Most complete Earth map published
The most complete terrain map of the Earth's surface has been published and will be free to use

Dense Knots Of Cold Cosmic Dust -- Potential Birthplaces Of New Stars -- Discovered In Inner Regions Of The Milky Way
Astronomers have unveiled an unprecedented new atlas of the inner regions of the Milky Way, our home galaxy, peppered with thousands of previously undiscovered dense knots of cold cosmic dust -- the potential birthplaces of new stars Made using observations from the APEX telescope in Chile, this survey is the largest map of cold dust so far

First Direct Evidence Of Lightning On Mars Detected
For the first time, direct evidence of lightning has been detected on Mars, say researchers who found signs of electrical discharges during dust storms on the Red Planet

Intense Heat Killed The Universe's Would-be Galaxies, Researchers Say
Millions of would-be galaxies failed to develop after being exposed to intense heat from the first stars and black holes formed in the early Universe, according to new research Our Milky Way galaxy only survived because it was already immersed in a large clump of dark matter which trapped gases inside it, scientists have found

Less Empathy Toward Outsiders: Brain Differences Reinforce Preferences For Those In Same Social Group
An observer feels more empathy for someone in pain when that person is in the same social group, according to new research The study shows that perceiving others in pain activates a part of the brain associated with empathy and emotion more if the observer and the observed are the same race The findings may show that unconscious prejudices against outside groups exist at a basic level

New Exotic Subatomic Particle Observed: Omega-sub-b Baryon
Physicists have announced the observation of a new particle, the Omega-sub-b (Ωb) The particle contains three quarks -- two strange quarks and a bottom quark (s-s-b) It is an exotic relative of the much more common proton and has about six times the proton's mass

Television Review | 'Nova: Musical Minds': Our Brains on Music: The Science
Musical Minds, the season premiere of Nova on PBS, is based on the neurologist Oliver Sackss most recent book, Musicophilia

Bacteria anticipate upcoming events
Just as humans have learned to connect dark clouds with rain, so too have bacteria and yeast learned to use one event to predict the arrival of another

Plants Save The Earth From An Icy Doom
When glaciers advanced over much of the Earth's surface during the last ice age, what kept the planet from freezing over entirely This has been a puzzle to climate scientists because leading models have indicated that over the past 24 million years geological conditions should have caused carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to plummet, possibly leading to runaway "icehouse" conditions Now researchers report on the missing piece of the puzzle -- plants

Biological 'Fountain Of Youth' Found In New World Bat Caves
Scientists are batty over a new discovery which could lead to the single most important medical breakthrough in human history -- significantly longer lifespans The discovery shows that proper protein folding over time in long-lived bats explains why they live significantly longer than other mammals of comparable size, such as mice