| VIDEO: Hopes for West Country mining Tue, 15 May 2012 11:44:23 GMT Contracts giving a mining company ownership of land in Cornwall which it says it needs for new buildings have been signed. |
| VIDEO: Norway tests carbon capture technology Fri, 11 May 2012 05:56:58 GMT A hi-tech facility that could unlock the key to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from power stations has just opened in Norway. |
| VIDEO: Are billions exposed to unsafe water? Mon, 14 May 2012 20:17:09 GMT The UN has greatly downplayed the scale of the global drinking water crisis, research carried out by the BBC suggests. |
| AUDIO: Tweeting to a planet near you Fri, 11 May 2012 09:20:41 GMT Why is an artist about to sent tweets into space? Nathaniel Stern, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, and Anu Ojha, Director of the National Space Academy in Leicester, explain. |
| VIDEO: Flying into the heart of a storm Thu, 10 May 2012 05:17:50 GMT Scientists have flown through the heart of a turbulent weather system in a bid to understand the causes of heavy rainfall. |
| Tidal power gets a stormy birth Thu, 17 May 2012 07:59:54 GMT Scotland's latest bid for tidal power |
| Wildlife Trusts celebrate 100 years Wed, 16 May 2012 09:02:03 GMT The UK Wildlife Trusts celebrate their centenary |
| Big Picture: The Centaur Wed, 16 May 2012 10:31:07 GMT The best-yet view of the mysterious galaxy Centaurus A |
| Insect clues crack murder probes Tue, 15 May 2012 23:37:39 GMT The maggot expert who is being called in by murder police |
| Inside the mind of the road racer Thu, 17 May 2012 09:04:37 GMT The psychology of choosing to risk your life |
| Sticking it where the Sun shines Wed, 16 May 2012 06:54:09 GMT The Scottish scientists trying to put solar power stations in space |
| Profile: Sea Shepherd Cpt Watson Mon, 14 May 2012 12:22:05 GMT Paul Watson, recently arrested environmental campaigner |
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| Word of the day |
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 17, 2012 is:
maffick • \MAF-ik\ • verb
: to celebrate with boisterous rejoicing and hilarious behavior
Examples:
Fans mafficked for hours outside the stadium, celebrating the team's dramatic victory in the division championship.
"In half an hour, after the mildest of mafficking, the last visitors of the exhibition's last day had gone out of the gates and the staff began their final acts of closing up shop." — From an article in The Guardian (London), October 1, 2011
Did you know?
"Maffick" is an alteration of Mafeking Night, the British celebration of the lifting of the siege of a British military outpost during the South African War at the town of Mafikeng (also spelled Mafeking) on May 17, 1900. The South African War was fought between the British and the Afrikaners, who were Dutch and Huguenot settlers originally called Boers, over the right to govern frontier territories. Though the war did not end until 1902, the lifting of the siege of Mafikeng was a significant victory for the British because they held out against a larger Afrikaner force for 217 days until reinforcements could arrive. The rejoicing in British cities on news of the rescue produced "maffick," a word that was popular for a while, especially in journalistic writing, but is now relatively uncommon.