Environment News
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For Some Arctic Birds, Time of Day Is Irrelevant
June 18, 2013
When the sun never sets, the circadian clocks in four species of Arctic birds go haywire.
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Albino Gorilla Was Result of Inbreeding
June 18, 2013
A recently mapped genome of the famous albino gorilla Snowflake shows he was the child of an uncle and a niece, a new study says.
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How Cities Compost Mountains of Food Waste
June 18, 2013
New York City amps up food recycling, while San Francisco shows the way.
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In Global First, Philippines to Destroy Its Ivory Stock
June 18, 2013
The country's decision was inspired by a National Geographic magazine exposé on the illegal ivory trade.
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Electrofuels: Charged Microbes May "Poop Out" a Gasoline Alternative
June 17, 2013
Run current through genetically engineered microorganisms, and they produce gasoline substitute. Can U.S.-funded electrofuels research finish the drive from lab to market?
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Does Geography Influence How a Language Sounds?
June 14, 2013
A new study is the first to show that language can be influenced by geography.
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How Diving Mammals Stay Underwater for So Long
June 14, 2013
Researchers have discovered the secret to how champion divers like sperm whales can dive for an hour or more.
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Restoring Trees to Save the World's Rarest Parrot
June 14, 2013
National Geographic explorer Steve Boyes talks about his work to pull the Cape parrot back from the brink of oblivion.
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Whisky a Go Go: Can Scotland’s Distillery Waste Boost Biofuels?
June 14, 2013
Scotland's whisky industry churns out a sobering amount of waste, but it may eventually feed a heady biofuels market if Celtic Renewables' plans succeed.
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Pictures: Light Paths Reveal Water Currents
June 14, 2013
British photographer Joel James Devlin makes haunting images of night landscapes.
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Antarctic's Ice Shelves Melting From the Bottom Up
June 13, 2013
Ice shelves lose more mass through melting where the ice meets the sea than by shedding icebergs, a new study says.
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The Ethical Flap Over Birdsong Apps
June 13, 2013
Bird-watchers are using the songs on their smartphones to lure birds. But the result could be bad karma for the birds.
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Dog Disease Infecting Tigers, Making Them Fearless
June 12, 2013
A domestic dog virus is posing a new threat to endangered tigers in the wild-partly by making them less fearful of people, experts say.
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American West Becoming Increasingly Dusty
June 12, 2013
Dust storms are increasing in number in the U.S. What does having more dust in the air actually mean?
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New York's Sea-Level Plan: Will It Play in Miami?
June 12, 2013
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, New York has announced a bold plan to confront rising seas. But the threat to other cities is far worse.
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The NSA Data: Where Does It Go?
June 12, 2013
Massive data centers can store the equivalent of 250 billion DVDs. What might that look like?<p> </p><p> </p>
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Hope for Endangered Butterfly Species
June 11, 2013
Researchers collected more than a hundred eggs from captured females of the endangered Schaus swallowtail butterfly in south Florida.
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What's Behind the New Warning on Global Carbon Emissions?
June 11, 2013
The world is on track to dangerous global warming, but some solutions could be implemented quickly, says International Energy Agency.
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Pictures From BioBlitz 2013: Bronze Frogs to Crawfish Chimneys
June 10, 2013
Scientists, schoolkids, and others swarmed across a park near New Orleans in May to observe as many species as they could find in 24 hours.
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Best Underwater Pictures: Winners of 2013 Amateur Contest
June 9, 2013
A seal in a kelp forest and lionfish on the hunt are among winning pictures of the University of Miami's annual underwater-photography contest.
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Great Barrier Reef: World Heritage in Danger?
June 8, 2013
One of the world's great natural treasures could find itself on a "list of shame" if steps aren't taken to improve its condition.
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Great Barrier Reef: Through the Lens of David Doubilet
June 8, 2013
Photographer David Doubilet recalls 30 years of experience documenting the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.<br />
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What It's Like Taking Pictures Inside an Inferno
June 7, 2013
National Geographic photographer Mark Thiessen describes his experience taking pictures of wildfires.
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Mr. Badger Should Be Worried: Britain Ponders a Cull
June 6, 2013
Some Brits blame badgers for spreading TB to cattle and think a cull will help. Badger lovers (and many scientists) disagree.
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Pictures: Surprising Amount of Trash Found on Deep-Sea Floor
June 6, 2013
A new survey turns up piles of refuse off Southern California and beyond.
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Record-Breaking Mako Shark Tips Off Conservation Debate
June 6, 2013
Anglers spark controversy after hauling in a 1,300-pound shortfin mako shark in California.
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Pictures: Worst Floods in European History?
June 6, 2013
Germany and nearby countries brace themselves as record-breaking water levels burst over river banks.
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5 Surprising Drone Uses (Besides Pizza Delivery)
June 6, 2013
Drones have proved their worth in military and intelligence operations but they may make far greater contributions in civilian life. Even if they can't deliver Domino's pizza.
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First "Small Modular" Nuclear Reactors Planned for Tennessee
June 5, 2013
A U.S. government-supported project in Tennessee seeks to launch a new kind of nuclear plant—a "small modular reactor." Can downsizing address both cost and safety concerns?
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Pictures: Powerhouse Wildfire Burns Through California
June 5, 2013
The California wildfire has destroyed forest and homes in an area just north of Los Angeles.
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From Our Archives: Tornado!
June 4, 2013
Earth's most powerful storms pack winds too furious to measure. Learn when and where they form and how we detect and survive them.
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Are Storm Chasers 'Crossing the Line'?
June 4, 2013
Storm chasing began as a research tool in the 1950s. Today, many chasers-both scientists and amateurs-seem to discount the dangers they face.
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Frog Long Thought Extinct Is Rediscovered in Israel
June 4, 2013
The first amphibian to officially be declared extinct has been rediscovered in Israel.
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Opinion: Chasing Storms Is Dangerous—and Rewarding
June 4, 2013
A storm took the life of tornado researcher Tim Samaras. To some, he and his fellow storm chasers go too far. But their efforts have helped save many potential victims.
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Unpublished Pictures: Tornado Chaser Tim Samaras at Work
June 3, 2013
National Geographic photographer Carsten Peter talks about documenting storm chaser Tim Samaras at work in the field.
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Tornado Chaser Tim Samaras's Interview, Hours Before His Death
June 3, 2013
Tornado chaser Tim Samaras spoke with National Geographic Weekend shortly before he was killed in a deadly twister on May 31.
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Our Haunting Last Interview With Storm Chaser Samaras
June 2, 2013
Just days before Tim Samaras and his son died in Friday’s tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma, the storm chaser told us about the science, the thrill--and even the smells--that are part of his extraordinary work.
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Pictures of Storm Chaser Tim Samaras, Who Has Died
June 2, 2013
Storm chaser Tim Samaras and his son died on Friday in a tornado, after years spent chasing extreme weather.
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Tornado Chaser Tim Samaras Killed; Fans Pay Tribute
June 2, 2013
His son Paul was also killed in the Reno, Oklahoma tornado on Friday.
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More Midwest Twisters: Why Is Oklahoma Tornado Vexed?
June 1, 2013
Unlike earthquakes, which are often followed by aftershocks, the storms that birth tornadoes are independent of one another.
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The Great White Whale Fight
May 31, 2013
For two decades, the U.S. hasn't imported wild-caught whales or dolphins. Now the Georgia Aquarium wants to bring in 18 belugas from Russia.
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The Saddest Tweeters Live in Texas
May 29, 2013
Researchers analyzed ten million tweets to map happiness in the United States. Napa is happy. The Rust Belt is sad.
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Five Surprising Facts About Energy Poverty
May 29, 2013
The countries that have made the most progress still have far to go to bring electricity and clean energy to their populations, a World Bank-led report details.
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6 Amazing Science Pictures
May 29, 2013
Worthy of an art museum, these images were initially created as part of scientific research.
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An Embarrassing Everest Moment: 60 Years Later
May 29, 2013
When the British expedition returned from Everest, they were presented with medals in a ceremony full of awkward moments.
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Freed From a Glacier's Hold, Ancient Moss Grows Again
May 28, 2013
How does ancient moss begin to grow again? Once a glacier's ice retreated, all it took was air and sunlight.
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California's 'Dwarf' Fox Is Back From the Brink
May 28, 2013
With its main predator, the golden eagle, gone, the endangered island fox is making a dramatic recovery.
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Pictures: Oil Potential and Animal Habitat in the Monterey Shale
May 28, 2013
The Monterey shale formation offers a potential font of oil and gas for California, but new development poses a risk to rare wildlife such as the California condor.
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Monterey Shale Shakes Up California's Energy Future
May 27, 2013
In the valley that once lured gold seekers, oil prospectors are converging on the Monterey shale—a sharp new twist in California's path to cleaner energy.
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Pictures: Ethiopia’s Extreme Salt Mines
May 25, 2013
Salt from the Afar region of Ethiopia, one of the Earth's hottest places, makes its way to market.
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Pictures: Seven Energy-Smart Zoos and Aquariums
May 24, 2013
Keeping a diverse crowd of species comfortable comes with an elephant-sized energy bill for zoos and aquariums. These smart exhibits use technology, along with nature's own strategies, to cut demand.
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Is Australia the Face of Climate Change to Come?
May 24, 2013
As extreme weather seems to accelerate globally, scientists believe events Down Under can help explain what to look for-and guard against.
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Improved Models Predict Active 2013 Hurricane Season
May 23, 2013
NOAA expects up to 20 named tropical storms, which could yield as many as six major hurricanes, as it utilizes new technology to improve forecasting.
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Carnivorous Plant Keeps House With Ants
May 22, 2013
Diving ants keep nutritious fly larvae from escaping carnivorous pitcher plants.
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Tesla Motors' Success Gives Electric Car Market a Charge
May 22, 2013
Amid a decimated field of E.V. startups, Tesla Motors is riding high. But can its feats help take electric cars mainstream?
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Lessons From Joplin’s Tornado Recovery Effort
May 22, 2013
As Moore, Oklahoma, prepares to rebuild, a photographer recalls a similar effort in Joplin, Missouri.
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Chasing Tornadoes With a Camera
May 22, 2013
Storm chaser Roger Hill talks about the perils of photographing tornadoes.
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Your Pictures: The Oklahoma Tornado
May 21, 2013
Have a photo of the May 20 Oklahoma tornado? Submit it to National Geographic's Your Shot with the hashtag #tornado and our editors will consider it for this gallery.
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5 Tornado Myths Busted
May 21, 2013
A severe-weather expert shares facts and tips on staying safe in storms.
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Oklahoma Tornado Photos: 2-Mile-Wide Twister Destroys Town
May 21, 2013
See the aftermath of a two-mile-wide tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday, killing dozens.
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Oklahoma Tornado: Why So Destructive, Unpredictable?
May 21, 2013
Tornadoes like the one that devastated an Oklahoma City suburb this week are difficult to predict. Here's how they work.
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A Tornado Chaser Talks About His Science and Craft
May 20, 2013
Researcher Tim Samaras talks about why he chases tornadoes, what they smell like, and what we still don't know about these severe storms.
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Why Did Penguins Stop Flying? The Answer Is Evolutionary
May 20, 2013
Scientists say they've learned why penguin wings, now used for swimming, no longer get the birds off the ground.
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Op-Ed: Gamma Rays and the Grand Canyon
May 20, 2013
Despite a ban on any new uranium mines near the Grand Canyon, the U.S. Forest Service has authorized a Canadian company to start digging.
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Opinion: Three Ways to Avoid Another Mount Everest Fight
May 20, 2013
After last month's fight between Sherpas and Western climbers, Conrad Anker says the time is right for facing some growing tensions on Everest.
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Playing Russian Roulette With a Volcano
May 17, 2013
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens exploded with the force of 500 Hiroshimas. National Geographic’s Rowe Findley was on the scene.
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Billion-Year-Old Water Preserved in Canadian Mine
May 17, 2013
The primordial water contains chemicals that could support life without sunlight.
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Louisiana's Bayou Is Sinking: Can $50 Billion Save It?
May 17, 2013
With rising seas and sinking land, large swaths of Louisiana are disappearing. But will $50 billion reverse the trend?
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Opinion: Despite Changes, Mount Everest Is Changeless
May 17, 2013
A climber who first scaled Everest 30 years ago sees continuity and change on the world's highest peak.
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Everest Ice Shrinking Fast, Scientists and Climbers Say
May 16, 2013
The world's highest peak has been shedding snow and ice for the past 50 years, possibly due in part to global warming, new research shows.
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Wind Energy’s Shadow: Turbines Drag Down Power Potential
May 16, 2013
Wind turbines rob each other of energy if installed too closely together. But the world's fastest-growing source of renewable power still has plenty of room for expansion.
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What Gives Elite Everest Climbers Their Edge?
May 16, 2013
Researchers studying Everest climbers want to take what they learn from the elite athletes back to medical patients living at sea level.
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African Clawed Frog Spreads Deadly Amphibian Fungus
May 15, 2013
A frog historically used in human pregnancy tests likely spread a deadly amphibian fungus around the world, says a new study.
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On Mount Everest, Seeking Biogas Energy in a Mountain of Waste
May 15, 2013
Work is under way on the world's highest-elevation biogas reactor, in an effort to transform a surplus of human waste on Mount Everest into a sustainable energy source.
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Best Night-Sky Pictures of 2013 Named
May 14, 2013
Winners of the 2013 Earth & Sky photo contest capture the beauty of the night sky and highlight the issue of light pollution.
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U.N. Urges Eating Insects; 8 Popular Bugs to Try
May 14, 2013
From beetles to butterflies and from ants to stinkbugs, people in dozens of countries regularly eat insects. Here are the most popular types of edible critters.
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The Plight of the Honeybee
May 10, 2013
Bee colonies are weaker than ever. Are we doing enough to protect our natural pollinators?
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Climate Milestone: Earth's CO2 Level Passes 400 ppm
May 9, 2013
The last time the planet was such a greenhouse, our ancestors were climbing down from the trees—and sea level was tens of feet higher.
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Was Charles Lindbergh Second to Fly Across Atlantic?
May 9, 2013
The search continues for evidence that two French pilots who disappeared in a 1927 attempt to cross the Atlantic made it to North America.
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Pictures: When Snow and Ice Meet Lava
May 8, 2013
Studying what happens when lava flows meet snow and ice helps researchers track climate change through the ages.
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Philippines Volcano Deaths Raise Climbing Questions
May 7, 2013
One adventure writer describes looking into a live volcano this way: "There's nothing like it on the planet."
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Plants "Listen" to the Good Vibes of Other Plants
May 7, 2013
Plants might be able to tell good neighbors from bad ones by the sounds they emit.
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Pete Athans: Everest is a “Powder Keg”
May 6, 2013
Relations are shifting as Sherpas take on new responsibilities, an Everest veteran says.
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Solar Impulse's U.S. Expedition Begins
May 3, 2013
Solar Impulse, a solar-powered aircraft able to fly overnight, embarks on a cross-country trip—without a single drop of fuel.
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Pictures We Love: Best of April
May 2, 2013
International pillow fights and frost-covered flowers are among our photo editors' picks of the most interesting news pictures from April.
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Think Outside the Box to Find Extraterrestrial Life
May 2, 2013
We should think outside the box when considering which exoplanets to study for possible signs of life.
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Pictures: Bolivia Seeks Economic Energy in Vast Lithium Stores
May 2, 2013
In a flood-prone expanse high in the Andes, Bolivia holds the world’s largest lithium reserves. Can this crucial battery ingredient provide an economic charge?
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Everest Climber: Sherpas Tried to Kill Me
May 2, 2013
In his first extended interview, Simone Moro says he feared for his life last weekend after a Sherpa came at him with an ice ax: "They came to us with the aim to kill us."
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Pro-Environment Light Bulb Labeling Turns Off Conservative Buyers, Study Finds
April 30, 2013
Green labeling causes some consumers to shun energy-efficient light bulbs even when they know the choice could save them money, a new study finds.
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Sun Plus Nanotechnology: Can Solar Energy Get Bigger by Thinking Small
April 28, 2013
Nanotechnology could boost solar energy efficiency and cut costs. A slew of recent research is aimed at better capturing energy from the Earth's biggest power source.
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Behind-the-Scenes Pictures: Brazil's Circus of the Alley
April 27, 2013
Every Monday night in a São Paulo square, jugglers get together to put on a show and learn new tricks.
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A Tale of Two Ponds: NYC Park After the Storm
April 26, 2013
Hurricane Sandy left New York City's Gateway National Recreation Area in pieces, but there may be a silver lining to the storm.
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Jindo Sea Parting: Science Behind the 'Magic'
April 26, 2013
As locals and tourists celebrate the Jindo Sea-Parting Festival in Korea, we look at the science behind the "miracle."
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Do Whales Have Culture? Humpbacks Pass on Behavior
April 25, 2013
New feeding strategy spreads among whales gathered to gorge on fish, says a new study—but is it culture?
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A Hidden Victim of Somali Pirates: Science
April 25, 2013
Somali pirates have shut down crucial scientific research in the Indian Ocean off the Horn of Africa.
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Reshaping Flight for Fuel Efficiency: Five Technologies on the Runway
April 23, 2013
The Boeing Dreamliner 787, poised to retake the skies soon, was one approach to more efficient flight. But aviation is looking to geared turbofan engines and radically new shapes and materials for deeper cuts in fuel consumption.
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Pictures: Extreme Algae Blooms Expanding Worldwide
April 23, 2013
Too much of a good thing? Excess nutrients, warmer temperatures, and an increasing population are causing explosions of algae worldwide.
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Rare Picture: Male Leopard Kills, Eats Cub
April 22, 2013
Pictures of a leopard killing a cub may look gruesome, but infanticide in nature is relatively common, scientists say.
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Opinion: Boston Bombings Show Muslims Between Worlds
April 22, 2013
The suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings were not at home in their new or old worlds, the author argues.
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Pictures: Strong Earthquake Strikes China's Sichuan Province
April 20, 2013
Houses crumbled and scores of lives lost as a 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck China's southwestern Sichuan province on Saturday.
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First Person: My Uncle Was First to Fly Over Everest
April 19, 2013
A love of aviation runs in the family of the man who made the first flight over Mount Everest.
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Cicada DNA Helps Explain Strange Breeding Cycle
April 19, 2013
Cicadas' puzzling timeline is written in their DNA, possibly as a way to avoid waiting predators.
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Europe’s Carbon Market Crisis: Why Does it Matter?
April 18, 2013
In a blow for global efforts to mitigate climate change, the European Union’s eight-year-old carbon market is collapsing. Is this the death knell for cap and trade, or a useful lesson?
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A Picture We Love: Feathers Fly
April 18, 2013
Feathers flew in cities around the world, as people celebrated International Pillow Fight Day.
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Coelacanth Genes Mapped, "Living Fossil" Evolved Slowly
April 18, 2013
Scientists have mapped the coelacanth genome and found that the ancient fish's genes evolved more slowly than those of other animals.
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Explosion Highlights Dangers of Anhydrous Ammonia
April 18, 2013
A stray electric or static charge is all that it takes to explode a leaky ammonia gas tank.
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Picture Archive: Baby Giant Panda Su-Lin, Circa 1936
April 18, 2013
As the National Zoo tries for a panda pregnancy, a look back at the first panda in the U.S.
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Earth Day: When It Is, How It Began, What to Do
April 17, 2013
Learn how Earth Day became a global environmental event that will include a billion people on April 22.<p><strong></strong></p>
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Healing the Ozone Layer: Chemist says Treaty is Working
April 16, 2013
Aerosol spray cans have been free of ozone damaging chemicals since the late '90s— how long will it take for the ozone to recover?
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7 Other Sports-related Attacks
April 15, 2013
Unfortunately, the Boston Marathon explosions aren't a unique occurrence. Many sporting events throughout the years have experienced similar attacks.
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Trees Call for Help—And Now Scientists Can Understand
April 15, 2013
Scientists may have learned how to identify the unique sounds made by bubbles forming inside drought-stressed trees.
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New Diseases, Toxins Harming Marine Life
April 12, 2013
Harmful organisms usually found on land are infiltrating coastal areas, wreaking havoc on marine mammals, scientists say.
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Finding the Reasons for the 2012 Drought
April 12, 2013
An unexpected combo of atmospheric events led to the driest four months in the Great </strong>Plains since the 1930s.
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Picture in the News: Karangetang Volcano Erupts
April 10, 2013
Volcanic activity creates a spectacular light show on Siau Island, Indonesia.
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New Vineyards Could Create Conservation Challenges
April 9, 2013
Winemakers are preparing for the climate and wildlife challenges global warming will bring.
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To Stem Fall in Oil Output, Alaska Seeks to Slash Industry Taxes
April 9, 2013
Facing a decline in oil production that threatens the state’s massive pipeline network, Alaska hopes a $1 billion-a-year tax break will boost the industry.
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Climate Change Could Mean Bumpier Flights
April 8, 2013
Transatlantic flights could get bumpier in the near future, according to a new study.
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Oil Spill Spotlights Keystone XL Issue: Is Canadian Crude Worse?
April 4, 2013
An Arkansas pipeline spill is focusing new attention on a question that may be decisive in the Keystone XL debate: Is oil from Canada’s tar sands more damaging than conventional crude?
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Fact Checking 6 Persistent Science Conspiracy Theories
April 4, 2013
A new national poll finds that many Americans still believe conspiracy theories that can be easily debunked by science.
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Berlin Unexploded Bomb Shines Light on Buried Threat
April 4, 2013
An unexploded World War II bomb discovered in Berlin is part of what experts say is a collection of 2,000 to 4,000 tons of explosive material in the city.
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Hundreds of Rare Pig-Nosed Turtles Rescued at Airport
April 3, 2013
Nearly 700 endangered turtles were confiscated at an airport in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 15, according to Indonesian authorities.
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Shark-Tooth Weapons Reveal "Lost" Shark Species
April 3, 2013
Shark-tooth weapons once used for warfare in the Central Pacific have revealed two locally extinct shark species, a new study says.
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Pictures: Arkansas Oil Spill Darkens Backyards, Driveways
April 1, 2013
The pipeline rupture forces an evacuation of homes in Arkansas and highlights questions about safety in the push to move tar sands oil from Canada south to U.S. refineries.
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Health Questions Key to New York Fracking Decision, But Answers Scarce
April 1, 2013
As debate rages in New York State over whether to allow fracking, researchers are attempting to shed light on its public health effects.
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New Theory for Why Antarctic Sea Ice Is Growing
March 29, 2013
Melting ice shelves are keeping warm water away from the ocean surface, giving ice a chance to build, a new study suggests.
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Scientists Say Oil Industry Likely Caused Largest Oklahoma Earthquake
March 29, 2013
The injection of wastewater from oil and gas production deep into the ground has been known to cause quakes within months, but the 2011 temblor in Oklahoma occurred after nearly two decades.
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Cicadas Coming to U.S. East Coast This Spring
March 29, 2013
Millions of the cricket cousins will soon appear across seven U.S. states.
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What's Behind Spike in Gulf Coast Dolphin Attacks?
March 29, 2013
Dead—and sometimes mutilated—dolphins have been turning up in recent months off the shores of Alabama, Florida, and Texas.
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Endangered Frogs Get Helping Hand
March 28, 2013
Researchers want to build a captive population of endangered limosa harlequin frogs as they face potential extinction.
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Baseball Spoiled by Nature: Top 10 Moments
March 28, 2013
Since baseball began, it has had a rivalry with Mother Nature. Earthquakes, heavy rain, insects ... As a new season begins, we revisit ten times when nature won.
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Trilobites Found With Mysterious Markings
March 27, 2013
These ancient arthropods may have used their spots as camouflage, a new study says.
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Pictures: Unlocking Icy Methane Hydrates, Largest Fossil Energy Store
March 27, 2013
In the first-ever offshore production of icebound methane hydrates, Japan has drawn new attention to a vast source of energy and potent greenhouse gas.
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Pictures: Auroras of February and March
March 26, 2013
Starbursts, alien landscapes, and magenta bands of light: Take a look at some of the best aurora photos from February and March.
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Is Shrinking Sea Ice Behind Chilly Spring?
March 26, 2013
Forget Punxsutawney Phil's prediction—melting ice in the Arctic may be making winters colder and longer, scientists say.
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Delaware Gets Its First National Monument
March 26, 2013
President Obama creates a national monument in Delaware, finally bringing the National Park Service to all 50 states.
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Obama Declares Monuments to Preserve Pieces of U.S. Heritage
March 26, 2013
President Obama has declared five new national monuments across the country, from Washington State to Maryland.
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Once Decimated U.S. Fish Stocks Enjoy Big Bounce Back
March 26, 2013
A new report highlights the success, and challenges, of American fisheries management.
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Earth Hour 2013 Pictures: Before and After
March 25, 2013
Iconic cities and landmarks around the world turned off their lights for one hour Saturday to show their support for the environment.
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Pictures: Green Walls May Cut Pollution in Cities
March 25, 2013
Plant-covered walls could slash air pollution in some city streets, recent research suggests.
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Earth Hour 2012: Before and After
March 22, 2013
As the world prepares to dim its lights Saturday for Earth Hour, see pictures of last year's event.
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Pictures: Apollo Rocket Engines Recovered From Seafloor
March 21, 2013
Amazon.com founder retrieves components of two F-1 rocket engines once used to launch Apollo missions to the moon.
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Pictures: Saving and Studying Tasmania's Giant Trees
March 21, 2013
As Tasmania's parliament prepares to vote on increasing protections for its native forests, scientists study some of the largest trees in the world.
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Hundreds of Sick Sea Lion Pups Wash Ashore
March 21, 2013
A mysterious tide of California sea lion pups continues to wash ashore, prompting one rescue facility to declare a state of emergency.
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Dead Whale Contains a Bounty of Life
March 19, 2013
"Snotworms" and carcass-hopping limpets are some of the creatures inhabiting the whale's skeleton.
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Shark Dies During Kmart Commercial Filming
March 19, 2013
Despite the efforts of trainers, a shark being filmed for a Kmart commercial dies.
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Rising Temperatures May Cause More Katrinas
March 19, 2013
A new study finds a link between higher temperatures and more destructive hurricanes.
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The New Truck Stop: Filling Up With Natural Gas for the Long Haul
March 18, 2013
A truck stop network is now taking shape to spur the U.S. trucking industry to switch to low-priced natural gas fuel. But the environmental and economic calculations are complex.
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Monarch Butterflies Hit New Low; "Worrisome" Trend
March 18, 2013
The king of butterflies is in a steady decline due to loss of habitat and extreme weather, a new report says.
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Pictures: Mouth-Birthing Frog to Be Resurrected?
March 15, 2013
An extinct frog that gave birth out of its mouth is "rising from the dead," scientists say.
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As U.S. Cleans Its Energy Mix, It Ships Coal Problems Abroad
March 15, 2013
U.S. coal exports hit a new record in 2012. The trend undercuts U.S. progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as more carbon-intensive fuel is burned overseas.
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Pi Day Pictures: Nature's Near-Perfect Circles
March 14, 2013
On Pi Day, we explore the universe of naturally occurring circles.
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U.S. Bedbugs Evolve Multiple Ways of Thwarting Insecticides
March 14, 2013
Humans may have played a part in the recent resurgence of bedbugs in the United States.
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Smoke at the Vatican: How Do They Do It?
March 13, 2013
A pyrotechnics expert speculates on how the Vatican makes the kind of white smoke that emerged Wednesday from the Sistine Chapel, signaling a new pope.
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Proposed Lion-Meat Ban Shines Light on Wild-Animal Meat
March 12, 2013
<strong>A lion-meat ban proposed in Illinois highlights people's taste for exotic meats-especially in Asia. </strong>
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Galápagos Tortoises: Slow and Steady Migrators
March 12, 2013
Giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island walk nearly four miles during the rainy season.
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Opinion: The Case Against Species Revival
March 12, 2013
Bringing back extinct animals distracts from conserving endangered species still alive, the author argues.
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Statue of Liberty Impatiently Awaits Repairs
March 12, 2013
Hurricane Sandy did serious harm to the Statue of Liberty's home—and there's no word on when tourists will be welcome again.
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The People of Fukushima Bounce Back
March 11, 2013
Two years after the terrible nuclear disaster, Fukushima is bouncing back in creative new ways.
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Opinion: The Case for Reviving Extinct Species
March 11, 2013
There are a lot of reasons for bringing back extinct animals, including conservation and medical benefits, argues Stewart Brand.
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Pictures of Locusts Swarming The Middle East
March 8, 2013
Officials in the Middle East gear up to deal with swarms of millions of locusts.
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A Picture We Love: I See You
March 8, 2013
A fish on a Red Sea coral reef mugs for the camera in a pic our photo editors love.
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Beware of Big Cats
March 8, 2013
Big cats in captivity have a history of attacking humans.
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San Francisco's Bay Bridge Becomes Public Art
March 8, 2013
San Francisco's iconic commuter bridge gets a new look at night as 25,000 LED lights turn it into a piece of public art.
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How to Resurrect Lost Species
March 8, 2013
Scientists propose genetic experiments to restore extinct species such as passenger pigeons, aurochs, and thylacines.
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Bees Buzzing on Caffeine
March 8, 2013
Coffee and citrus plants use caffeine to manipulate the memory of honeybees, a new study says.
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Keystone XL Pipeline Path Marks New Battle Line in Oklahoma
March 8, 2013
Opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline has united climate activists and property rights advocates in Oklahoma and Texas. Even if the oil industry wins this battle, has it lost the war of public opinion?
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How Much Heat Can One Man Handle?
March 8, 2013
Biologist and author Bill Streever discusses his quest to experience the world's steamiest places in an effort to understand heat.
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U.S.S. Monitor Sailors’ Remains to Be Buried With Honors
March 8, 2013
The sailors from the U.S. Navy's first ironclad ship perished in 1862. Now some of their descendants are heading to Arlington National Cemetery.
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Why Are Europeans Better at Predicting Weather?
March 7, 2013
Wednesday's snow no-show in Washington was another misfire by U.S. forecasters. A weather expert talks about why this doesn't happen as much in Europe.
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Hugo Chavez Leaves Venezuela Rich in Oil, But Ailing
March 6, 2013
In his 14-year rule, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez consolidated power over oil resources deemed the largest in the world. In death, he leaves behind a weakened state that must grapple with how to manage its vast petroleum stores.
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Species Revival: Should We Bring Back Extinct Animals?
March 5, 2013
Scientists are debating whether we can truly bring back vanished species—and, if so, whether we should.
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Pictures: Endangered Species “Preserved” by the Photo Ark
March 5, 2013
Joel Sartore’s photography project chronicles rare species.
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Swarming Locusts Descend on Egypt
March 5, 2013
What turns these insects into an invading army ready to devour whatever lies in its path?
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Sinkhole Science: A Primer
March 5, 2013
An expert weighs in on causes—and which areas are most vulnerable.
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Pictures: Baby Giant Armadillo Photographed—A First
March 1, 2013
Brazilian researchers recently captured the first-ever pictures of a baby giant armadillo.
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Stinkbug Threat Has Farmers Worried
March 1, 2013
With Asian stinkbugs threatening to devour more crops this year, the U.S Agriculture Department is hunting for solutions.
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Pictures: Saving Sumatra's Orangutans
February 28, 2013
A thriving pet trade and dwindling forests are driving Asia's great ape toward extinction, conservationists say.
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How Green Was the 'Green Pope'?
February 28, 2013
As Benedict heads for retirement, church watchers analyze his record on the environment.
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Six Ways Sequestration Will Hurt Parks, Wildlife
February 28, 2013
National parks will be hard hit by the looming sequestration-and visitors will be the first to feel the effects.<p> </p><p> </p>
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Why African Rhinos Are Facing a Crisis
February 27, 2013
The illegal trade in rhino horns is at an all-time high. That could bring growth of rhino populations to a grinding halt.
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Megadam Project Galvanizes Native Opposition in Malaysia
February 27, 2013
Malaysia’s ambitious hydropower plan would remake the rain forest state of Sarawak into an industrial haven. The project has ignited protest by indigenous tribes.
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A History of Balloon Crashes
February 26, 2013
Crashes have been a threat since the earliest days of ballooning. See our list of past balloon crashes.
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Sharks Warn Off Predators By Wielding Light Sabers
February 25, 2013
Glowing blue spines warn off would-be predators, according to a new study.
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U.S. Gas Price Spike: Blame the Long Road From Well to Pump
February 25, 2013
U.S. motorists face a rapid fuel price run-up, despite the nation’s surging oil production. Meanwhile, in the middle of the supply chain, refineries prosper.
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Pictures: Best News Photos from 2013 World Photo Press Contest
February 22, 2013
Winners of the 56th World Press Photo contest capture some of the most emotional, devastating, and beautiful images of 2012.
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Oldest Known Wild Bird Hatches Chick at 62
February 21, 2013
When Chandler Robbins banded a female albatross in 1956, he had no idea it would become a record-breaking bird that defied the odds.
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Turbulence Ahead for Weather Satellites
February 21, 2013
Some next-generation weather satellites may not launch in time to replace aging instruments now in orbit, researchers say.
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Pictures: Artifacts Provide Clues to Life in Early Christchurch
February 21, 2013
As quake-damaged Christchurch rebuilds, archaeologists are uncovering a wealth of clues about life during the city's earliest decades.
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Bird-friendly Farms Catching On in California
February 20, 2013
Migratory birds are taking refuge on farms in California's Staten Island as part of a conservation plan.
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Florida Python Hunt Captures 68 Invasive Snakes
February 19, 2013
The 2013 Python Challenge nabbed 68 invasive Burmese pythons-and experts are surprised that many of the elusive giants were caught.
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New Ancient Members of Whale Family Found
February 19, 2013
These ancient relatives of modern baleen whales had teeth instead of baleen, which modern whales use to filter feed.
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Severe Weather More Likely Thanks to Climate Change
February 15, 2013
Devastating events such as Super Storm Sandy and the blizzard that buried Boston more likely to happen thanks to climate change.
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Asteroid Impacts: 10 Biggest Known Hits
February 14, 2013
The asteroid 2012 DA14 will narrowly miss Earth this Friday, but meteorites have been hitting Earth for billions of years.
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Are Honeybees Losing Their Way?
February 13, 2013
Pesticides can take a toll on their memory and communication skills, and a combo of chemicals turns out to be far more hazardous.
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From Our Vault: Port Said, Egypt, Circa 1920
February 13, 2013
Under a state of emergency after riots, the port city flourished in the 1920s, thanks to the Suez Canal.
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Obama Pledges U.S. Action on Climate, With or Without Congress
February 12, 2013
President Barack Obama urges Congress to pursue a “bipartisan, market-based solution” on climate change, but says he will act if lawmakers don’t.
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Your Shot: Blizzard Photos From Our Readers
February 12, 2013
Dozens of you shared your weekend snow pictures with National Geographic’s Your Shot.
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How Bold a Path on Climate Change in Obama’s State of the Union?
February 12, 2013
President Obama is expected to outline more aggressive action on climate change in his big speech, but political and economic realities will shape his plan.
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What Killed Dinosaurs: New Ideas About the Wipeout
February 12, 2013
An asteroid slamming into Earth 66 million years ago was a contributing factor but not the only culprit in the dinosaurs' extinction.
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Biggest Crocodile Dies in Captivity
February 11, 2013
<strong>Lolong is the largest crocodile in captivity no longer—the giant reptile has died in the Philippines. </strong>
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Pictures From Historic Northeast Blizzard
February 9, 2013
The overnight storm dumped from one to three feet of snow in areas stretching from from New York to Maine.
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Recipe for a Blizzard
February 8, 2013
Experts explain what makes a blizzard worse than an ordinary snowstorm.
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Super Bowl Blackout: Was It Caused by Relay Device, or Human Error?
February 8, 2013
New Orleans' power company blames a faulty relay device for the Super Bowl power outage, but the equipment's maker says incorrect settings triggered the failure.
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Mexico's Robust Wind Energy Prospects Ruffle Nearby Villages
February 7, 2013
The breezes of Oaxaca, Mexico, harbor vast amounts of energy, but large wind farm projects in the region have divided residents of the small villages in their path.
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Severed Heads Were Sacrifices in Ancient Mexico
February 6, 2013
Archaeologists in central Mexico have uncovered a ritual site connected to pleas for rain and attempts at political power.
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Life Found Deep Under Antarctic Ice for First Time?
February 5, 2013
For the first time, scientists have found and collected microbes in an Antarctic lake hidden under more than a half-mile of ice.
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What Caused the Super Bowl Blackout at the Superdome?
February 4, 2013
This Super Bowl’s post-game analysis will be like no other, as electricity and building systems experts probe the cause of the power outage that temporarily halted the Ravens-49ers game.
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King Richard III Bones Found, Scientists Say
February 4, 2013
Months after finding skeletal remains under a parking lot, scientists say DNA and other tests confirm they belong to the long-loathed English king.
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Pictures: Super Bowl Caps Banner Season in NFL Green Drive
February 1, 2013
New Orleans will show off tree-planting, recycling, and climate change efforts as host of Super Bowl XLVII, part of the NFL's drive for greener stadiums and operations.
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Debate Continues: Did Your Seafood Feel Pain?
February 1, 2013
Before it ended up on your plate, did your seafood suffer? Scientists disagree on the answer.
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14 Pygmy Elephants Die Mysteriously in Borneo
January 31, 2013
<strong>Fourteen endangered Borneo pygmy elephants died of mysterious causes, conservationists say.</strong>
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How Drought on Mississippi River Impacts You
January 31, 2013
The drought-plagued Mississippi River is holding up barge traffic, impacting everything from Japanese feedstock to American beer.
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Will Deep-sea Mining Yield an Underwater Gold Rush?
January 31, 2013
The lure of precious minerals is provoking experiments with deep-sea mining—and causing some environmentalists to worry.
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Opinion: Sizing Up Google’s New North Korea Map
January 31, 2013
The search company's news maps of North Korea show the promise and pitfalls of citizen cartography.
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New Theory on How Homing Pigeons Find Home
January 30, 2013
Ultralow frequency sounds could be partly responsible for the birds' famed navigational skills.
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Water Demand for Energy to Double by 2035
January 30, 2013
Water consumption for power and transportation will soar due to expanding coal power and biofuel production, the International Energy Agency says.
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Hello Kitty! Please Don’t Kill Me!
January 29, 2013
A new study reveals that cats prey on billions of birds and mammals every year.
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Biochar Cookstoves Boost Health for People and Crops
January 29, 2013
Innovative nonprofits are taking clean cookstoves a step further by designing them to produce biochar, a byproduct with the potential to fortify soil and fight climate change.
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Urban Heat May Warm Faraway Places
January 28, 2013
A new study finds that areas such as New York City can affect the weather of places as far away as Siberia.
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Doomed Dolphin Speaks to New York's Vibrant Wildlife
January 27, 2013
The death of a dolphin in a city canal shines a light on the coyotes, caimans and boas that call New York home.
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Pictures: The Story Behind Sun Dogs, Penitent Ice, and More
January 25, 2013
Ice forms some weird and wonderful things—find out how Mother Nature does it.
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Deformed Dolphin Accepted Into New Family
January 23, 2013
Swimming among a pod of sperm whales in the North Atlantic is a dolphin with an S-shaped spine.
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10 Ways Obama Could Fight Climate Change
January 23, 2013
Scientists weigh in with ideas for Obama to deliver on his inaugural vow to tackle global climate change.
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Pictures: Trout vs. Trout in Yellowstone Lake
January 22, 2013
Things were going swimmingly for Yellowstone cutthroats, a species of trout native to Wyoming’s Yellowstone Lake. Then someone added a few non-native lake trout to the mix.
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Lake Trout Are Bad News for Lake Yellowstone
January 22, 2013
Ospreys, bears, and especially cutthroat trout suffer because of the non-native fish.
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Opinion: Florida’s Great Snake Hunt Is a Cheap Stunt
January 22, 2013
Florida's popular python hunt is based on a bogus and inhumane quest to banish an invasive species, Bryan Christy argues.
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Attack at Algeria Gas Plant Heralds New Risks for Energy Development
January 18, 2013
The crisis at Algeria's In Amenas gas plant changes the stakes in a country previously seen as a relatively stable site for energy exploration.
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Hunting for Quail Eggs? Mind Your Steps
January 18, 2013
Scientists have discovered that female Japanese quail deftly hide their eggs with camouflage.
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First Human Contact With Large Emperor Penguin Colony
January 18, 2013
Antarctic researchers have found a large colony of emperor penguins that had first been spotted by satellite images.
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6 Ways Climate Change Will Affect You
January 16, 2013
From the food we eat to the energy, transportation, and water we all need, a warmer world will bring big changes for everyone.
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Earliest Blooms Recorded in U.S. Due to Global Warming
January 16, 2013
In 2010 and 2012, plants in the eastern U.S. produced flowers earlier than at any point in recorded history, a new study says.
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Colorful New Lizard Identified in Vietnam
January 16, 2013
Scientists have identified a new lizard species in Vietnam. The bright-blue animal was previously misidentified.
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Bikes and Buses Propel Mexico City to Prize in Sustainable Transport
January 16, 2013
Transforming its traffic-clogged corridors by expanding alternatives for commuters, Mexico's capital wins notice for its success in reducing vehicle congestion.
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A Wild Start for Weather in the New Year
January 15, 2013
The weather in the first half of January offers more evidence that extremes are becoming the norm.
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"Fantastic" New Flying Frog Found—Has Flappy Forearms
January 14, 2013
A huge new flying frog with big webbed feet and flappy forearms has been discovered near Ho Chi Minh City, a new study says.
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In Kulluk's Wake, Deeper Debate Roils on Arctic Drilling
January 11, 2013
The drive for the Arctic’s vast oil and natural gas stores could falter, but is not likely to end, with the grounding of Shell’s drilling rig, Kulluk.
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Pictures: Civil War Shipwreck Revealed by Sonar
January 11, 2013
Shifting sands reveal a Civil War shipwreck and bring to light stories of the bravery shown by her crew as she went down.
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Sharp-Eared Robots Find Whales—And Help Them Escape Danger
January 11, 2013
Torpedo-shaped machines do their part to protect whales.
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Embryonic Sharks Freeze to Avoid Detection
January 9, 2013
Embryonic sharks still in their egg case will freeze to avoid predators.
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Pictures: Florida Wildlife Corridor to Protect Bears, Panthers
January 9, 2013
Black bears, panthers, bobcats, and more could roam freely in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a proposed strip of land running from South Florida to Georgia.
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2012: Hottest Year on Record for Continental U.S.
January 9, 2013
Last year was the warmest year on record for the continental U.S. by a wide margin, scientists say.
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Pictures: Wildfires Scorch Australia Amid Record Heat
January 8, 2013
Wildfires are raging across much of southeastern Australia, fueled by drought and the country's hottest temperatures on record.
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Pictures: Centralia Mine Fire, at 50, Still Burns With Meaning
January 8, 2013
The worst U.S. mine fire, in Centralia, Pennsylvania, passed its 50-year mark last year. As coal-powered development spreads globally, so does the risk of underground fire.
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Primitive and Peculiar Mammal May Be Hiding Out in Australia
January 7, 2013
The long-beaked echidna is thought to live only in New Guinea. But now there's evidence that Australia might also be home to the rare, egg-laying mammal.
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Wasp Larvae Practice Food Safety
January 7, 2013
Wasp larvae treat cockroach hosts with antimicrobials before digging in.
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Salt Power: Norway Project Gives Osmotic Energy a Shake
January 7, 2013
Ocean energy lurks not only in waves and tides, but also in saltiness. A Norway experiment seeks to harness renewable power in saltwater’s natural movement into fresh water.
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Scientists Seek Foolproof Signal to Predict Earthquakes
January 4, 2013
For centuries people have tried to predict earthquakes-with no success. Magnetic signals from rocks deep inside the earth are the latest prospect.
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Pictures We Love: Best of December
January 3, 2013
Mud-slathered tourists, a cabaret comeback, and a glacial "mushroom" appear in our photo editors' favorite news pictures of December.
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What Lives in Your Gut?
January 3, 2013
A citizen science project explores how diet and lifestyle affect the microbes that dwell inside us.
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Pictures: Errant Shell Oil Rig Runs Aground Off Alaska
January 2, 2013
Crews have been trying to secure the drilling rig, which broke free of its tow lines in a storm and is carrying 150,000 gallons of fuel.
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Wireless Power May Cut the Cord for Plug-In Devices, Including Cars
December 28, 2012
WiTricity, a company based near Boston, envisions a future where everything from mobile phones to vehicles can be charged without wires.
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Tigers Making a Comeback in Parts of Asia
December 28, 2012
Tigers are making a comeback thanks to strong government initiatives in India, Thailand, and Russia, scientists announced this week.
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Body Under British Parking Lot May Be King Richard III
December 28, 2012
Scientists examine a body they think may be infamous medieval monarch Richard III, who was killed in battle.
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Pictures: Race Against Time to Build a New Tomb for Chernobyl
December 27, 2012
In an unprecedented engineering endeavor, workers are replacing the crumbling structure hastily erected to contain radiation at Chernobyl, site of the world's worst nuclear power disaster in 1986.
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Pictures: Capturing the Beauty of Life Through a Microscope
December 24, 2012
Tiny claws and single-celled algae are among the top images in the 2012 Olympus BioScapes Microscopic Life Photo Contest.
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Pictures: Fungi Get Into the Holiday Spirit
December 21, 2012
One researcher coaxes mold into seasonal artwork.
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Photos: Humboldt Squid Have a Bad Day at the Beach
December 21, 2012
The bodies of hundreds of beached Humboldt squid puzzle researchers.
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Hollies Get Prickly for a Reason
December 20, 2012
When animals browse, holly trees make more spiny leaves, an example of epigenetic adaption to environmental pressure.
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Race Is On to Find Life Under Antarctic Ice
December 18, 2012
A century after explorers competed d to reach the South Pole, three countries are racing to discover life under the Antarctic ice.
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Crayfish Harbor Fungus That’s Wiping Out Amphibians
December 17, 2012
Crustacean is a reservoir for fungus responsible for worldwide amphibian declines.
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Grave Obstacle to Chinese Construction Boom
December 17, 2012
One family defies the relentless march of modernization by refusing to move tomb.
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Pictures: Eight Biggest Energy Stories of 2012
December 14, 2012
North American fossil-fuel production surged, while China grabbed for resources and India's power system teetered, in the top energy news stories of 2013.
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Venomous Primate Discovered in Borneo
December 14, 2012
Scientists unmask a new primate species—a type of slow loris called Nycticebus kayan, a new study says.
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Pictures: Five Most Overlooked Energy Stories of 2012
December 14, 2012
Auto efficiency improved, fuel waste persisted, and worry grew over the water-energy-food nexus—just a few of the overlooked energy stories of 2012.
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Trapped Tigress Rescued
December 14, 2012
When tigers come into contact with humans in parts of India, the results can be tragic for both sides.
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Pictures: Five Most Hopeful Energy Stories of 2012
December 14, 2012
Innovations helped save energy in the developed world, and bring power-starved people online in developing nations-just a few of 2012's hopeful energy stories.
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Pictures: Surveying Rain Forest Arthropods
December 14, 2012
A new survey of rain forest arthropods finds their diversity tied to plant diversity.
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Vast Diversity of Arthropods in Small Patch of Rain Forest
December 13, 2012
A huge new survey finds insect diversity linked to diversity in plants.
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Rare Singing Dog Photographed in New Guinea?
December 13, 2012
The New Guinea singing dog, an elusive canine related to the Australian dingo, may have been spotted in New Guinea.
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Gold “Mining” Termites Found, May Lead Humans to Riches
December 12, 2012
Want to know if you're literally sitting on a gold mine? Get some termites, a new study suggests.
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Who’s Watching? Privacy Concerns Persist as Smart Meters Roll Out
December 12, 2012
The drive for a 21st-century electric grid faces privacy worries. What will happen to the detailed information on home energy use that utilities will be able to collect through smart meters?
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Waste Wattage: Cities Aim to Flush Heat Energy Out of Sewers
December 11, 2012
So much hot water goes down the drain that cities worldwide are recognizing sewer heat as an untapped resource that can help cut energy costs.
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U.K. Dash for Shale Gas a Test for Global Fracking
December 10, 2012
The United Kingdom, reliant on natural gas, moves toward lifting its hydraulic fracturing ban. But here and elsewhere around the globe, fracking faces challenges.
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Meet Migaloo, World's First "Archaeology Dog"
December 10, 2012
An Australian dog specially trained to locate buried human bones by scent could aid archaeologists.
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A 110-Million-Year-Old Trash Collector
December 10, 2012
Complex hiding behavior encased in amber for 110 million years.
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Photos: Coral Species Proposed for Protections
December 7, 2012
<strong>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposes protections for 66 coral species.</strong>
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Plants Grow Fine Without Gravity
December 7, 2012
Turns out plants grow just fine on the International Space Station.<p> </p>
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Natural Gas Nation: EIA Sees U.S. Future Shaped by Fracking
December 7, 2012
The U.S. government energy outlook sees broad impact of new oil and gas abundance. Renewable energy captures a small future share without policy or technological change.
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Pictures: The Life-Giving Nile River
December 7, 2012
For more than 5,000 years, the Nile has directed the development of civilization in northern Africa, but it has also been the source of immeasurable damage and destruction.
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Best News Pictures of 2012: Nat Geo News's Most Popular
December 7, 2012
A real-life "vampire," a spider swarm, and miniature chameleons are featured in the most popular news galleries of 2012.
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Photos: Best Camera-Trap Pictures of 2012
December 7, 2012
A tiger chowing on a rhino and a sloth bear spitting at the camera are among the winning subjects of the 2012 BBC Wildlife Camera Trap Competition.
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High-Voltage DC Breakthrough Could Boost Renewable Energy
December 5, 2012
An advance in grid technology could give Thomas Edison’s favored mode of electricity delivery, DC, a chance to ramp up clean power today.
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Giant Sequoias Grow Faster With Age
December 5, 2012
Older trees beat out youngsters when it comes to bulking up, a new study says.
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Tracking California's Rivers of Rain
December 5, 2012
New weather stations are helping California forecasters better predict flooding from damaging storms called the "pineapple express."
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Scientific Results From Challenger Deep
December 4, 2012
Preliminary results from Challenger Deep give hints about destructive earthquakes, gigantic crustaceans, and the origin of life.
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The Transporter: Cloud Banks Carry Mercury
December 4, 2012
New results show that the oceans are responsible for the mercury content of coastal fog.
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Animal Overpass Helps Pronghorn Survive A Dangerous Migration
December 4, 2012
Pronghorn antelopes cross a busy Wyoming highway on an overpass built to help them navigate a dangerous bottleneck in their migration.
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Pictures: Unspoiled Rivers
December 3, 2012
How do we balance population growth and economic security with freshwater ecosystem protection?
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Photos: Kilauea Lava Reaches the Sea
November 30, 2012
Lava belched from Hawaii’s famous volcano Kilauea runs into the ocean.
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Pictures: Bakken Shale Oil Boom Transforms North Dakota
November 30, 2012
In the booming North Dakota’s Bakken Shale region, producers aren’t waiting for pipelines. In a reprise of the industry’s pioneering days, they’re loading oil on railroads.
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Pictures: Greening the Desert
November 30, 2012
From Texas to Saudi Arabia, people are finding ways to grow food and fuel in the desert—sometimes with deleterious effects.
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Grabbing Water From Future Generations
November 30, 2012
Many of the world's aquifers are being pumped dry to support unsustainable agriculture.
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Saudi Arabia Stakes a Claim on the Nile
November 30, 2012
After draining four-fifths of its massive underground aquifer for unsustainable agriculture, the Saudi Kingdom turns to verdant Ethiopia.
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Mali’s Lush Wetlands Drained by Foreign Agribusiness
November 30, 2012
Subsistence lifestyles and diverse wildlife hang in the balance in Mali's inland delta, thanks to ambitious plans to divert Niger River water for irrigation.
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Oil Train Revival: Booming North Dakota Relies on Rail to Deliver Its Crude
November 30, 2012
In the booming North Dakota’s Bakken Shale region, producers aren’t waiting for pipelines. In a reprise of the industry’s pioneering days, they’re loading oil on railroads.
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Polar Ice Sheets Shrinking Worldwide, Study Confirms
November 29, 2012
<strong>Rapid loss of ice sheets is already contributing to sea level rise, according to comprehensive roundup of satellite data.</strong>
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Blood Red Ocean: Not Exactly The End of Days
November 29, 2012
An algae bloom off the east coast of Australia turns the ocean blood red.
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Pictures: Falcon Massacre Uncovered in India
November 27, 2012
Every fall, locals in northeastern India kill hundreds of thousands of Amur falcons as the birds journey south to their wintering grounds, conservationists say.
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Car Sharing Widens the Lanes of Access for City Drivers
November 26, 2012
City dwellers are expanding their options for mobility with peer-to-peer car sharing. Can "accessing" replace "ownership" in the love affair with the automobile?
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Mount Doom's Neighbor Erupts in New Zealand
November 21, 2012
A New Zealand volcano that neighbors a mountain best known as Mount Doom of the <i>Lord of the Rings</i> films has rumbled back to life.
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Urban Grasshoppers Sing Louder
November 21, 2012
Males that dwell by busy roads boost the bass of their courtship songs to be heard above traffic, a new study says.
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Cuba's Oil Quest to Continue, Despite Deepwater Disappointment
November 19, 2012
In a drilling campaign profoundly hampered by the long-standing U.S. trade embargo, Cuba came up dry in its search for deepwater oil this year. But its quest for offshore energy will continue.
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Lonesome George Not the Last of His Kind, After All?
November 16, 2012
Maybe the late, lamented Galápagos tortoise wasn't the end of his line, after all. A DNA shocker is spurring a hunt for living cousins.
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California Tackles Climate Change, But Will Others Follow?
November 16, 2012
California launches its cap-and-trade market to curb carbon emissions. Advocates for climate change action hope the state’s approach will spread.
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Alaska's Clash Over Salmon and Gold Goes National
November 16, 2012
Mostly roadless, the Bristol Bay area doesn't look like a battlefield, yet it's become a Gettysburg of natural resource conflict.
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Second Life for Old Electric-Car Batteries: Guardians of the Electric Grid
November 16, 2012
General Motors demonstrates that "spent" Chevy Volt batteries can be deployed in communities to deliver more reliable, cleaner power to buildings.
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What Lives in Your Belly Button? Study Finds "Rain Forest" of Species
November 14, 2012
A "rain forest" of species thrive in our navels, a new study finds. Don't be alarmed, though—says one researcher, "It's quite beautiful."
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Pictures: Venice Flood Makes a Swimming Pool of St. Mark's
November 13, 2012
See how some people made the most of five-foot floods in the Italian city—donning Wellies and waders, swimsuits and makeshift gaters.
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U.S. to Overtake Saudi Arabia, Russia as World's Top Energy Producer
November 12, 2012
The United States, on track to overtake Saudia Arabia as the world's leading oil producer, moves closer to energy self-sufficiency, the International Energy Agency says.
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After Sandy: The Future of Boardwalks
November 10, 2012
After the storm, should boardwalks be rebuilt, redesigned, defended by dunes? "The big challenge is to create another vision of the shore."
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Why the Maya Fell: Climate Change, Conflict—And a Trip to the Beach?
November 9, 2012
The latest thinking suggests the mighty Maya Empire collapsed due to climate change, conflict—and maybe a trip to the beach.
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Climate Predictions: Worst-Case May Be Most Accurate, Study Finds
November 8, 2012
Scientists with their heads in the clouds say the most extreme global warming predictions also seem to be the most likely.
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The Last Drop? Climate Change May Raise Coffee Prices, Lower Quality
November 8, 2012
Wild Arabica coffee could go extinct within 70 years, increasing the price, and rarity, of a good cup of joe.
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Renault Zoe, a Low-Price Electric Car, Wins Britain's Future Car Challenge
November 8, 2012
The Renault Zoe wins Britain’s Future Car Challenge, but a bigger test is in store. With its low base price, the mini-EV aims to supercharge the European electric car market.
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Supervolcano Rained Acid on Both Poles—But Wasn't So Bad After All?
November 7, 2012
The eruption was 5,000 times larger than Mount St. Helens's 1980 blast, but evidence suggests its fallout was just shy of apocalyptic.
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Pictures We Love: Best of October
November 5, 2012
Sparks fly, tadpoles fall in line, and a sleepy Chihuahua charms in National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures from October.
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Superstorm Sandy Pictures: Top Reader Photos
November 2, 2012
See top shots from National Geographic's far-flung photo community, members of which captured scenes of Sandy's wrath from the Great Lakes to NYC.
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Can Hurricane Sandy Shed Light on Curbing Power Outages?
November 2, 2012
Nuclear plants held up, but overhead wires came down in Hurricane Sandy’s path. With millions still in darkness and cold, experts are calling for a smarter, more resilient electrical system.
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Why New York City Is the Worst Place for a Hurricane
November 1, 2012
An underwater canyon in the Atlantic, high buildings, and a flood-prone underground make New York City particularly vulnerable to storms, experts say.
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Tsunamis in the Alps?
October 31, 2012
A killer wave slammed medieval Geneva, a new study says. And it could happen again.
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Singing Sand Dunes Explained
October 31, 2012
Marco Polo and others have wondered over the centuries—why makes sand dunes sing? A new study offers a clue.
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After Sandy's New York Deluge, a Flood of Rats?
October 31, 2012
In the wake of superstorm Sandy, thousands of the rodents have been driven from flooded subway tunnels.
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Hurricane Sandy Pictures: Floods, Fire, Snow in the Aftermath
October 31, 2012
Floods, fire, and snow socked large pockets of the U.S. East during the storm—including New York, which flooded above and below ground.
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H.M.S. Bounty Sinks: Rescue and Rich Legacy in Pictures
October 30, 2012
See the replica tall ship in its glory days and during its sinking in Hurricane Sandy—200 years after the famous mutiny on its namesake.
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How Superstorm Sandy's Floods Can Make You Sick
October 30, 2012
As New York City grapples with Hurricane Katrina-like flooding, residents may be at risk of infections from stagnant water, experts say.
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Sandy Not Dead Yet: Why Storm's Still Super, Headed for New Targets
October 30, 2012
Greater than the sum of its parts, the "Frankenstorm" lurches on. Find out why it's still super, and where it's headed next.
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Hurricane Sandy Aftermath: What Happens to the Birds?
October 30, 2012
This week's devastating superstorm didn't just wreak havoc on human communities—it also damaged habitat for coastal bird species.
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U.S. Nuclear Plants Brace for Hurricane Sandy Impact
October 29, 2012
As Hurricane Sandy approaches the East Coast, preparations are under way to safeguard Oyster Creek Generating Station, the oldest U.S. nuclear plant.
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Hurricane Sandy: Why Full Moon Makes "Frankenstorm" More Monstrous
October 29, 2012
Several freak weather events make the "Frankenstorm" monstrous, and even the moon is adding to the gravity of the situation.
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Hurricane Sandy Pictures: Storm Turns Iconic Sites Ghostly
October 29, 2012
Atlantic City casinos and New York city streets and subways are ghost towns as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the East Coast in "worst-case scenario," experts say.
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U.S. Lab's "Titan" Named World's Fastest Supercomputer
October 29, 2012
The technology that animates video games enables a leap in science, as the U.S. government deploys Titan, the most powerful “hybrid” supercomputer yet.
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Why Are China and Japan Sparring Over Eight Tiny, Uninhabited Islands?
October 26, 2012
Potential energy wealth beneath the East China Sea's Senkaku Islands places them at the center of a tense territorial dispute between China and its neighbors.
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World's Oldest Primate Was a Rodentlike Climber
October 24, 2012
An "extraordinary discovery" exposes the earliest known primate as a rodentlike climber that evolved in tandem with flowers and fruit.
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Aurora Pictures: Best Fall Photos of Northern Lights
October 23, 2012
See our favorite recent photos of the northern lights, and a few southern ones too—guest-starring a fireball and a passel of penguins.
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Pictures: Best Wild Animal Photos of 2012 Announced
October 23, 2012
Bubbly penguins and pounce-primed cheetah cubs feature in some of the year's best wildlife pictures, according to a U.K.-based contest.
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High Fuel Costs Spark Increased Use of Wood for Home Heating
October 22, 2012
High oil prices are causing more U.S. households to choose wood for home heating, according to a new government analysis, but only a fraction of those are using cleaner wood pellets.
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"Lethally Hot" Earth Was Devoid of Life—Could It Happen Again?
October 18, 2012
Fossil clues point to high temperatures during one of Earth's low points. Could it happen again?
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Northernmost Lake Resurrected Due to Warming
October 17, 2012
The world's northernmost lake, situated near the coast of Greenland, is coming back to life, a new study says.
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Battery Maker A123's Bankruptcy Underscores U.S. Hurdles for Clean Tech
October 17, 2012
The bankruptcy filing this week of U.S. government-backed battery maker A123 Systems demonstrates the challenges of developing clean energy technology in a still-evolving market.
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Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Record ... High?
October 13, 2012
Just weeks after a record North Pole melt, Antarctica is surrounded by more sea ice than ever before recorded. What gives?
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Britain's Isle of Wight Aims to Lead Island Green Energy Movement
October 10, 2012
In hope of spurring the use of clean energy on the world’s islands, a project aims to turn the Isle of Wight, off England’s southern coast, into a showcase for renewable self-sufficiency.
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Pictures: Glowing Deep-Sea Creatures Found in Caribbean
October 10, 2012
A bevy of bottom-dwelling creatures—including shrimp, coral, and anemones—have been found to glow, a new study says.
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Iraq Poised to Lead World Oil Supply Growth, but Obstacles Loom
October 9, 2012
Iraq could add more than any other nation to global oil supply, but it faces challenges that could roil world energy markets, says the International Energy Agency.
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Snow Leopards Need To Be Protected ... But How?
October 9, 2012
Thinking of snow leopards as domesticated—and thus dependent on people for food—may help save the dwindling species, one conservationist claims.
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New Species Photos: Giant Millipede, Horned Frog Among Borneo Finds
October 5, 2012
Glowing fungi, a big-fanged spider, and the world's biggest moth are among species found during a recent expedition to Malaysia.
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Coal-Fired Australia, Buffeted by Climate Change, Enacts Carbon Tax
October 5, 2012
Australia launches a landmark cap-and-trade program, but the coal-dependent continent faces challenges in its bid to curb carbon emissions.
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Pictures We Love: Best of September
October 4, 2012
Flying children, a fairy tale prison, and North Korean "bodybuilders" are among our photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month.
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Fall Leaves: "Ideal Conditions" Seen for Foliage in U.S.
October 3, 2012
There may be one upside to this year's dry summer—a brilliant fall foliage season in parts of the United States.
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Pictures: Orphan Baby Gorillas Rescued From Poachers
October 2, 2012
Freed from poachers, two gorillas have found refuge in the arms of surrogate "mothers"—male caretakers who offer crucial 24-hour TLC.
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Pictures: 80 Polar Bears Throng Village in Search of Whale
October 1, 2012
Drawn by a whale carcass, the bears thronged an Alaskan village in record numbers—a possible side effect of the great Arctic melt.
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Pictures: Vampire Squid's Surprising Diet Revealed
September 29, 2012
Despite its bloodthirsty name and looks, the "vampire squid from hell" turns out to be the only known nonpredatory squid, a new study says.
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Pictures: New-Species "Heaven" Discovered in Peru
September 28, 2012
A night monkey, enigmatic porcupine, and small-eared shrew are among the unusual mammals found during a recent expedition.
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Pictures: Eleven Electric Cars Charge Ahead, Amid Obstacles
September 28, 2012
From Tesla’s futuristic Model X to the pint-sized Smart Fortwo ED, the latest electric cars are turning heads, but face challenges in their bid to transform transportation.
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Tentacled, Carnivorous Plants Catapult Prey Into Traps
September 27, 2012
A carnivorous plant in Australia has special tentacles that fling prey into its sticky trap, a new study shows for the first time.
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Panda Cub's Death Still a Mystery—Necropsy Provides Clues
September 24, 2012
A necropsy has turned up some clues in why the U.S. National Zoo's panda cub died after less than a week.
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Pictures: Flying Wind Turbines Reach for High-Altitude Power
September 24, 2012
Airborne wind energy pioneers are trying to harness the potential of high-altitude breezes, which have enough force—a new study reckons—to power all of Earth’s energy needs.
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Pictures: Drones Take on Hurricanes, Environment Work
September 24, 2012
Military-surplus Global Hawks head into the eye of new hurricanes, while smaller drones help monitor salmon habitat, seal populations, abandoned mine sites, wildfires, volcanoes, and more.
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"Liliger" Born in Russia No Boon for Big Cats
September 21, 2012
A liliger—the offspring of a liger mother and lion father—born in Russia may be cute, but it has no relevance in helping save big cats, experts say.
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Yellowstone Supervolcano Discovery—Where Will It Erupt?
September 20, 2012
The next major eruption will probably be centered in one of three parallel fault zones running north-northwest across the park, a new study says.
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Pictures: Fire "Tornado" Spotted—How Do They Form?
September 20, 2012
"Firenadoes"—such as the one filmed recently in the Australian Outback—aren't rare, just rarely reported, an expert says.
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Pictures: Seven Ingredients for Better Electric Car Batteries
September 14, 2012
To build a battery strong and cheap enough to power an electric car revolution, researchers are delving into ingredients from carbon nanotubes to oxygen.
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Religious Ivory Demand Killing Elephants by Thousands, Report Says
September 14, 2012
An active market for illegal ivory Jesuses, prayer beads, and amulets fuels thousands of elephant deaths yearly, a new report finds.
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In Uganda, Villages Reap Benefits of “Machine” Energy
September 14, 2012
The grueling processing of grain and gathering of firewood dominate life in Uganda’s Teso region. Engineers Without Borders is seeking to help power an improved harvest.
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Santorini Bulges as Magma Balloons Underneath
September 12, 2012
Scientists search for clues for when the volcano on the Greek island may erupt next.
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Pictures: Pygmy Sloth Among 100 Species Most At Risk
September 11, 2012
A chameleon named after Tarzan and a snub-nosed monkey are among the most threatened species, according to the new IUCN book Priceless or Worthless?.
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Pictures: Animal Winners and Losers of Summer's Heat Waves
September 11, 2012
See some of summer's animal-world losers and winners in the extreme-weather stakes, including anthrax bacteria and slug-eating hedgehogs.
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Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low—Extreme Weather to Come?
September 10, 2012
Arctic sea ice is thawing at a record rate, mostly due to global warming, scientists say.
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Sea Otters Strike a Blow for the Environment?
September 10, 2012
When hungry sea otters smack spiky urchins against rocks on their chests, the mammals may also be striking a blow against climate change.
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Ice-Breaking: U.S. Oil Drilling Starts as Nations Mull Changed Arctic
September 10, 2012
Shell begins Arctic drilling. While some focus on spill risk, summit leaders consider the wider environmental impact of opening a new industrial frontier.
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In War to Save Elephants, Rangers Appeal for Aid
September 9, 2012
In Elephant “War,” Rangers’ Plea for Help
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Ocean Energy Teams Compete for $16 Million Scotland Prize
September 7, 2012
In the roiling waters off Scotland’s coast, companies are vying to prove technology to harness the energy of the sea.
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Ancient Tomb Built to Flood—Sheds Light on Peru Water Cult?
September 6, 2012
Archaeologists find an unusual stacked grave holding pre-Inca leaders.
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Drought Withers U.S. Corn Crop, Heats Debate on Ethanol
September 6, 2012
With the U.S. corn harvest shriveled by drought, pressure builds to suspend the national ethanol mandate. But it’s not easy to turn off the biofuel pumps.
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Pictures: Supervolcano With Hexagonal Rocks Found in Hong Kong
September 6, 2012
Bristling with hexagonal rock formations, the remains of a giant volcano have been identified in, around, and under the city.
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Pictures We Love: Best of August
August 31, 2012
A stuck squirrel, a modern-day mummy ritual, and a police officer-turned-seagull feature among our favorite pictures of the month.
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Trapped Antarctic Methane Could Escape, Worsen Warming
August 31, 2012
Swamp gas trapped under miles of Antarctic ice may someday escape and further heat up the planet, a new study says.
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Glowing Cockroach Mimics Toxic Beetle
August 30, 2012
A species of cockroach glows green to trick predators into thinking it's the toxic click beetle, a new study says.
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Venezuelan Refinery Under Scrutiny After Deadly Blaze
August 30, 2012
The fires are out at Venezuela’s Amuay facility four days after the deadliest refinery accident in 15 years. But questions about exactly what happened, and why, are only beginning.
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Isaac Drives Spike in U.S. Gas Prices Ahead of Labor Day Weekend
August 30, 2012
U.S. gasoline prices are getting worse before they will get better, spurred by domestic refinery woes and the recent Gulf Coast storm.
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Black Bears Can "Count" as Well as Primates
August 29, 2012
Do black bears count in the woods? Possibly, according to a recent study that shows the mammals are as smart as primates.
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Isaac Now a Hurricane, But It's Still No Katrina
August 28, 2012
Despite similar paths and timing, the two storms are "not even comparable."
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New Genitalia-Headed Fish Is Evolutionary Mystery
August 27, 2012
It's a mystery just how the fish's reproductive organs ended up front and center, a new study says.
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Deep-Sea, Shrimp-like Creatures Survive by Eating Wood
August 27, 2012
Deep-sea, shrimp-like crustaceans caught in the Mariana Trench get big by eating sunken wood, a new study says.
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Drought Reaches New Orleans; Hurricane Isaac Could Add Insult to Injury
August 24, 2012
As the Mississippi River shrinks, the Gulf of Mexico is already making its way inland.
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Pictures: Ecuador’s Tungurahua Volcano Erupts
August 23, 2012
The 16,48-foot volcano has been erupting intermittently since October 1999, but more aggressive activity this week prompted the authorities to raise the security alert from "moderate" to "high."
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Pictures: Rare Deep-Sea Anglerfish Recorded
August 23, 2012
Rare, red, bulbous deep-sea anglerfish that can “walk” and change color are caught on camera thousands of feet below the surface.
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Photos: Aerial Survey Spots Record Number of Manatees
August 22, 2012
An aerial survey from the skies above Belize has spotted a record number of manatees enjoying clear coastal waters.
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Pictures: World’s Worst Power Outages
August 21, 2012
From weather events to human error, a range of snafus can wreak havoc for millions when they create the massive blackouts that have periodically struck regions around the world.
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Pictures: Squid Iridescence Explained
August 21, 2012
Nerve cells are responsible for squids' shimmering displays, a new study says.
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Helix Collapse Fails to Crush Hope for Vertical Wind Turbines
August 20, 2012
The failure of "rooftop” wind energy's most trumpeted start-up underscores the technology’s challenges, but believers insist vertical turbines have their place.
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Meteor Dust Boosts Night-Shining Clouds
August 20, 2012
Trails of smoke left by meteors may be seeding mysterious night-shining clouds, a new study says.
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Hurricanes Get Supercharged by River Mouths
August 20, 2012
When storms hit less dense patches of freshwater they gain strength, a new study says.
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What's Causing Extreme Weather?
August 20, 2012
Wondering what's causing all the extreme weather we've seen lately? The short answer, scientists say, is rotten luck and a warmer planet.
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Pictures: Students Design Super-Efficient Cars in Eco-marathon
August 17, 2012
High school and university students from around the world competed in the race for maximum fuel efficiency, staged this year in the United States, Netherlands and Malaysia.
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Pictures: A Rare Look Inside Carmakers' Drive for 55 MPG
August 17, 2012
Automakers must dramatically improve fuel economy to meet new standards taking hold worldwide. They’ll do it with smarter systems, sleeker profiles, better materials, and a healthy dose of electric power.
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Record Heat, Drought Pose Problems for U.S. Electric Power
August 17, 2012
This summer’s scorching heat and record drought in the United States have pressured the water-dependent electricity system.
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Night Sky to Turn Bluer?
August 14, 2012
The night may glow bluer as yellow-orange streetlights are gradually replaced by whiter, energy-saving lights, a new study says.
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Biggest Burmese Python Found in Florida—17.7 Feet, 87 Eggs
August 14, 2012
"Monstrous," egg-stuffed 17.7-footer suggests Florida life is "perfect" for the invasive snake species, experts say.
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Anti-Glacier Prayer "Worked Too Well"—Vatican Approves New Ritual
August 11, 2012
After 350 years of praying for smaller glaciers, Alpine pilgrims debut a Vatican-approved ritual for more, not less, ice.
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Largest U.S. Coal Ash Pond to Close, But Future Rules Still Undecided
August 9, 2012
The shutdown of Pennsylvania’s “Little Blue” coal ash site is a landmark event, but a decision lags on U.S. regulation of one of its largest waste problems.
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July Hottest Month on Record in U.S.—Warming and Drought to Blame?
August 8, 2012
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China Drills Into Shale Gas, Targeting Huge Reserves Amid Challenges
August 8, 2012
China launches shale gas exploration, with ambitious goals that will require the right geology, plenty of water, and foreign know-how.
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Heat Waves "Almost Certainly" Due to Global Warming?
August 6, 2012
Recent heat waves around the globe "almost certainly would not have occurred" without global warming, a NASA climate scientist says.
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Pictures: India Power Outage Darkens Cities, Stops Trains
July 31, 2012
One of history's worst blackouts darkened cities, delayed trains, and forced many to use backup generators for two days.
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India Power Outage Spotlights Energy Planning Failure
July 31, 2012
India's massive power outage raises questions about the nation's inability to map out its energy future. Protest and high costs have stymied coal and nuclear plans.
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Pictures: Floating Cities of the Future
July 31, 2012
From an underwater "oceanscraper" to floating apartments, these fantastical green building designs could be immune to sea level rise.
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Caffeinated Seas Found off U.S. Pacific Northwest
July 30, 2012
The Pacific Northwest's coffee culture may not stop at the shoreline, thanks to caffeinated human waste streaming off the coast.
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Shell Scales Back 2012 Arctic Drilling Goals
July 27, 2012
Sea ice and regulatory issues trouble Shell’s plan to drill for oil in waters north of Alaska this summer, underscoring the challenges of the Arctic frontier.
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Summer Storms to Create New Ozone Holes as Earth Warms?
July 26, 2012
A rise in summer storms due to global warming may degrade the protective ozone layer in populated areas far from the Poles, a new study suggests.
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Pictures: 10 Green-Tech City Solutions for Beating the Heat
July 26, 2012
From a solar mansion in China to a floating farm in New York, green buildings are sprouting up in cities around the world. Among their many benefits are curbing fossil-fuel use and reducing the urban heat island effect.
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"Shocking" Greenland Ice Melt: Global Warming or Just Heat Wave?
July 25, 2012
Nearly the entire ice sheet surface was slush after a few days this month—the fastest melt yet seen by satellites. What does it mean?
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Pictures: London Leaps Hurdles in Green Olympic Games Bid
July 25, 2012
Organizers for the London Olympics have made significant strides toward more energy-efficient summer games, but some of their efforts didn't make it to the finish line.
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Best Satellite Pictures: Winning "Earth as Art" Shots From NASA
July 25, 2012
Algae swirl like a Van Gogh, a blue-ribbon Mississippi unfurls, and a sand sea blows in the favorite satellite images from a new NASA contest.
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Pictures: Strange New Fish Found Deep off New Zealand
July 24, 2012
A flabby whalefish, a slickhead, and a white rattail are among the weird fish hauled up during a recent New Zealand deep-sea expedition.
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Coal Power Loses Its Luster in India as Costs Rise
July 24, 2012
India’s coal-fired power expansion plans are faltering, not over environmental concerns but due to new high costs. Some 50 projects face default.
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Sizing Up Wind Energy: Bigger Means Greener, Study Says
July 20, 2012
Larger wind turbines have a smaller carbon footprint, a European study finds. But practical limitations and local rules could place a ceiling on size.
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Pictures: Dumping Iron in Ocean & 6 More Extreme Climate Fixes
July 19, 2012
Seeding the oceans with iron has gotten a boost in a new study—though it's only one drastic fix proposed to slow global warming.
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Nuclear Restart Generates Power, Protest in Japan
July 16, 2012
Japan's restart of one of its nuclear power plants rouses an unusual display of public discontent, but the energy-short nation faces no easy choices in the wake of Fukushima.
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Giant Red Sprite Seen From Space Station
July 13, 2012
A new image conveys the size of the rarely seen electrical phenomenon "better than any picture we've ever seen," expert says.
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Pictures: First Night-Shining Clouds of 2012
July 12, 2012
Rippling clouds glow against dark night skies in one of summer's strangest sights, which may be getting more common as Earth warms.
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Americans Least Green—And Feel Least Guilt, Survey Suggests
July 12, 2012
A new global survey suggests world's the most wasteful countries feel the least guilty—and vice-versa.
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Formula One Legend Murray Sets Course for Energy-Efficient Car Design
July 11, 2012
Gordon Murray designed some of the fastest, sleekest race cars in history. He’s now tackling a greater challenge: crafting lightweight, efficient autos for the masses.
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Mystery Solved: Why We Sunburn
July 11, 2012
For the first time, science has illuminated why our skin reddens and stings when we get too much sunshine, a new study says.
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As Squeeze Tightens on Iran, Fuel Prices—for Now—Reflect Calm
July 10, 2012
Iran faces mounting pressure over its nuclear program at a time of bountiful oil supply and weak demand. But how long can low gas prices last?
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"Unusual" Pictures: Lions vs. Hippo
July 10, 2012
Newly released pictures show lions attacking and killing a young hippo in South Africa—a rarity, experts say.
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Arsenic-Life Discovery Debunked—But "Alien" Organism Still Odd
July 9, 2012
An organism that appeared to have rewritten the laws of life has been brought down to Earth by two new studies.
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Elusive Killer Ants Explained; Bop Insects on Heads
July 3, 2012
A little-seen species of trap-jawed ant is an ambush hunter that lives in giant treetop colonies, a decades-long study reveals.
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New Natural Gas Wealth Means Historic Change for Israel
July 3, 2012
Historically lacking in fossil-fuel resources, Israel now faces the challenge of managing its new huge natural gas discoveries in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Colorado Wildfires Threaten Water Supplies
July 3, 2012
Colorado Wildfires Threaten Water Supplies -- As fires are contained, water managers assess the damage, draw more on the Colorado River, and try to prepare for a dry future.
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Pictures: 25 New Reef Fish Found—"Beautiful" Basslet and More
June 28, 2012
Among the new species: a candy-striped clingfish and fairy goby—plus, a "bizarre" scorpionfish and an eel opening wide for flounder.
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Massive Pile of Elephant Ivory Burned in Gabon—A First
June 27, 2012
More than ten thousand pounds of elephant ivory were burned in Gabon, a fiery act intended to snuff out a recent spike in poaching.
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Photos: "Snubby" Monkey, Hula Frog Among New Most At-Risk Species
June 26, 2012
A sneezing monkey, an Amazon antbird, and a hula frog are among the species newly listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.
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Slow Sharks Sneak Up on Sleeping Seals (and Eat Them)?
June 26, 2012
The world's slowest swimming shark may have evolved a slick hunting move: Sneaking up on snoozing seals.
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Lonesome George, Last of His Kind, Dies in Galápagos
June 25, 2012
The centenarian reptile, perhaps best known for his reticence to mate, was the last giant tortoise of his kind.
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Sea Levels Rising Fast on U.S. East Coast
June 25, 2012
East Coast sea levels are rising three times faster than the average—hinting at a more flood-prone future for New York and other cities.
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Pictures: Now or Never? 9 Places to See Before They Slip Away
June 25, 2012
For summer travel with lasting impact, consider destinations that are changing fast—Glacier National Park, the Everglades, and more.
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Warm Snap Turned Antarctica Green Around the Edges
June 20, 2012
A warm, wet snap about 15 million years ago thawed Antarctica, allowing abundant greenery to grow along its coasts, a new study says.
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Pictures: Jaguars Spotted on Colombian Plantation—A First
June 18, 2012
Looking "calm, playful, and healthy," jaguars have been spotted on a Colombian oil palm plantation—a first, scientists say.
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Pictures: Eleven Nations With Large Fossil-Fuel Subsidies
June 18, 2012
Governments around the world spend billions of dollars each year to keep the price of fossil fuels low, burdening state finances and encouraging wasteful consumption.
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Cities Bet They Can Curb Traffic With Games of Chance
June 15, 2012
To tackle congestion, clogged urban centers are testing the lure of prizes to persuade motorists to change their driving habits.
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Pictures: Odd Deep-Sea Creatures Found at Volcanoes, Canyons
June 13, 2012
Squat lobsters, "hairy" crabs, and "Mickey Mouse" squid are among animals spotted during a recent survey of underwater volcanoes and canyons.
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Pictures: Tsunami Dock Is "Alien Mother Ship" of Species
June 13, 2012
Teeming with invasive life-forms, the Japanese dock that recently hit the U.S. is a "dirty needle that just got stuck into our ecological arm."
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Meat-Eating Plants Getting "Full" On Pollution
June 12, 2012
Carnivorous plants in Swedish bogs are so stuffed on nitrogen pollution that they're able to eat fewer bugs, a new study says.
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Pictures: Volcano Lightning, Illuminated
June 11, 2012
Sparked by forces deep within ash plumes, volcanic lightning storms offer unprecedented views into the eruptions when monitored via radio sensors.
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Low-Cost Solar Brightens Lives in the Developing World
June 6, 2012
Cheap, small-scale solar energy devices are helping to raise living standards throughout the world.
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Pictures We Love: Best of May
June 1, 2012
From Amazon antics to a mist-shrouded Taj Mahal—see National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures from last month.
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Men's Offices Have More Bacteria, Study Finds
June 1, 2012
Your work space might harbor about as many bacteria species as a bathroom, a new study suggests—and they come mainly from your own body.
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Pictures: Mystery Shipwreck Found With Muskets, Beer Bottles
May 31, 2012
See a 19th-century wreck that has experts stumped. The site's few clues include guns, beer bottles, and copper outlines of a missing hull.
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Pictures: Solar Plane Completes First Intercontinental Flight
May 31, 2012
Fueled only by the sun glinting off its enormous wings, the Swiss experimental aircraft Solar Impulse achieves a historic intercontinental flight.
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International Agency Calls for Action on Natural Gas Safety
May 30, 2012
New environmental controls on natural gas "fracking" are both needed and affordable, the International Energy Agency says.
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Top Ten New Species: Snub-Nosed Monkey, Devil Worm, More
May 29, 2012
The biggest millipede and a Spongebob mushroom are among the ten most bizarre species of 2011, according to Arizona State University.
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Deep Creatures Hitchhike on Subs—Invading Pristine Habitats?
May 29, 2012
Despite huge pressure changes, "Energizer bunny" animals keep going and going and going—possibly invading pristine areas, experts say.
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Sunscreen in the Sky? Reflective Particles May Combat Warming
May 29, 2012
Spraying particles of titanium dioxide via balloons could help scatter enough sunlight to reduce global temperatures, a scientist says.
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Everest Climb Successful, Despite Crowds, Unrelenting Winds
May 26, 2012
Despite a tough crowd, howling winds, and even food poisoning, a National Geographic team touched the top of the world Friday.
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Nat Geo Team on Everest
May 25, 2012
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Pictures: Cars That Fired Our Love-Hate Relationship With Fuel
May 24, 2012
Today’s global demand for more efficient cars follows two centuries of shifting attitudes toward fuel-guzzling vehicles, from Model T to Rambler, from Hummer to Prius.
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Photos: Volcanic Vents, Crawling With Creatures, Found in Mexico Sea
May 23, 2012
Crawling with tube worms and crabs, the hydrothermal vents are the first found in the Gulf of California, scientists report.
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Magma Rise Sparked Life as We Know It?
May 23, 2012
Oxygen-breathing life exists on Earth today because of changes in the planet's magma 2.5 billion years ago, a new study says.
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In Wake of Everest Deaths, Another "Traffic Jam" Possible
May 22, 2012
Just days after four people died on Everest during a crowded climb, a similar "traffic jam" scenario could play out this weekend.
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Amid Economic Concerns, Carbon Capture Faces a Hazy Future
May 22, 2012
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects around the world are hitting a wall due to high costs and a lack of climate policy.
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Fossil Ink Sacs Yield Jurassic Pigment—A First
May 21, 2012
Still soft ink sacs from 160-million-year-old squidlike animals have yielded pigment matching that of modern cuttlefish.
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Giant Killer Mice Decimating Rare Seabirds
May 21, 2012
Oversize house mice are consuming millions of endangered Atlantic petrels on the bird's only known breeding area, a new study says.
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Tiles May Help Shrink Carbon Footprint by Harnessing Pedestrian Power
May 18, 2012
In areas with high foot traffic, installations of special flooring may prove that the answer to meeting energy demand lies right beneath our feet.
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Slow-Mo Microbes Still Living off Dino-era "Lunch Box"
May 17, 2012
Buried for 86 million years, a bacterial community lives so slugglishly it's still surviving on a "lunch box" from dino days, a new study says.
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Pictures: Elephant Underpass Reuniting Kenya Herds
May 16, 2012
A corridor beneath a busy highway in northern Kenya is helping isolated elephant populations reunite, conservationists say.
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Global Nuclear Retreat? Armenia, Others Aim to Keep Plants Alive
May 8, 2012
Armenia extends the life of its Soviet-style nuclear plant, despite seismic concerns. It’s one of a slew of decisions nations face on old reactors.
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Dinosaurs' Gaseous Emissions Warmed Earth?
May 7, 2012
Giant plant-eaters known as sauropods may have heated the planet by releasing huge amounts of methane, a new study says.
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Pictures We Love: Best of April
May 4, 2012
From hippo dental care to hammer time—see National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures from last month.
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Pictures: 24 New Caribbean Lizards Found
May 3, 2012
The unexpectedly large crop of Caribbean skinks is already at risk of extinction, a new study says.
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British Columbia Rethinks Its Pioneering Carbon Tax
May 3, 2012
With none of its neighbors following British Columbia’s lead in taxing to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Canadian province reviews the economic impact.
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Yellowstone Super-Eruptions More Numerous Than Thought?
May 1, 2012
The Yellowstone supervolcano may erupt more frequently, though a bit weaker, than thought, a new study says.
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Glowing Pygmy Shark Lights Up to Fade Away
April 30, 2012
In what may sound like soggy logic, the smalleye pygmy shark hides in the dark by lighting up, a new study says.
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Supercomputing Power Could Pave the Way to Energy-Efficient Engines
April 30, 2012
Scientists believe that Titan, a massive upgrade in supercomputing power that the U.S. government is set to deploy this year, will help crack the code on energy-efficient engines.
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Everest Helicopter Rescue Saves National Geographic Photographer
April 28, 2012
Despite "not flyable" conditions, an acutely ailing Nat Geo photographer was airlifted to safety Saturday in Nepal.
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Best Underwater Pictures: Winners of 2012 Amateur Contest
April 27, 2012
From the ocean's biggest fish to tiny sea slugs with big color, the stars of an annual contest help reveal "the ocean through other eyes."
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White Killer Whale Spotted—Only One in the World?
April 25, 2012
Iceberg the Orca may be the only known all-white adult killer whale, and his strange skin color remains a mystery.
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Fish Glow Green After Genetic Engineering
April 22, 2012
A genetically engineered fish that glows green from the inside out is helping illuminate what pollutants do inside the body.
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Everest Guide Dies After 15-Story Fall Into Ice Chasm
April 22, 2012
In the first climbing fatality of the Everest mountaineering season, a Sherpa fell 150 feet into a chasm Saturday.
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Earth Day Pictures: Ten Most Threatened Forests
April 20, 2012
On the eve of Earth Day, find out which of the world's forests are on the brink.
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Pictures: Ten New Studies Show Gulf Spill Impact
April 19, 2012
Bottlenose dolphins off Louisiana’s coast are severely ill, while deep-sea corals show signs of tissue damage—just two findings in a slew of studies two years after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
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Earth Day Facts: When It Is, How It Began, What to Do
April 19, 2012
Find out more about Earth Day, which has grown into a global tradition since its not-so-humble beginnings in 1970.
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Pictures: Nature Yields New Ideas for Energy and Efficiency
April 19, 2012
Drawing inspiration from schools of fish, termite mounds, and the photosynthesis of leaves, new technologies seek to produce cleaner, more efficient energy through biomimicry.
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Emperor Penguins Counted From Space—A First
April 13, 2012
New satellite images show the population of emperor penguins in Antarctica has doubled since 1992, scientists report.
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Delhi Offers Cleaner Auto Rickshaws, but Residents Choose Cars
April 12, 2012
In India’s clogged cities, some view auto rickshaws—motorized three-wheelers—as a solution to pollution and congestion. But these “tuk tuks” struggle to compete with the allure of car ownership.
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Paint the Titanic, Wreck's Discoverer Says
April 12, 2012
Robert Ballard, the explorer who discovered the legendary wreck, has serious plans to robotically coat Titanic with fresh paint.
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"Strawberry" Leopard Discovered—A First
April 12, 2012
The rare South Africa leopard probably has erythrism, a condition that causes a pinkish coat, experts say.
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Indonesia Tsunami Pictures: Banda Aceh, Then and Now
April 11, 2012
Wednesday's earthquake struck the same Indonesian province decimated by a tsunami in 2004. See how the area is faring today.
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Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found in 4-Million-Year-Old Cave
April 11, 2012
Deep in an ancient New Mexico cave, scientists have discovered nearly a hundred types of bacteria that can fight modern antibiotics.
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No Tsunami? Why Earthquake Spared Indonesia Today
April 11, 2012
Despite a massive undersea quake Wednesday and panic in Indonesia, a regional tsunami watch saw little waves. Find out why.
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Pictures: New Suckermouth Armored Catfish Discovered
April 10, 2012
An "unusual" species of catfish likely uses its "suckermouth" to scrape algae off rocks, a new study says.
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Growing Food Demand Strains Energy, Water Supplies
April 6, 2012
In western India and around the world, agricultural growth is being stoked by unsustainable irrigation practices that sap aquifers and require huge amounts of energy.
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Cameron Exclusive: After Record Dive, Why Go Back to Mariana Trench?
April 5, 2012
With his first dive a success, James Cameron is eager for scientists to continue exploring Earth's deepest point in his custom-built sub.
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Titanic at 100: Be Among the Last to Dive to Wreck Site?
April 5, 2012
A hundred years after the Titanic sank, tourists can now go on a dive to the legendary wreck—but some experts want the "grave site" left alone.
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Pictures: Texas Tornadoes Toss Trailers, Flatten Homes
April 4, 2012
Yesterday's tornadoes peeled roofs off homes, tossed big-rigs in the air, and left flattened tractor trailers strewn along highways.
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Titanic Would Encounter More Icebergs Today?
April 4, 2012
If Titanic had sailed a hundred years later, it may have encountered many more icebergs, possibly due to global warming, scientists say.
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With Gas Prices High, U.S. Refinery Closures Hit Workers and Drivers
April 4, 2012
The economic pain of U.S. East Coast refinery closures may spread beyond job losses. Already high gas prices could climb still higher as summer approaches.
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"Lost" Long-Fingered Frog Found in Africa
April 3, 2012
In a handy stroke of luck, scientists have rediscovered a "lost" African species: the Bururi long-fingered frog.
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Pictures: China's Rare-Earth Minerals Monopoly
April 3, 2012
China’s rare-earth mining has given it dominance in the market for materials that go into everything from smart phones to electric cars, but the industry has exacted a toll on the country’s landscape and people.
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While Rare-Earth Trade Dispute Heats Up, Scientists Seek Alternatives
March 30, 2012
While nations clash with China to ease its monopoly over the rare-earth minerals critical to energy technology, scientists hunt for other options.
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Bizarre "King of Wasps" Found in Indonesia
March 27, 2012
Males of the venomous wasps have large, spiked jaws, perhaps to protect young, a new study says.
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James Cameron on Earth's Deepest Spot: Desolate, Lunar-Like
March 26, 2012
James Cameron describes Challenger Deep as a desolate, "lunar" environment, saying the dive felt as if he'd gone to another planet.
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Cameron's Historic Dive Cut Short by Leak; Few Signs of Life Seen
March 26, 2012
Despite technical challenges, James Cameron made history Monday in the Mariana Trench, which he said "looked like the moon."
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James Cameron Now at Ocean's Deepest Point
March 25, 2012
Stuffed into a "vertical torpedo," the explorer-filmmaker has become the first human to reach the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep alone.
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James Cameron Begins Descent to Ocean's Deepest Point
March 25, 2012
After years of preparation and days of uncooperative weather conditions, James Cameron is sinking fast to Earth's deepest, and perhaps most alien, realm in his futuristic sub.
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James Cameron Completes Record-Breaking Mariana Trench Dive
March 25, 2012
Filmmaker-explorer James Cameron just became the first human to reach Earth's deepest abyss alone—and the only one to explore it in depth.
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James Cameron May Dive Mariana Trench This Weekend, If "Weather Gods" Allow
March 24, 2012
After years of preparation, the filmmaker and explorer may be hours away from diving to the ocean's deepest point, if "weather gods" allow.
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Whales Have Sonar "Beam" for Targeting Prey
March 22, 2012
Precision sound "beams" let whales focus on fast prey in the dark ocean, a new study says.
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BP Oil Spill’s Sticky Remnants Wash Up Sporadically On Gulf Beaches
March 22, 2012
Tar balls from the worst oil spill in U.S. history continue to soil the Gulf Coast two years later, although at irregular intervals. Scientists say the tiny fragments hold clues for future understanding.
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Pictures: In Hungary, Burning Money for Fuel—Literally
March 21, 2012
Hungary is the only country to recycle its worn cash for fuel, recycling forints worth $1 billion (U.S.) each year into briquettes distributed to the poor.
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Grasslands More Diverse Than Rain Forests—In Small Areas
March 20, 2012
Sorry, tropical rain forests. Grasslands have the most plant species—at least in areas smaller than a few parking spaces.
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Vernal Equinox 2012: First-Day-of-Spring Myth Busted
March 20, 2012
Are day and night equally long today, the 2012 vernal equinox (or spring equinox)? Get the answer—and other first-day-of-spring facts and oddities.
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Pictures: Glowing Blue Waves Explained
March 19, 2012
Glittering or flashing seas have long been linked to marine microbes—and now scientists think they know how the life-forms create light.
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"Hot Bee Balls" Cook Enemy Hornets—But How Do Bees Endure the Heat?
March 16, 2012
Japanese honeybees swarm to cook enemy hornets, but how do they survive the heat themselves? A new brain study may have the answer.
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Natural Gas a Weak Weapon Against Climate Change, New Study Asserts
March 14, 2012
A new study argues that replacing all the world's coal power plants with natural gas would do little to slow global warming this century.
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Solar Energy Brings Food, Water, and Light to West Africa
March 13, 2012
For two arid villages in Benin, starvation seemed a greater problem than the lack of electricity. Solar drip irrigation tackled both issues at once.
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Photos: Where Will Next Mega-Tsunami Hit? (Japan Quake Anniversary)
March 9, 2012
One year after the great Japan earthquake and tsunami, at least six other places worldwide are vulnerable to giant killer waves. <p> </p>
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Pictures: Japan Tsunami, Then and Now
March 9, 2012
A year ago Sunday, the March 11 Japan tsunami flooded highways, tossed boats and cars, and leveled cities. See what the region looks like now.
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One Year After Fukushima, Japan Faces Shortages of Energy, Trust
March 8, 2012
By summer, no nuclear plants will be operating in Japan, where mistrust reverberates one year after the world’s second-worst nuclear accident, at Fukushima Daiichi.
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First Look: James Cameron's Sci-Fi Sub for Deepest Dive
March 8, 2012
The custom-made sub for James Cameron's dive to Earth's deepest point sports a vertical design, a robotic arm—and an eye-popping paint job.
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Pictures: Immense, Elusive Energy in the Forces of Nature
March 8, 2012
Japan’s Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, displayed the fearsome power in nature. Only a small fraction of Earth’s forces have been captured to fuel civilization.
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Spiderwebs Blanket Countryside After Australian Floods (Pictures)
March 7, 2012
Spiders trying to ride out floods in Wagga Wagga, Australia, are coating the town in thick webs.
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Pictures: A New Hub for Solar Tech Blooms in Japan
March 7, 2012
As Japan faces a nuclear-free future, at least in the short term, a new facility aims to develop solar technology that will create both energy and earnings at home.
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Nigeria's Rocky Effort to Wean Itself From Subsidized Fuel
March 7, 2012
Nigeria faces an uphill battle in removing fuel subsidies that kept gasoline cheap, but critically hampered the country's development.
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Alien Species Invading Antarctica via Tourists, Scientists
March 5, 2012
Antarctic tourists and scientists may be inadvertently seeding the icy continent with invasive species, a new study says.
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Photos: Pictures of the Year Announced
March 5, 2012
See this year's winners of the global photo contest that aims to "empower the world's best documentary photography."
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Spiny, Venomous New Sea Snake Discovered—"Something Special"
March 2, 2012
Mysteriously covered in spiny scales, the snake was hauled from risky seas: "The only question is which animal would kill us."
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Pictures We Love: Best of February
March 1, 2012
See the pictures we love, as chosen by National Geographic photo editors—from gravity-defying fighters to a "flaming" caterpillar.
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Rare Night Tornadoes This Week Fueled By Warm Winter?
March 1, 2012
A warm winter helped spawn an unusual nighttime outbreak of tornadoes in the U.S. Midwest early Wednesday morning, an expert says.
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Estimates Clash for How Much Natural Gas in the United States
February 29, 2012
As U.S. policymakers contemplate a new era as the “Saudi Arabia of natural gas,” a new government analysis slashes estimates for unproved shale gas reserves.
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James Cameron Headed to Ocean's Deepest Point Within Weeks
February 29, 2012
In a sci-fi sub, filmmaker and explorer James Cameron is soon to make history on a National Geographic mission to Earth's deepest point.
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Pictures: Spanish Solar Energy
February 28, 2012
Spain’s solar energy boom of the past decade has waned, but the Iberian peninsula nurtured innovative technologies that may pave the way for future large-scale renewable energy.
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Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice Linked to Snowier Winters?
February 27, 2012
Rapidly shrinking Arctic sea ice could be behind unusually snowy winters in the Northern Hemisphere, a new model suggests.
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Concern Over Rare Rhino Rouses Clean Energy Drive in Malaysia
February 22, 2012
After a fight against a coal-fired power plant that threatened one of the last sanctuaries of the Sumatran rhino, a struggle for cleaner energy continues in east Malaysia.
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Earth Spun Faster in 2009 Due to Ocean Current?
February 22, 2012
A slower Antarctic current, possibly linked to El Niño, made our planet spin slightly faster in November 2009, a new study suggests.
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Pictures: New Amphibians Without Arms or Legs Discovered
February 21, 2012
They aren't worms or even snakes. They're burrowing, limbless amphibians, and they're completely new to science, a new study suggests.
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32,000-Year-Old Plant Brought Back to Life—Oldest Yet
February 21, 2012
The oldest regenerated plant has beaten the previous recordholder by some 30,000 years, a new study says. The oldest plant ever to be regenerated has beaten the previous recordholder by some 30,000 years, a new study says.
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Uganda's Power Drive Stills Rapids at the Headwaters of the Nile
February 21, 2012
Uganda, where 90 percent of the people lack electricity, taps deeper into waterpower, by eliminating cascading rapids on the Victoria Nile.
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Pictures: See and Hear Last Speakers of Dying Languages
February 17, 2012
Faces and recorded voices tell the stories of endangered languages, thanks to new "talking dictionaries."
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Why Some Poison Frogs Taste Bittersweet When Licked
February 17, 2012
It's a discovery perhaps only a frog-licking scientist could make: Toxic frogs secrete sugars and bile acids in addition to their poisons.
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Pictures: Miniature Chameleons Discovered—Fit on Match Tip
February 15, 2012
Four new chameleon species found in Madagascar—some tiny enough to fit on a match tip—are among the smallest known reptiles.
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Best News Pictures of 2011: World Press Winners
February 15, 2012
See the painterly picture that won this year's World Press Photo Contest—plus a cliff-climbing polar bear, a record-breaking cave, and more.
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Pictures: A Rare Look Inside China's Energy Machine
February 14, 2012
A photographer gains an inside look at China’s massive power complex, and at efforts by the world’s largest energy consumer to spur cleaner future growth.
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Amid U.S.-China Energy Tension, "Clean Coal" Spurs Teamwork
February 13, 2012
China’s next president visits the White House amid tension on energy. But U.S.-China collaboration is emerging on projects to clean up coal.
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Life on Earth Began on Land, Not in Sea?
February 13, 2012
The first cellular life on Earth probably arose in vats of volcanic mud akin to Darwin's idea of a "warm little pond," a new study says.
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Shark-Attack Deaths Highest in 19 Years—Travel Trends to Blame?
February 10, 2012
U.S. fatalities down, possibly due to economic downturn.
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U.S. Oil Fields Stage "Great Revival," But No Easing Gas Prices
February 10, 2012
The shale boom centered in North Dakota lifts U.S. oil production, but the unexpected resurgence won’t lessen petroleum’s cost.
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Russian Scientists Breach Antarctica's Lake Vostok—Confirmed
February 8, 2012
Russian scientists have confirmed that they have breached the subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica—a first.
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Huge Swarm of Gelatinous Sea Creatures Imaged in 3-D
February 8, 2012
Scientists have created a new 3-D picture of a giant swarm of tiny gelatinous sea creatures off Australia.
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New "Porta Potty" Flower Discovered
February 7, 2012
A new relative of the "corpse flower" growing in Madagascar smells like rotting meat and feces, researchers say.
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Bubble Curtains: Can They Dampen Offshore Energy Sound for Whales?
February 7, 2012
Oil and wind power companies are testing a novel technology—air bubbles—to shield marine mammals from the sound of their offshore operations.
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Pictures: "Supergiant," Shrimp-Like Beasts Found in Deep Sea
February 6, 2012
"It's a mystery" why giant, shrimp-like animals found off New Zealand are nearly three times larger than other amphipods, experts say.
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Russians "Close" to Drilling Into Antarctica's Lake Vostok
February 6, 2012
Russian scientists at Lake Vostok are "very, very close" to being the first to penetrate an Antarctic subglacial lake, news reports say.
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Iran’s Undisputed Weapon: Power to Block the Strait of Hormuz
February 6, 2012
Although Iran’s ability to throw the global economy into chaos has long been recognized, there’s no ready alternative for moving oil out of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Giant Crack in Antarctica About to Spawn New York-Size Iceberg
February 2, 2012
A vast iceberg is splitting from Antarctica, thanks to a giant crack in a glacier that's "really important" to sea level rise.
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Groundhog Day 2012: Punxsutawney Phil's Forecast Is In
February 2, 2012
Early spring or long winter? "Immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil has made his forecast. Get the odd facts behind Groundhog Day 2012.
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Pictures We Love: Best of January
February 1, 2012
See the pictures we love, as chosen by National Geographic photo editors—from a too plush penguin to a pantsless pedestrian.<p> </p>
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Pythons Eating Through Everglades Mammals at "Astonishing" Rate?
January 30, 2012
Invasive Burmese pythons are likely behind "dramatic" declines of the swamp's mammals—from rabbits to bobcats—new research suggests.
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Near-Extinct Monkeys Found in Colombian Park
January 27, 2012
A new population of one of the world's rarest primates has been found in a Colombian park, conservationists announced today.
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Death Valley's Big Bang: Volcano "Potentially Active"
January 25, 2012
It may be barren, but California's Ubehebe Crater is anything but dead, according to a new study.
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Green Moves: Medellin Cable Cars, San Francisco Parking Reform
January 25, 2012
Two cities renowned for hilly terrain and cable cars share in international prize for sustainable transport.
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New-Species Pictures: Cowboy Frog, Armored Catfish Among Finds
January 25, 2012
A cowboy frog, eye-licking gecko, and "Crayola" katydid are among new and known species found in a Suriname rain forest.
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Scavenging for Charcoal Fuel in the Rubbish of Manila
January 25, 2012
The plight of charcoal scavengers in the Philippines capital underscores why the United Nations declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy For All.
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Pictures: "Extinct" Monkeys With Sideburns Found in Borneo
January 20, 2012
The Miller's grizzled langur, a rare monkey species with bristly sideburns, has been "rediscovered" in a forest in northeastern Borneo, a new study says.
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Pictures: America's "Lost" National Parks
January 20, 2012
See U.S. national parks that are no more, including the second national park, a Trump pleasure palace, and more.
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Second Try: LanzaTech Grabs Failed Biofuel Refinery in Georgia Pine
January 19, 2012
A new chapter begins in the effort to brew advanced biofuel in the “Million Pines City” of Soperton, Georgia, with a startup's purchase of a failed U.S. government-backed biorefinery.
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New Island Born—Future Tourism Hot Spot?
January 19, 2012
A volcano beneath the Red Sea has given Earth a New Year's gift: a new island off the coast of Yemen.
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How Diamond-Studded Magma Rises From Earth's Depths
January 19, 2012
New experiments show how molten material can carry gems scraped from Earth's depths to the surface without destroying the precious cargo.
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Pictures: Animals That Blocked Keystone XL Pipeline Path
January 19, 2012
The U.S. government's rejection of the Keystone XL project is a reprieve for the many species that reside along the proposed route, in Nebraska's Sandhills region.
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Rare Pictures: Scott's South Pole Expedition, 100 Years Later
January 17, 2012
A century after British explorer Robert Scott reached the South Pole, "incredibly rich," rarely seen pictures give an inside look at the ill-fated expedition.
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Shale Gas: A Boon That Could Stunt Alternatives, Study Says
January 17, 2012
Abundant shale gas could muscle dirty coal out of the U.S. energy picture, but the new resource could also inhibit even cleaner technologies, new economic modeling suggests.
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First Pictures: Live Snub-Nosed Monkeys Caught on Camera
January 13, 2012
For the first time, the rare Asian species—nicknamed "Snubby"—has been photographed alive in the wild, conservationists say.
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Sharks Eating Songbirds in Gulf of Mexico
January 13, 2012
Land birds disoriented by oil-rig lights are becoming food for tiger sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, a new study says.
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Injections Could Lift Venice 12 Inches, Study Suggests
January 12, 2012
Pumping billions of gallons of water under the sinking Italian city could save it from worsening floods as seas rise, a new study says.
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Pictures: Brainless, Faceless "Fish" Among Scottish Sea Finds
January 12, 2012
See a "fish" without a face, "dancing" feather stars, and huge mussels—all found during recent surveys of Scottish marine life.
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World's Smallest Frog Found—Fly-Size Beast Is Tiniest Vertebrate
January 11, 2012
No bigger than a housefly, the new species is the smallest known animal with a backbone, a new study says.
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U.S. National Parks Free for Martin Luther King Day Weekend
January 11, 2012
More than a hundred U.S. national parks and historic sites are waiving their entrance fees in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Pictures: Deepest Ocean Vents Swarm With Heat-Vision Shrimp?
January 11, 2012
The world's deepest volcanic ocean vents—three miles down in the Caribbean—swarm with shrimp that may have heat vision, experts say.
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Cajun Crayfish Invading Africa, Eating Native Species
January 9, 2012
A popular U.S. crayfish with a voracious appetite is wreaking havoc on African plants and animals, scientists say.
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"Virgin Birth" Record Broken by Hotel Shark
January 6, 2012
A zebra shark at the "world's most luxurious hotel" has experienced four straight years of reproductive success—no male required.
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Baby Harp Seals Being Drowned, Crushed Amid Melting Ice
January 6, 2012
As global warming melts Arctic sea ice, harp seal babies are dying in record numbers, the first study of its kind confirms.
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Fish Mimics Octopus That Mimics Fish
January 5, 2012
For the first time, a jawfish has been caught one-upping a marine master of disguise (with video).
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Nuclear-Resort Pictures: Come for the Reactor, Stay for the Beach
January 5, 2012
A new Philippine destination has something for everyone: beach, karaoke, wildlife—and a real nuclear power plant (uranium not included).
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"Lost World" of Odd Species Found Off Antarctica (Pictures)
January 4, 2012
Swarms of yeti crabs and a ghostly octopus are among the new species spotted near hydrothermal vents, a new study says.
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2012 Pictures: 6 Maya Apocalypse Myths Debunked
January 3, 2012
See six good reasons why the world (probably) won't end in the new year, despite supposed warnings in the Maya calendar.
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Moss Has Cloned Itself for 50,000 Years, Study Says
December 30, 2011
A Hawaiian moss is an ancient clone that may be one of the oldest multicellular organisms on Earth, a new study says.
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Pictures: New Horned Viper Found in "Secret" Spot
December 30, 2011
A big, "beautiful" snake with olive-green eyes has been discovered in a remote forest in Tanzania, scientists say.
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Why Tornadoes Take the Weekends Off in Summer
December 29, 2011
Tornadoes and hailstorms may be more active during the week due to human-made pollution, a new study shows.
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Pictures We Love: Best of December
December 29, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—a winter swimmer, burned Egyptian treasures, and more.
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"Rapier Wielding" Shark Among New Species Found in 2011
December 28, 2011
Four new shark species—including a "rapier wielding" sawshark—were discovered in 2011 by California Academy of Sciences researchers.
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Pictures: Most Hopeful Energy Developments of 2011
December 28, 2011
While 2011 was a year of nuclear disaster and grim prognostications regarding emissions and energy demand, several bright spots stood out as well, from strides in building efficiency to new green spaces.
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The Year’s Most Overlooked Energy Stories
December 27, 2011
As the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi took center stage, it was easy to miss many other important developments in the world of energy in 2011.
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Best Travel Pictures of 2011 Named
December 23, 2011
Playful wolves, an iceberg climber, and a curious beluga are highlights of the 2011 Travel Photographer of the Year competition.
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Pictures: Satellite Views of Canada’s Oil Sands Over Time
December 22, 2011
The evolution of Canada’s oil sands industry over three decades is visible from space, as newly released NASA satellite images show its growing mark by the Athabasca River.
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Pictures: Cars Capture Solar Energy in Chilean Desert
December 20, 2011
The need for a wide, flat surface to harvest sunlight gives an otherworldly look to solar cars racing the Atacama Desert of Chile.
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Planting Wind Energy on Farms May Help Crops, Say Researchers
December 19, 2011
Wind energy may do more than improve farm income. When sited in agricultural fields, turbines’ churning of air may help crops to grow, new research indicates.
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Japan Tsunami-Debris Cruise Attracts Travelers to Ocean Garbage Patch
December 15, 2011
Tourists can pay thousands to sail through a floating field of debris from the Japanese tsunami that could be the size of California.
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Smallest Frogs Found—Each Tinier Than an M&M
December 15, 2011
Two new species of frog—each smaller than an M&M—have been discovered in Papua New Guinea, a new study says.
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Heavy Rainfall Can Cause Huge Earthquakes
December 15, 2011
Heavy rainfall can trigger devastating earthquakes in what one scientist calls "disaster triggering disaster."
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Photos: "Elvis Monkey," Cloning Lizard Among New Mekong Species
December 14, 2011
Meet a monkey with a Presleyan pompadour, a cloning lizard found on a menu, and other new species recently found in the Mekong region.
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Power Quest: Brazil Works to Wipe "Blackout" From the Lexicon
December 13, 2011
Facing domestic dismay over electricity service and new global attention as a world sporting event host, Brazil seeks energy solutions for a diverse nation.
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Pictures: A River People Awaits an Amazon Dam
December 12, 2011
The Kayapo people, whose lives and culture are intertwined with the Xingu River, face change as a massive dam project moves forward in Brazil’s Amazon.
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Three-Foot "Shrimp" Had More Than 30,000 Lenses Per Eye?
December 12, 2011
The ancient superpredator may have had more than 30,000 lenses in each eye, granting the animal enhanced eyesight, a new study says.
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Bible Accounts Supported by Dead Sea Disaster Record?
December 8, 2011
New evidence suggests the salty lake once dried out completely—and might support biblical disaster accounts.
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Pictures: National Geographic's Top Ten Discoveries
December 7, 2011
To mark the National Geographic Society's 10,000th grant, Society experts have named Nat Geo's top grant projects since 1890.
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Pictures: "Scary" Volcano Erupts in Ecuador
December 7, 2011
Ecuador's "throat of fire" volcano is once again erupting in earnest—so close to people "it's scary," one expert says.
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Pictures: Prehistoric Whale "Graveyard" Found in Desert
December 6, 2011
In what's now Chilean desert, 20 whales died five million years ago. Experts are brushing away sands of time to find out why.
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Pictures: "Lost" Leopard—And Poachers—Seen in Afghanistan
December 6, 2011
Camera traps have revealed a leopard thought locally extinct in Afghanistan, along with other big predators—and a pair of poachers.
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Pictures: Eight Ski Resorts That Give Green Energy a Lift
December 6, 2011
Ski resorts around the world, keenly aware of the climate change threat, are seeking greener ways to power their slopes.
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"Ice Shield" Experiment Aims to Cool Mongolian City
December 6, 2011
Mongolia hopes to beat global warming by boosting river ice to lower temperatures—but some experts are skeptical.
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Beam It Down: A Drive to Launch Space-Based Solar
December 5, 2011
The first demonstration of long-awaited space-based solar power technology could come in the next decade, experts say. Likely early use: Disaster relief energy.
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Best News Pictures of 2011: Your Picks From Nat Geo News
December 2, 2011
Japan's tsunami aftermath, an Area 51 spy plane, and a huge crocodile feature among the most viewed Nat Geo News photo galleries of 2011.
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"Yeti" Crabs Farm Food on Own Claws—A First
December 2, 2011
The deep-sea crabs farm bacteria on their furry arms as the crustaceans' main sources of food, scientists have discovered.
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Pictures We Love: Best of November
December 1, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—a "flying" rhino, an up-close eruption, and more.
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Pictures: Top Energy Stories of 2011
December 1, 2011
It was a year of shattered faith in nuclear power, and in the West, eroding support for renewables. But the East's relentless growth shaped the world of energy in 2011.
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Pictures: 7 Volcanoes Erupting Right Now
November 30, 2011
If you've ever wanted to see a fire-breathing volcano in person, now might be the time—as shown in our new survey of accessible eruptions.
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Japan Quake Lifted Seabed 16 Stories—Largest Recorded
November 30, 2011
The devastating Japanese earthquake in March 2010 caused the largest slip ever recorded, according to a new study.
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2011 Among Hottest Years, Marked by Extreme Weather
November 30, 2011
This year also marked by extremes—including floods, droughts, and the hottest year on record for Texas—a new report says.
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"Ocean" Creatures That Evolved in Huge Lake Under Threat
November 29, 2011
Jellyfish, snails, and other creatures in Lake Tanganyika may be at risk due to overfishing, pollution, and more, conservationists say.
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Pictures: World's Largest Marine Reserve Announced
November 29, 2011
See the ocean wonders of the Coral Sea, where Australia plans to establish a marine park bigger than Germany and France combined.
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Chilean Wind Farm Faces Turbulence Over Whales
November 29, 2011
A wind farm project on the Chilean island of Chiloé raises concerns over risk to the endangered great blue whale.
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Ten Weirdest Life-forms of 2011: Editors' Picks
November 28, 2011
A cyclops shark, a demon bat, and an albino spider are among National Geographic News's picks for the year's weirdest new life-forms.
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World's Tallest Tower Rises in Tokyo
November 28, 2011
Set to open to visitors next year, Japan's Tokyo Sky Tree already has a lofty reputation. But how can it withstand seismic activity?
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Sex With Humans Made Neanderthals Extinct?
November 25, 2011
Fleeing advancing ice, Neanderthals increasingly encountered modern humans—and interbred to the point of extinction, a new study suggests.
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Pictures: Amazing Transportation Inventions
November 23, 2011
Jet packs, magnetic levitation, magic buses: Some amazing transportation ideas are truly fiction, while others could propel us in smart new ways.
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New Ocean Pictures: Best Shots of Imperiled Sea Life Named
November 22, 2011
A hooked shark, a tuna "tree," and plastic-filled waters feature among the winning frames in a 2011 marine-conservation photo contest.
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"Great Dying" Lasted 200,000 Years
November 21, 2011
Wildfires and disappearing oxygen helped kill off 90 percent of all life some 252 million years ago—and fast, a new study says.
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Giant, Dinosaur-Age Islands Found in Deep Sea?
November 18, 2011
Together the size of West Virginia, pieces of an ancient continent from dinosaur times may have been found underwater, scientists say.
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With U.S. Natural Gas Booming, a Move to Send It Overseas
November 17, 2011
Companies are making the first moves to parlay abundant U.S. natural gas into a global business, but many worry that U.S. consumers will be hurt.
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Photos: 65-Story Eruption Spurs Explosive New Adventure
November 16, 2011
New, 65-story lava fountains are a big draw in the Congo. But travel at your own risk, officials say—despite the armed guards.
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Hundreds of Orangutans Killed Annually for Meat
November 15, 2011
Hundreds of Bornean orangutans are hunted each year in Indonesia for food or to eliminate threats to crops, a new study says.
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Pictures: Twelve Car-Free City Zones
November 15, 2011
Cities around the world find that car-free zones can cut pollution, while restoring human bustle and leisurely gait as the prime locomotion of downtown.
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Pictures: Are These the Seven Wonders of Nature?
November 14, 2011
If the Grand Canyon and Mount Everest aren't among the "New 7 Wonders of Nature," what is? See—and judge—for yourself.
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Great Energy Challenge Grantees
November 11, 2011
Learn more about the energy-saving projects being funded as part of National Geographic's Great Energy Challenge program.
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With Record Heating Oil Prices Expected, Homes Dash to Gas
November 11, 2011
Natural gas abundance in the U.S. Northeast means it’s now far cheaper than oil for home heating. Residents are making the switch, but will prices stay low?
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Pictures: The Nuclear Cleanup Struggle at Fukushima
November 11, 2011
Radioactive decay, contaminated water, soil, and hot spots pose challenges for Japan eight months after the world's second-worst nuclear accident, at Fukushima.
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IEA Outlook: Time Running Out on Climate Change
November 9, 2011
The International Energy Agency’s new world outlook has a grim prognosis; the world has only five years to make changes needed to address climate change.
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Pictures: Animal Winners, Losers in Arctic Oil Fields
November 9, 2011
Some predators thrive, while their ground-nesting prey pay the price, in the Arctic landscape that has been reshaped by Alaska's Prudhoe Bay oil development.
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Entire Mammal Genus on Brink of Extinction
November 7, 2011
For the first time in 75 years, an entire genus of mammal may go the way of the dodo—unless a new sanctuary succeeds, conservationists say.
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New Volcano Pictures: "Monstrous" Eruption in the Congo
November 7, 2011
Africa's most active volcano rumbled to life Sunday, spewing lava toward chimp habitat and turning skies orange and red.
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Coyote-Wolf Hybrids Have Spread Across U.S. East
November 7, 2011
Coyotes with wolf DNA have been found in Virginia, confirming the hybrids’ spread through the mid-Atlantic, a new study says.
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Pictures: Best Wild Animal Photos of 2011 Announced
November 2, 2011
Sparring cocks and a curious fox feature in some of the year's best wild-animal pictures, according to the results of a U.K.-based contest.
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Nigeria’s Solar Projects Yield Both Failure and Success
November 2, 2011
Solar power offers hope to villages that lack electricity, but Nigeria’s experience shows that it won’t work without adequate investment and care.
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Where Did Fall Color Go? Predicting Foliage's Final Hideouts
November 2, 2011
Experts predict foliage's final hideouts—places where the Halloween blizzard was just a headline and the leaves blaze deep into November.
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Pictures We Love: Best of October
October 31, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—a lightning-filled eruption, a bubbly beluga, and more.
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KPMG Captures Heat for Data Center Cooling
October 28, 2011
An innovative combined heat and power system at KPMG’s international headquarters in New Jersey could be a model for cutting data center energy waste.
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New Shark-Fin Pictures Reveal Ocean "Strip Mining"
October 28, 2011
Pictures taken by the Pew Environment Group in Taiwan suggest that fishers are "strip mining" the oceans of sharks, conservationists say.
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7 Billion: Will Earth Really Hit Population Milestone Monday?
October 28, 2011
The seventh-billion person will be born on October 31, according to the UN—but how do they know?
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Javan Rhino Extinct in Mainland Asia
October 27, 2011
The Javan rhino is extinct in mainland Asia, leaving just one small population in Indonesia, conservationists announced this week.
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Pictures: Best Environmental Photos of 2011 Named
October 27, 2011
See whales, penguins, fire, and fighting hummingbirds in winning pictures of this year's Environmental Photographer of the Year contest.
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Giant "Amoebas" Found in Deepest Place on Earth
October 26, 2011
For the first time, huge single-celled creatures have been spotted in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of Earth's oceans.
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Human Waste to Revive Haitian Farmland?
October 26, 2011
A new type of public toilet is helping Haitians make fertilizer from human waste, which may someday revive the country's degraded soil.
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Two Rivers: The Chance to Export Power Divides Southeast Asia
October 25, 2011
To feed escalating energy demand in China and Thailand, neighboring Southeast Asian nations weigh massive hydroelectric projects that would alter vital rivers.
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Jaguar Pictures: Record Big-Cat Numbers Spotted in Bolivia
October 24, 2011
Camera traps recently helped conservationists identify 19 jaguars in a national park—a record number for a single survey in the country.
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Turkey Earthquake Pictures: Devastation on the Day After
October 24, 2011
With the earthquake death toll now around 300, workers are racing to find survivors and shelter thousands against the cold in Turkey.
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Seeking a Pacific Northwest Gateway for U.S. Coal
October 20, 2011
A leading green energy community is now at the center of a push to move U.S. coal to energy-hungry Asian markets.
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Pictures: Undersea Volcano Erupts, Stains Seas
October 19, 2011
Lava and gas spewing from an underwater volcano off Africa is churning the sea surface and turning the water weird colors.
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Seaweed's "Chemical Weapons" Killing Corals
October 17, 2011
Some seaweeds are waging "chemical warfare" on coral reefs in Fiji—and possibly around the world, a new study says.
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Better Road Building Paves Way for Energy Savings
October 17, 2011
Greener road construction not only saves energy, it can improve the fuel economy of the cars and trucks that roll on paved surfaces worldwide.
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Pictures: Baby Gorilla Rescued in Armed Sting Operation
October 14, 2011
After an armed, undercover operation freed him from a poacher's backpack, an orphan gorilla is beginning the long road to recovery.
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Flood Photos: Water Submerges Thai Towns, Temples, Elephants
October 14, 2011
Ancient Buddhist temples, whole streets, and even an elephant have been submerged by waters in the country's worst floods in half a century.
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New Zealand Oil Spill Pictures: Beaches, Birds Coated
October 11, 2011
See beaches and birds blackened with oil after a ship ran aground off New Zealand in the country's worst environmental disaster at sea.
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Kraken Sea Monster Account "Bizarre and Miraculous"
October 11, 2011
An artistic kraken—a giant squid-like sea monster—is said to be behind a fossil graveyard. Critics call the find "fun" but "implausible."
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Illinois Team Wins Oil Spill Cleanup X CHALLENGE
October 11, 2011
With a more than threefold improvement in oil spill cleanup technology, Team Elastec of Carmi, Illinois, captures the $1 million top prize in the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE.
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National Geographic 360º Energy Diet: Call for Participants
October 11, 2011
National Geographic 360º Energy Diet: Call for Participants
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Pictures: First Quadruple Rainbow Ever Caught on Camera
October 7, 2011
Rescued from the realms of theory and myth, triple and quadruple rainbows have been caught on camera for the first time.
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Armadillo Invasion: Warm-Weather Critters Expanding East
October 7, 2011
Long a denizen of the U.S. West, the adaptable, fast-breeding armadillo is expanding its range north and east, scientists say.
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Pictures: X PRIZE Contest Seeks a Better Oil Spill Cleanup Solution
October 6, 2011
Ten teams deployed new skimmer designs in the $1.4 million Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE. Will the contest yield better protection for shores and seas?
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What Created Earth's Oceans? Comet Offers New Clue
October 5, 2011
The group of comets that delivered water to early Earth likely came from Pluto's home, the Kuiper belt, a new study says.
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Little Ice Age Shrank Europeans, Sparked Wars
October 3, 2011
The Little Ice Age's coldest snap, around 1600, eventually sparked upheavals across the Northern Hemisphere, a new study says.
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Pictures We Love: Best of September
September 30, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month--a tool-using octopus, a giant typhoon wave, and more.
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Storage, Biofuel Lead $156 Million in Energy Research Grants
September 30, 2011
Seeking to push high-risk energy research, the U.S. government gives a boost to heat storage, rare earth metal, and biofuel technology projects.
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Shale Oil Boom Takes Hold on the Plains
September 28, 2011
Thanks to shale beneath the grasslands, the U.S. oil industry aims to boost production with the same "fracking" technique that has unlocked so much natural gas.
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Best Wildlife Pictures: British Nature Awards 2011
September 27, 2011
From a yawning fox to a glowing jellyfish, see judges' top picks for the 2011 British Wildlife Photography Awards.
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New Life-Forms Found at Bottom of Dead Sea
September 27, 2011
New life-forms have been found living in freshwater springs at the otherwise barren bottom of the Dead Sea, new research shows.
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Pictures: Solar Decathlon Students Race to Renew Home Energy
September 26, 2011
Twenty college teams are competing in the U.S. government’s fifth Solar Decathlon contest to design and build affordable, appealing, and livable homes that run on energy from the sun.
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Cow Manure, Other Homegrown Energy Powering U.S. Farms
September 23, 2011
From wind to sun to cow pies, rural regions are supplying more U.S. farmers with homegrown sources of renewable energy.
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Hot New High-Tech Energy Source Is ... Wood?
September 23, 2011
Burning wood may seem backward, dirty, and environmentally hostile. But advanced power plants may hold great potential to save energy, cut costs, and even fight global warming.
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Global Warming Silver Lining? Arctic Could Get Cleaner
September 23, 2011
There's a bright side to global warming, at least in the Arctic—the changing climate could improve air quality, a new study shows.
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Smarter Trucking Saves Fuel Over the Long Haul
September 23, 2011
As truck fleets and policy makers aim to curb big rig fuel consumption, the secret weapon is driver behavior.
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Squid Males "Bisexual"—Evolved Shot-in-the-Dark Mating Strategy
September 20, 2011
In the dark ocean depths, male squid looking for "love" will mate with other males just as much as with females, a new study says.
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Sharks' Virus Killer Could Cure Humans, Study Suggests
September 19, 2011
Sharks carry a "remarkable" substance that stops viruses—a discovery that may lead to new antivirals for humans, a new study says.
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Pictures: Meowing Night Frog, Other New Species Found
September 16, 2011
Twelve new species of night frogs—plus three "lost" species—have been discovered in western India, a new study says.
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Giant Prehistoric Croc Found Near World's Biggest Snake
September 16, 2011
A fish-eating crocodile relative may have battled the world's largest snake in what's now Colombia, a new study suggests.
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New Dolphin Species Discovered in Big City Harbor
September 16, 2011
An entirely new species of dolphin has been discovered in the shadows of Australian skyscrapers, scientists say.
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Pictures: The NFL Makes a Play for Renewable Energy
September 15, 2011
New green energy installations are unveiled at two NFL stadiums this month, but the effort also highlights the renewable industry’s difficulties.
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Smart Meters Take Bite Out of Electricity Theft
September 13, 2011
Electricity theft is not only dangerous, but it weakens power delivery systems around the world. Combating the problem takes technology and determination.
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Trading Oil for Natural Gas in the Truck Lane
September 2, 2011
Some U.S. companies are finding that the cost of switching to vehicles that run on alternative fuels is worth it over the long haul.
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New Shark Species Found in Food Market
September 1, 2011
Trolling a Taiwan fish market for data, fish scientists reeled in a surprising catch—a deepwater shark unknown to science.
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Pictures We Love: Best of August
September 1, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—an invisible man, sardine "storm," Swiss daredevil, and more.
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Largest U.S. Dam Removal to Restore Salmon Runs
August 31, 2011
The deconstruction of two obsolete dams in the U.S. Pacific Northwest will benefit more than a hundred species, experts say.
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First New U.S. Bird Species in Decades—Already Extinct?
August 30, 2011
A new bird species has been found in the U.S. for the first time in decades—but the species may have already flown the coop for good.
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Why Irene Was More Dangerous Than It Should Have Been
August 29, 2011
Despite unexpectedly low damage assessments, the hurricane was bigger and longer lasting than it had any right to be, experts say.
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Pictures: The Energy Drain of Recreational Drugs
August 29, 2011
Marijuana, cocaine and other controlled substances have a potent effect--not just on the human brain, but on the world's natural resources.
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Hurricane Irene Pictures: Flooding, Damage in New York, Beyond
August 28, 2011
In the wake of Irene, New York, Virginia Beach, and other U.S. East Coast cities recover amid flooding and the debris of damaged homes.
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Hurricane Irene Pictures: Storm Lashes U.S. East Coast
August 27, 2011
<span>See the damage already wrought by the storm, and find out how other U.S. East Coast areas are preparing for the oncoming tempest.</span><span> </span>
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Hurricane Irene Hits North Carolina; New York Braces for Storm
August 27, 2011
As the hurricane slams the Carolina coast with high winds and flooding, New Yorkers prepare for the storm's arrival Sunday morning.
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Hurricane Irene to Cause One of Largest Power Outages?
August 26, 2011
Hurricane Irene could plunge much of the U.S. East Coast into one of the largest power outages ever caused by a storm, experts say.
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Hurricane Irene "Looking Bad" for U.S.—Moon May Make It Worse
August 25, 2011
Expected to hit the U.S. as a major hurricane, Irene seems headed for potentially unprepared towns—and the moon could make it even worse.
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Innu Nation Deal Trades Reparation for River Power
August 24, 2011
A deal to build new hydroelectric plants in Labrador includes redress for a native tribe that lost its land to a dam 40 years ago.
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Rare Earthquake Hits Virginia, Rattles U.S. East Coast
August 23, 2011
The magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck Virginia today was a rare but significant event for the region, an expert says.
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86 Percent of Earth's Species Still Unknown?
August 23, 2011
Even after centuries of effort, some 86 percent of Earth's 8.7 million species have yet to be fully described, a new study says.
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Hurricane Irene Headed for U.S. East Coast
August 23, 2011
A strengthening Hurricane Irene could make landfall on the North Carolina coast this weekend as a major hurricane, experts say.
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Is Canadian Oil Bound for China Via Pipeline to Texas?
August 19, 2011
In a global economy, sending more Canadian oil to Texas could be a modern silk route, a "Tar Sands Road" to China, economist says.
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Pictures: Huge Dust Storm Swallows Phoenix
August 19, 2011
See the dust fly as the Phoenix area gets hit by its third major dust storm, or haboob, since early July.
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A Quest to Clean Up Canada's Oil Sands Carbon
August 18, 2011
The first large-scale effort to capture carbon dioxide emissions in the Canadian oil sands is moving closer to reality, but costs are high.
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Human Feces Bacteria Jumped to Coral, Caused Die-off
August 18, 2011
A coral die-off suggests seas are becoming warmer and more polluted, making the ocean more susceptible to human pathogens, a new study says.
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Pictures: Best Marine Park? Booming Fish Leap and Swarm
August 15, 2011
From leaping rays to lazy sea lions—the "extraordinary recovery" in a Mexican marine reserve makes it Earth's most robust, experts say.
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Seeking a Safer Future for Electricity's Coal Ash Waste
August 15, 2011
New ideas are emerging for recycling fly ash. The question is how to encourage them, while protecting people and ecosystems from the hazards of one of society's largest waste streams.
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Small Squid Have Bigger Sperm—And Their Own Sex Position
August 12, 2011
"Sneaker" males' sperm has evolved for a second female reproductive reservoir, reserved just for them, a new study says.
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Texas and Antarctica Were Attached, Rocks Hint
August 12, 2011
About 1.1 billion years ago, what are now El Paso, Texas, and Antarctica appear to have existed side by side, scientists say.
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"Sea Monster" Fetus Found—Proof Plesiosaurs Had Live Young?
August 11, 2011
Like most mammals, giant, dinosaur-era marine reptiles gave birth to live young, a new fossil study hints. But did the monsters mother?
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Out of Thin Air: The Quest to Capture Carbon Dioxide
August 11, 2011
A new report casts doubt on the viability of carbon dioxide "air capture," but entrepreneurial scientists are moving forward with technology to scrub the atmosphere.
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Carbon Recycling: Mining the Air for Fuel
August 10, 2011
We recycle bottles, cans, and newspapers—why not carbon dioxide? Start-up companies and researchers are working on technology to put carbon right back into gas tanks.
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Pictures: Mount Etna Eruptions Light the Italian Night
August 9, 2011
It's proving to be an active year for the Sicilian volcano, with a new spate of eruptions unleashing 75-story flames in recent weeks.
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Major Deep-Sea Smokers Found—"Evolution in Overdrive"
August 8, 2011
A hotbed of "evolution in overdrive" the newfound volcanic vent field, which teems with odd animals, is a North Atlantic first.
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Could Seawater Solve the Freshwater Crisis?
August 5, 2011
To make much needed fresh water, just de-salt saltwater? Experts weigh in on what needs to be done to make it as easy as it sounds
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Philips Wins L Prize, but the Race Is Still on for a Better Bulb
August 3, 2011
Philips captures the U.S. government's $10 million L Prize for its LED replacement for the 60-watt bulb, but efficient lighting must still win consumers' hearts.
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Japan Earthquake Vibrations Nearly Reached Space
August 3, 2011
The Japan earthquake and tsunami were so strong that their vibrations made it to Earth's upper atmosphere, a new study says.
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Parasite Creating Deformed Frogs in Western U.S.
August 3, 2011
Amphibians with "sick and twisted" deformities remain widespread in the U.S. West, and pollution may be making it worse, new research says.
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Pictures: In Search of Green Air-Conditioning
August 3, 2011
Air-conditioning has transformed summer living, but at tremendous energy cost. Ideas for greener cooling focus on making better use of the forces of nature.
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As Sun Storms Ramp Up, Electric Grid Braces for Impact
August 3, 2011
With the sun nearing the high point in its 11-year activity cycle, grid operators are seeking to protect a vulnerable power-delivery system.
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Pictures We Love: Best of July
July 28, 2011
Slimy seas, stormy skies, a bull's ear—National Geographic photo editors eye the month's best new pictures and find ten favorites.
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Bats Drawn to Plant via "Echo Beacon"
July 28, 2011
A Cuban plant that depends on bat pollination evolved a special leaf that acts as an "amp" for bats' sonar, new research says.
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Gulf Spill's Effects Unknown For Years?
July 26, 2011
More than a year after the Deepwater Horizon spill, scientists say it could take a decade to figure out how the oil affected the Gulf of Mexico's environment.
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Photos: Thick Green Algae Chokes Beach—Swimmers Dive In
July 25, 2011
Mats of bright green algae have again coated miles of shoreline in eastern China—and locals act like it's a day at the beach.
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Heat Wave Due to "Exceptionally Strong" Air Mass
July 22, 2011
A stubborn high-pressure system is causing sweltering temperatures in much of the U.S—and there's no relief in sight, experts say.
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"Extinct" Toad Thrives in Lab
July 22, 2011
A tiny Tanzanian toad that all but disappeared after a dam reduced its waterfall habitat is being bred successfully in Syracuse, New York. Video.
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India Maps Out a Nuclear Power Future, Amid Opposition
July 22, 2011
India’s government sees nuclear power as essential for meeting its growing energy needs, but public mistrust runs deep.
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Longest Polar Bear Swim Recorded—426 Miles Straight
July 20, 2011
A polar bear has swam a record nine days straight, covering the distance between Washington, D.C., and Boston, a new study says.
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Pictures—Ten Oldest U.S. Nuclear Plants: Post-Japan Risks
July 19, 2011
As U.S. authorities weigh a safety overhaul, here’s a look at the risks unearthed at post-Fukushima inspections of the ten oldest U.S. nuclear reactors.
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War Game Exposes Grim Reality: Few Oil Crisis Options
July 14, 2011
Former U.S. government officials struggle to game out solutions in a mock oil crisis with its roots in today’s headlines.
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Giant Undersea Volcanoes Found Off Antarctica
July 14, 2011
Large undersea volcanoes off Antarctica—some Mount Fuji-size—were recently discovered via sonar, scientists say.
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To Curb Driving, Cities Cut Down on Car Parking
July 13, 2011
Despite downtown business fears, some urban centers embrace “mini-parks.”
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New Pit Viper Found—One of World's Smallest
July 13, 2011
Dubbed a "surprise gift" by scientists, a new snake species found in China is one of the littlest pit vipers in the world.
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Photos: 4 Natural Wonders Added to World Heritage List
July 11, 2011
It's not hard to see why these sites were added this year to the UN's list of global natural treasures. Plus: sites on the rebound—and the decline.
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Energy-Short Japan Eyes Renewable Future, Savings Now
July 7, 2011
The tsunami's damage and political fallout leave Japan striving to save power this summer as it charts a new energy course.
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Earth Has "Spare Tire"—And Ice Melt's Keeping It That Way
July 6, 2011
Our oblong planet's waistline bulge has stopped slimming, thanks to massive ice melt, according to new research.
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Pictures We Love: Best of June
June 30, 2011
So good we had to share—ten new images that gripped Nat Geo photo editors: "supertrees," an upside-down horse, a surfer on ice, and more.
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"Exceptional" Giant Squid Found Dying off Florida
June 30, 2011
A stirring, intact giant squid gave a fishing party a shock this week—and could give researchers new insights, scientists say.
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Pictures: Six New Natural Landmarks Named
June 28, 2011
Dinosaur footprints and a "hanging lake" are now preserved as part of six new U.S. National Natural Landmarks.
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Pictures: "Pancake" Sea Slug Among New Philippines Species
June 28, 2011
An "inflatable" shark and colorful sea slugs join hundreds of new species hauled up during a recent expedition to the Philippines.
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Hold the Champagne: Highway to Split Serengeti After All?
June 28, 2011
Were the hopeful headlines—"Serengeti Highway Canned: Victory for Animals!"—premature? Wildlife is still at risk, some experts say.
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Hybrid Cuban-American Crocodiles on the Rise
June 24, 2011
There's a new Cuban crisis—the island country's rare crocodile is being bred out of existence by its American cousin, a new study says.
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How Gulf Spill Estimates Got It So Wrong
June 23, 2011
How much oil spilled into the Gulf last year? An engineer explains how he caused estimates to rise sharply practically overnight. Video.
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A Rain Forest Advocate Taps the Energy of the Sugar Palm
June 22, 2011
Scientist Willie Smits says it's possible to provide opportunity for villages and protect tropical forests while producing biofuel—if you use the right tree.
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Pictures: Volcano Ash Smothers Lake, Buildings, Sheep
June 21, 2011
Ash from Chile's Puyehue volcano has fallen a foot deep in parts of Patagonia, choking rivers and streams and coating livestock.
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Summer Solstice 2011: Why It's the First Day of Summer
June 21, 2011
Find out why the summer solstice is the first day of summer, and why it's the longest day of the year—but not the hottest.
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Pictures: Volcano Supercharges Sunsets Far and Wide
June 17, 2011
See the silver linings of the ash clouds spewing from Chile's Puyehue volcano: fiery sunsets as far away as New Zealand.
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Arabian "Unicorn" Leaps Out of Near Extinction
June 17, 2011
The legendary Arabian oryx is alive and well in the deserts of the Middle East, conservationists say.
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Sawfish Snout Has Sixth Sense, Splits Prey in Half
June 15, 2011
Sawfish use a sixth sense based in their snouts to hunt and dismember their prey, new research shows for the first time.
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Penguins Do the Wave to Keep Warm
June 15, 2011
New video of huddling penguins shows the birds do the wave—not to show team spirit but to give each a turn in the toasty center. Video.
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Arizona Fire Threatens Hundreds of Ancient Sites
June 14, 2011
Arizona's giant Wallow Fire could scorch hundreds of archaeological sites—some dating back to the time of Christ—experts say.
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Google Creates $280 Million Fund to Finance Solar Energy
June 14, 2011
Search giant Google creates the largest fund ever to finance solar energy in the United States, hoping to break down the cost barrier to cleaner electricity.
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Pictures: Biggest Whale Shark "Swarm" Found
June 13, 2011
The biggest gathering of the world's biggest fish—the whale shark—occurred in 2009 off Mexico, a new study says.
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Pictures: Nat Geo Picks of the Week
June 10, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the week, including a cross-eyed opossum, an epic ashfall, and more.
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Warming to Blame for Water Crisis in U.S. West?
June 9, 2011
Heat trumps precipitation in shrinking Rockies snowpack—a primary water source for 70 million Americans—a new study says.
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Rare Video: Japan Tsunami
June 8, 2011
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami left more than 28,000 dead or missing. See incredible footage of the tsunami swamping cities and turning buildings into rubble. Video.
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Pictures: At Five Years Old, BTC Pipeline Moves Oil, Culture
June 8, 2011
Landlocked Azerbaijan forged a powerful connection to the West five years ago when its oil began flowing to Turkey through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.
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Arizona Wildfire Pictures: Blaze Advancing on Towns
June 8, 2011
The second largest wildfire in Arizona's history has charred hundreds of miles of forest and forced more than 3,500 people from their homes.
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Coelacanths Can Live Past 100, Don't Show Age?
June 7, 2011
An ancient lineage of fish also have long life-spans, a new study suggests.
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Bike-Share Schemes Shift Into High Gear
June 7, 2011
Although they sometimes face an uphill climb to break even, bike-sharing programs glide into cities around the world.
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Pictures: Chile Volcano Plume Explodes With Lightning
June 6, 2011
Spewing an apocalyptic, lightning-strewn plume this weekend, Chile's Puyehue volcano burst back to life after a decades-long slumber.
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Pictures: Ten Best U.S. Beaches of 2011 Named
June 3, 2011
From a bird lover's paradise to the whitest sands in the world—see the best shores of 2011 as chosen by a coastal scientist.
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Millions Fewer Girls Born Due to Nuclear Radiation?
June 2, 2011
Due to nuclear tests and disasters, millions fewer females may have been born than would otherwise be expected, a new study suggests.
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Solar Eclipse Pictures: See Last Night's Midnight Madness
June 2, 2011
A solar eclipse at night? See the rare sky show enjoyed by high-north stargazers last night.
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Is Motor Oil a Renewable Resource? Re-refiners Say Yes
June 1, 2011
Green motor oil technologies can save energy—either by recycling engine lubricants or supercharging them to improve fuel efficiency.
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Photos: Shape-Shifting Cuttlefish Can Mimic Pictures
June 1, 2011
Cuttlefish use visual cues to rearrange their bodies for maximum camouflage, a new study confirms.
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Female Fish Develop "Testes" in Gulf Dead Zone
May 31, 2011
Deprived of oxygen in the polluted Gulf of Mexico, female fish are producing sterile testes, scientists say.
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3-Foot "Shrimp" Discovered—Dominated Prehistoric Seas
May 27, 2011
By far the largest ever found of its kind, the spiny fossil predator "would have made enough scampi to feed an army," one expert quipped.
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800-Mile-Wide Hot Anomaly Found Under Seafloor Near Hawaii
May 26, 2011
Hawaii's traditional birth story—that the volcanic islands were fueled directly by Earth's core—could be toast, a new study hints.
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Driving the Limit: Wealthy Nations Maxed Out on Travel?
May 25, 2011
In the world’s wealthiest nations, there are signs that oil consumption for travel may have hit a brick wall.
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Biggest Floods in History—Does Mississippi Make the List?
May 24, 2011
The Mississippi River floods are just drops in the bucket compared to known "megafloods" of the past two million years, experts say.
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Joplin, Missouri, Tornado Pictures: "WWII" Devastation
May 23, 2011
See the aftermath of tornado that killed at least 116 people and left Joplin, Missouri, in ruins Sunday.
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Joplin, Missouri, Tornado Strong but Not Surprising?
May 23, 2011
Part of a spate of deadly spring tornadoes, Sunday's Joplin twister isn't evidence that tornadoes are worsening, one expert says.
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Pictures: Iceland Volcano Spews Ash, Sparks Lightning
May 23, 2011
A 12-mile-high ash cloud rising from an Iceland volcano is creating a spectacle but isn't expected to widely disable European air traffic.
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As Jet Fuel Prices Soar, a Green Option Nears the Runway
May 20, 2011
The most eagerly anticipated biofuel for commercial flight could be certified this summer, offering hope for aviation to cut its petroleum dependence.
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Big Hurricane Season Predicted—Has U.S. Run Out of Luck?
May 19, 2011
Up to six major hurricanes could form in the Atlantic—and the U.S. may not be as lucky this year, forecasters say.
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Japan Earthquake Shifted Seafloor by 79 Feet
May 19, 2011
For the first time, scientists have directly measured how an earthquake moves land underwater.
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Species Extinctions Overestimated by 160 Percent?
May 18, 2011
Dire predictions of mass animal and plant die-offs may be overblown, but extinctions are still a critical problem, a new analysis suggests.
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Climate Scientist Fears His "Wedges" Made It Seem Too Easy
May 17, 2011
The co-creator of the widely cited "wedges" approach to a climate change solution now thinks he made the job seem too easy.
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As Vehicle Efficiency Evolves, So Do Fuel Taxes
May 12, 2011
The shift toward better fuel economy is causing governments around the world to reconsider long-standing systems for taxing road travel.
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Spain Earthquake Pictures: Buildings Fall, Dozens Hurt
May 11, 2011
Two earthquakes in Spain killed at least ten, damaged historic buildings, and fractured highways Wednesday afternoon.
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Blind, Legless Lizard Discovered—New Species
May 11, 2011
The blind, six-inch-long reptile is the first of its kind discovered in Cambodia, conservationists report.
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Mississippi Flood Flushes Snakes, Deer Into Neighborhoods
May 11, 2011
The current Mississippi floods are flushing wild animals out of their natural habitats—and into homes and neighborhoods, officials report.
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Mount St. Helens Erupts Again—This Time in 3-D
May 10, 2011
Never mind Thor—the biggest 3-D spectacle for volcano experts this week is the first accurate simulation of the 1980 mega-eruption.
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Methane on Tap: Study Links Pollution to Gas Drilling
May 9, 2011
Natural gas can migrate into drinking water as far as one kilometer from a drilling site, researchers find.
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Whales Throng New York City Area, Surprising Scientists
May 6, 2011
A lot of big whales have a taste for the Big Apple area—including the largest animal on Earth—underwater recordings suggest.
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Volcano Pictures: "Throat of Fire" Erupts
May 4, 2011
Active for years, Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano—''throat of fire'' in a local language—exploded especially violently Friday.
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Pictures: Sinkhole Opens in Beijing Road, Swallows Truck
May 3, 2011
A sinkhole big enough to swallow a truck recently opened up in a Beijing road, possibly due to subway construction, news reports say.
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While Energy Policy Falters, Plastic Bag Laws Multiply
May 3, 2011
Although the industry debates environmental and energy benefits, bans and taxes to reduce plastic bag use have swept the world.
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Giant Squid Killed by Sound?
May 3, 2011
When giant squid died in Spain, experts suspected sonar was to blame—a hunch supported by a new study that says sound harms cephalopods.
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Record Cave Dive Leaves Mystery
May 3, 2011
Even after a record dive in what may be the world's deepest coldwater cave, explorers still hunt for the source of a New Zealand river.
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While BP Eyes Return to the Gulf, Safeguards Debated
April 29, 2011
The U.S. government is issuing new deepwater drilling permits, ending a moratorium imposed after the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, even as it acknowledges the need for more changes to safety standards.
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Pictures: Cool Cars Designed by Students to Sip Fuel
April 29, 2011
Using everything from solar panels to plastic, students cobbled together some amazing, odd, super-high-mileage vehicles for the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Houston. The grand-prize entry achieved 2,565 mpg.
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Monster Alabama Tornado Spawned by Rare "Perfect Storm"
April 28, 2011
The monster tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Wednesday was spawned by unusual "perfect storm" conditions, experts say.
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Alabama Tornado Pictures: Mile-Wide "Monster" Slams Towns
April 28, 2011
Vast, violent tornadoes obliterated whole blocks in Alabama Wednesday during possibly one of the most devastating U.S. tornado outbreaks.
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Pictures: "Liquidators" Endured Chernobyl, 25 Years Ago
April 26, 2011
Robots couldn’t handle the intense radiation at Chernobyl, so the dangerous nuclear cleanup job fell to the "liquidators"—a corps of soldiers, firefighters, miners, and volunteers.
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Marijuana Trade Threatens African Gorilla Refuge
April 26, 2011
Forests in Africa's Virunga National Park are literally going to pot—sparking renewed conflicts between rangers and rebels.
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Pictures: Animals Inherit Mixed Legacy at Chernobyl
April 25, 2011
A quarter-century after the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl, the surrounding evacuated area has seen a resurgence of wildlife, but some species have weathered the disaster significantly better than others.
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Earth Day: Conservationist or Communist? Behind Google's Doodle
April 22, 2011
This year a billion people are expected to mark Earth Day, which some detractors see as an anti-capitalist campaign. Get the facts.
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Pictures: Building the Perfect Solar Car
April 22, 2011
On their journey to building a prize-winning solar prototype vehicle, a team of Drexel University students gained practical engineering experience, and had fun.
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Earth Day Pictures: 20 Stunning Shots of Earth From Space
April 22, 2011
Auroras, glaciers, and gullies feature among the most stunning pictures of Earth from space, chosen by National Geographic photo editors for Earth Day.
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Scientists "See" Ocean Floor via Sonar
April 21, 2011
Cameras and sonar technology are helping experts create a new map of the little-known seafloor near the U.S. Virgin Islands. Video.
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China's Electric Car Drive: Impressive, But Not Enough
April 20, 2011
China's electric vehicle program is the world's most ambitious, but a new World Bank report raises questions on sustainability.
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The Next Prospects: Four Offshore Drilling Frontiers
April 20, 2011
The BP spill did nothing to halt the growth of oil demand or the drive for new resources. Here are four offshore frontiers where oil rigs are heading next.
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A Year After the Spill, "Unusual" Rise in Health Problems
April 20, 2011
Health issues that continue to plague Gulf Coast communities may be connected to the Gulf oil spill, experts say.
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Migrating Birds Escaped Worst of Gulf Oil Spill
April 20, 2011
Though predictions of mass bird die-offs in the Gulf never materialized, crude is still oozing into some bird habitats, experts say.
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Why Did Huge Oil Plumes Form After the Gulf Spill?
April 20, 2011
Scientists may have figured out how huge plumes of Gulf oil spread underwater instead of rising to the surface as slicks.
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Drexel Students Take On the Solar Car Challenge
April 19, 2011
Drexel University students knew that solar energy would increase the costs and risks of their bid for a fuel-efficient car design prize. They decided to go for it.
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Odd Animal Deaths, Deformities Linked to Gulf Oil Spill?
April 19, 2011
Strangely deformed fish and a rise in deaths of marine animals may be related to the Gulf oil spill, scientists say.
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Gulf Oil Spill Surprises: 6 Things Experts Got Wrong
April 19, 2011
The Gulf oil spill delivered plenty of surprises—here's a look at some of the predictions experts got wrong.
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Gulf Oil Spill Mystery: Is Oil on the Seafloor?
April 19, 2011
A year after the Gulf oil spill, experts are finding conflicting data on whether crude coats the bottom.
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Gulf Oil Spill Anniversary: Resilience Amid Unknowns
April 19, 2011
On the first anniversary, experts note signs of recovery—but say it's too early to know the true damage.
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Gulf Spill Photos: 9 Animal Victims—Plus 2 Survivors
April 19, 2011
From the pancake batfish to the manatee—see what what's happening to animals in the Gulf a year later.
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Gulf Oil Spill Pictures: Oiled Beaches Time Line
April 19, 2011
See the evolution of Florida and Alabama beaches blackened by the Gulf oil spill, from the first oiling to a spring-break-ready shore.
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Pictures: Four New Offshore Drilling Frontiers
April 19, 2011
With new technology, oil companies have exteneded the reach of their operations off the coastline and into deepwater. See four of the offshore frontiers that may be supplying tomorrow’s oil.
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Pictures: 20 Surprising Species of the Past 20 Years
April 18, 2011
From the "Yoda bat" to a "walking" shark—see 20 new and rare species spotted during two decades of "ecological SWAT team" expeditions.
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Some Arctic Coasts Eroding by a Hundred Feet a Year
April 18, 2011
Arctic permafrost is collapsing into the sea by as much as a hundred feet a year in some places, new studies say.
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Pictures: Racing to the Finish at Shell Eco-Marathon
April 18, 2011
At the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Houston, teamwork and imagination combine to create super high-mileage vehicles.
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Breaking 2,500 mpg, Canadian Team Wins High-Efficiency Race
April 18, 2011
Québec’s Université Laval and Louisiana Tech University take the top prizes in the Shell Eco-marathon.
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Gulf Oil Spill Anniversary: Hard-Hit Beaches Mostly Oil-Free
April 14, 2011
Florida and Alabama beaches hardest hit by the Gulf oil spill are largely clean a year later—though the oil's not all gone, scientists say.
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BP Well to Stay Sealed After Gulf Spill, Experts Predict
April 14, 2011
Although the same cannot be said of all abandoned oil wells in the Gulf, experts believe BP’s Macondo well is sealed for good
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Eyes Made of Rock Really Can See, Study Says
April 14, 2011
Sea creatures called chitons can use beadlike structures made of rock to distinguish shapes of approaching predators, a new study says.
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Maya Mystery Solved by "Important" Volcanic Discovery?
April 13, 2011
Even at Maya sites far from volcanoes, ash fell frequently, an "important" find that could explain some cities' survival, experts say.
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Yellowstone's Volcanic Plume Even Bigger Than Thought
April 13, 2011
The plume of hot rock feeding Yellowstone's supervolcano is larger than thought, according to a new study of the plume's electric properties.
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Is Armenia's Nuclear Plant the World's Most Dangerous?
April 12, 2011
Japan's earthquake-triggered crisis has focused attention on the seismic risk to Armenia's aging Soviet-style nuclear plant.
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Penguin Numbers Plummeting—Whales Partly to Blame?
April 11, 2011
Penguin populations are plunging due to a shortage of krill driven by shrinking sea ice and a boom in hungry whales, a new study says.
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Volcano Pictures: First Descent Into a Magma Chamber
April 7, 2011
For the first time, scientists have descended into a volcano's magma chamber—rappelling 45 stories into Iceland's Thrihnukagigur.
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Pictures: High School 'ShopGirls' Design for the Prize
April 7, 2011
An all-girls team of high school students from Granite Falls, Washington is building a car to compete in the Shell Eco-marathon.
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All-Girls Team Seeks Record in High-Mileage Marathon
April 6, 2011
Aiming to break stereotypes and records, the first all-girls team in the Shell Eco-Marathon seeks a repeat victory that will set a new U.S. mark in fuel efficiency.
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Oil-Eating Bacteria Engineered
April 5, 2011
Scientists are experimenting with "green" microbes in the lab that could someday be used to gobble up oil spills along coastlines without damaging the environment.
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Pictures: Oil-Reliant Islands Seek Green Energy Restart
April 5, 2011
The world’s islands rely heavily on pricey, polluting diesel oil for electricity. But now some are turning to native resources of sun, water, breeze, and hot underground rock for energy.
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Alien Wasps Abduct, Drop Ants to Get Food
April 5, 2011
When competing for food with an ant swarm, a wasp will pluck an ant from the pile, fly away, and drop the insect, a new study says.
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Radiation in Japan Seas: Risk of Animal Death, Mutation?
April 1, 2011
Radiation in Japan Seas: Animal Death, Mutation Risk?If radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant continues to enter the ocean, animals could suffer "bizarre mutations" or worse.
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Substance to Stop Oil From Sticking to Birds?
March 31, 2011
Scientists are perfecting a naturally based substance that will act like a laundry detergent in oil spills to prevent the oil from sticking to bird feathers. The substance is currently in the testing phase, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.
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Pictures: Earthquake Hazard in Nuclear Power's Top Ten Nations
March 29, 2011
Among the ten nations that produce the most nuclear power, Japan is not alone in facing an earthquake hazard.
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Earth Getting Mysteriously Windier
March 28, 2011
The world has gotten stormier over the past two decades—but the reason is a mystery, a new study says.
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Earth Hour Pictures: Before and After, Around the World
March 28, 2011
See what it looked like Saturday night when hundreds of landmarks went dark—and cities went darkish—in the name of energy conservation.
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Earth Hour 2011: When Is It? What's the Point?
March 25, 2011
Saturday night millions will turn out the lights for Earth Hour, but critics say it's not such a bright idea.
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Pictures: Rare Penguins Blackened by Remote Oil Spill
March 25, 2011
A cargo ship crash has oiled hundreds of rare penguins on a remote Atlantic island—a ''grave environmental disaster,'' experts say.
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New Tsunami Pictures: Head-on View of Approaching Wave
March 24, 2011
Newly released before-and-after pictures show what it was like to be face-to-face with the tsunami.
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Pictures - A Rare Look Inside Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
March 23, 2011
Photographs from inside the Fukushima Daiichi power plant show workers as they struggle, amid peril, to stabilize the damaged reactors.
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Scientists to Drill Earth's Mantle, Retrieve First Sample?
March 23, 2011
Scientists aim to drill Earth's mantle and get samples for the first time—a feat as important, and hard, as the Apollo program, they say.
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Would a New Nuclear Plant Fare Better Than Fukushima?
March 23, 2011
Only four of the 65 nuclear plants under construction worldwide are designs with integrated “passive safety” systems that could stave off overheating when power is lost.
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First North Pole Ozone Hole Forming?
March 22, 2011
"Beautiful" clouds and cold temps are destroying protective Arctic ozone—and people as far south as New York could get burned, experts say.
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Photos: Preserving Beauty, Providing Hydropower in Scotland
March 21, 2011
Scotland harnessed power from water in the Highlands 60 years ago, amid conflicts that echo with relevance for a world still struggling to find clean and safe energy.
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First Day of Spring: Myths, Facts, and Equinox Science
March 21, 2011
Were day and night equally long on Sunday, the 2011 vernal equinox (or spring equinox)? Get the answer—and other first-day-of-spring facts and oddities.
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Fish "Walks" on Beach to Spawn
March 18, 2011
Every spring on California's beaches, thousands of tiny fish come ashore to lay their eggs—though their sandy habitat is in decline, experts say.
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Japan Reactor Crisis: Satellite Pictures Reveal Damage
March 18, 2011
New and old satellite pictures reveal just how much damage Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has sustained.
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Is Japan Reactor Crew Exposed to Fatal Radiation?
March 17, 2011
What kind of radiation are workers at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant—and everyday people—facing? What exactly is radiation sickness?
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How Is Japan's Nuclear Disaster Different?
March 16, 2011
Learn how the ongoing crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant compares to previous disasters at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
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Japan Tsunami, Before & After: Zoomable Satellite Images
March 15, 2011
See satellite zoom pictures of Japan before and after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake spawned a deadly tsunami.
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Oiled Gulf Beaches During & After: Zoomable Maps
March 15, 2011
Use our zoomable maps to see which Gulf of Mexico beaches were oiled during the spill—and how they're faring now.
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Japan Earthquake Shortened Days, Increased Earth's Wobble
March 15, 2011
The magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Japan last Friday was powerful enough to shorten Earth's day by 1.8 microseconds, scientists say.
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Japan Tsunami: 20 Unforgettable Pictures
March 15, 2011
A giant wave tosses cars like toys, a yacht teeters atop a building, and a refinery burns in unforgettable pictures chosen by our editors.
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Japan Earthquake Not the "Big One"?
March 14, 2011
Though Friday's earthquake was the largest in Japanese history, it struck far from where experts had predicted the "big one," experts say.
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Japan Battles to Avert Nuclear Power Plant Disaster
March 14, 2011
Amid the fight to prevent a catastrophic meltdown, competing lessons are drawn from Japan’s past experience with earthquakes exceeding nuclear plant design.
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Japan Tsunami Pictures: Nuclear Reactor and Cities Burn
March 12, 2011
The day after Japan's biggest earthquake, cities smoldered, soldiers lent helping hands, and a nuclear reactor exploded.
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Tsunami Waves Hit U.S.—Some Damage in Hawaii, California
March 11, 2011
The deadly earthquake that struck Japan Friday sent a tsunami racing across the Pacific Ocean, reaching Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, and California.
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Is That a Banana in Your Water?
March 11, 2011
New science shows peels can remove heavy metals from water.
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Tsunami Pictures: Epic Waves, Earthquake Shock Japan
March 11, 2011
The biggest earthquake in Japan's history Friday sparked three-story tsunami waves, hundreds of casualties, and towering infernos.
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Range Anxiety: Fact or Fiction?
March 10, 2011
Critics say that fear of being stranded with a dead battery, or "range anxiety," will discourage people from adopting electric cars. Others say the issue is overblown.
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Gulf Oil Spill Helps Explain Air Pollution Mystery
March 10, 2011
Monitoring the Gulf aftermath revealed pollution due to heavy compounds once thought to play no role in poor air quality, a new study says.
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"Sleeping" Volcanoes Can Wake Up Faster Than Thought
March 10, 2011
Dormant volcanoes can stir to life in mere days instead of hundreds of years, according to a new volcano model.
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Crude Reality: Gas Prices Rocket Because They Can
March 10, 2011
Turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East has registered quickly at the gas pumps. In a jittery oil market, who's calling the shots?
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Pictures: Odd Stingless Stingrays Discovered in Amazon
March 9, 2011
Looking more like pancakes than fish, two new species of freshwater stingrays have been discovered in the Amazon, a new study says.
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Pictures -- Oil States: Are They Stable? Why It Matters
March 9, 2011
Whether due to monarchic rule, corruption, or economic stagnation, market anxiety is high due to perceived peril in the eight nations of the Middle East and North Africa that supply one-third of the world's oil.
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Huge Impact Crater Found in Remote Congo
March 7, 2011
A circular depression deep in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been confirmed as the first known impact crater in central Africa, a new study says.
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Kilauea Volcano Pictures: Hawaii Eruption Spurts Lava
March 7, 2011
A new vent in Hawaii's Kilauea volcano ripped open Saturday, shooting lava up to 80 feet high, scientists say.
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Pictures: Deadly Mud Volcano to Erupt for 26 More Years
March 4, 2011
Enough mud to fill 56,000 swimming pools is expected to spew from the Indonesian volcano before it simmers down, a new study says.
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Fire Tornado Seen Spinning Over Hungary
March 4, 2011
A fire tornado--a tornado with blazing innards--whirled above a burning plastic-processing plant outside Budapest, Hungary, on Tuesday.
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Bolivia Landslide Photos: Neighborhoods, Cemetery Fall
March 2, 2011
During this week's Bolivian landslide, whole neighborhoods and even a cemetery split, with land falling multiple stories downhill.
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Rarest Rhino Filmed
March 2, 2011
Critically endangered and rarely seen rhinos with their calves were filmed by WWF in Indonesia with motion-activated cameras. Video.
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Dolphin-Baby Die-Off in Gulf Puzzles Scientists
March 1, 2011
An unusual number of dead young dolphins are washing up on the Gulf Coast. Puzzled scientists warn it's too soon to blame the BP oil spill.
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3 Surprising Ways Global Warming Could Make You Sick
March 1, 2011
Global warming may cause human health problems due to microbes, bacteria, and toxic algae blooms in coming decades, new research suggests.
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"Crazy Green" Algae Pools Seen in Antarctic Sea
February 28, 2011
Pools teeming with life found among remote Antarctic sea ice contain "the greenest water I've seen in the world," an expert says.
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Little Fish Exploding in Number, Models Show
February 25, 2011
There are still plenty of fish in the sea—they're just the little ones, according to new models of fish decline.
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New Brunswick Seeks Natural Gas, and a Safer Way
February 24, 2011
The province of New Brunswick on Canada’s East Coast is a frontier for shale gas development, and for a new approach to industry oversight.
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New Zealand Earthquake Spurs Giant Glacier Collapse
February 23, 2011
The powerful magnitude-6.3 temblor cast off an iceberg the size of 20 football fields from the country's longest glacier.
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Upgrading the Electric Grid With Flywheels and Air
February 23, 2011
To better integrate intermittent renewable power into the electric grid, a major expansion of energy storage projects using flywheels and compressed air is under way in the United States.
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A Cubic Foot of Tropical Forest
February 23, 2011
See what crawls, flies, and sets roots down in a cubic foot of Mo'orea's mountain trees
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Bridging Western Science and Polynesian Tradition
February 23, 2011
Elders start to work with scientists on preserving the biodiversity of Mo‘orea
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A Culture Written in Stone and Soil
February 23, 2011
Archaeologists and farmers tell the gritty story of French Polynesia
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Small Nuclear War Could Reverse Global Warming for Years?
February 22, 2011
Even a regional nuclear war could spark "unprecedented" global cooling—and famine, U.S. government scientists warn.
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Earthquake in New Zealand: Pictures From a "War Zone"
February 22, 2011
A powerful earthquake Tuesday collapsed buildings, and killed at least 65 in what the prime minister called the country's "darkest day."
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Tropical Island Infinite Photo
February 18, 2011
Our new infinite photograph features the diversity of marine and terrestrial life found on and near Mo'orea and in Biocode Project labs.
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Cutting-Edge Science Meets Centuries-Old Tradition
February 18, 2011
The waves of exploration that have washed over Mo’orea -- both Polynesian and European, cultural and scientific – have altered the landscape, natives, and research community in profound ways.
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A South Pacific Island, Under the Microscope
February 18, 2011
Mo‘orea becomes a biodiversity lab as researchers catalogue the genetic makeup of its species
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Hudson River Fish Evolve Toxic PCB Immunity
February 17, 2011
Bottom-feeding fish in the Hudson River have developed a gene that renders them immune to the toxic effects of PCBs, according to new evolution research.
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Cocaine to Blame for Rain Forest Loss, Study Says
February 17, 2011
Coca planting in Colombia has been linked to rising deforestation—and not all the damage is due to illegal activities, a new study says.
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Extreme Storms and Floods Concretely Linked to Climate Change?
February 16, 2011
New studies of severe storms and catastrophic floods help to confirm that rising greenhouse gas levels actually do increase the odds of such extreme weather events—and perhaps make them stronger.
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Protecting Health and the Planet With Clean Cookstoves
February 15, 2011
A small Ghana business is part of a wave of efforts to address the staggering global toll of death and disease from cooking smoke.
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Best News Pictures of 2010: World Press Winners
February 11, 2011
Whooper swans, a victim of the Taliban, and Bolivian wrestlers are among the winners of the 2010 World Press Photo Contest.
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Wolverine to Vanish From U.S. Due to Warming?
February 8, 2011
Built for the cold, the fierce wolverine may retreat from the mainland U.S. due to global warming, a new study says.
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Pictures: Kickoff Time for Green Stadiums
February 4, 2011
As Green Bay and Pittsburgh face off Sunday in Super Bowl XLV in the NFL's newest and largest stadium, a drive for greener design and cleaner energy is under way at arenas worldwide.
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"Killer" Winter Storm Seen From Space; U.S. Blanketed
February 2, 2011
A new NASA picture shows just how big the current U.S. winter storm is. Hitting at least 30 states, it's among the worst in 50 years.
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Oil Markets Churn Over Egypt’s Potential as Gateway for Revolt
February 1, 2011
World oil prices reached their highest levels since 2008 amid concern over Egypt--not over its role as a commodity route, but as a potential vector for political instability.
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Groundhog Day 2011: Punxsutawney Phil Sees No Shadow
February 1, 2011
With ancient origins and modern media smarts, "immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil rules Groundhog Day 2011. Get the surprising facts behind winter's wackiest weather prediction.
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"Extinct" Salmon Discovered in Japanese Lake
January 31, 2011
A Japanese TV host helped identify a fish from a Mount Fuji lake as the kunimasu salmon, thought to have gone extinct 70 years ago.
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UFO-Like Clouds Linked to Military Maneuvers?
January 27, 2011
Three "hole-punch clouds" recently appeared close together, sparking suspicions of a military connection—and they may not be all wrong.
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Pictures: 40-Mile "Drape" to Cover U.S. River?
January 27, 2011
See artist Christo's vision for a giant art installation over a Colorado river that has drawn opposition from a river-protection group.
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Gulf Spill Dispersants Surprisingly Long-lasting
January 27, 2011
Massive amounts of chemical dispersants pumped into the Gulf of Mexico to break up the BP oil spill lingered in the deep ocean for months, new research shows.
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Humans Left Africa Earlier, During Ice Age Heat Wave
January 27, 2011
An Ice Age heat wave gave early humans a route out of Africa much earlier than thought, an ancient tool kit and climate evidence suggest.
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"Gooey" New Mud Volcano Erupts From Arabian Sea
January 26, 2011
The "gooey" dot of land off the coast of Pakistan appeared in November but will likely wash away within a few months, experts say.
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With a Deep Dig Into Its Past, Perugia Built an Energy-Saving Future
January 26, 2011
Perugia, Italy turned its challenging geography to its advantage to show how even a small city can reap benefits of investment in smart transport and pedestrian-friendly streets.
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Guangzhou, China, Wins Sustainable Transport Prize
January 24, 2011
Guangzhou, China, wins an international sustainable transport prize for a system that integrates bicycle, bus, and rail transport, and makes the large city “more livable.”
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Photos: New Giant "Bearded" Crayfish Species
January 22, 2011
Scientists have found a new species of crayfish in Tennessee and Alabama that is twice the size of other crayfish in the southeastern U.S.
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Tough Road to Getting LED Lights on the Streets
January 20, 2011
LED streetlights can save energy, but not all power systems are set up to reward cities for choosing a more efficient nighttime glow.
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Smallest Farmers Found? Amoebas Carry, Plant "Seeds"
January 19, 2011
In lean times, amoebas can pack up "seeds," migrate, and start fresh in greener pastures, a new study says.
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Yellowstone Has Bulged as Magma Pocket Swells
January 19, 2011
Some parts of the ground around Yellowstone's simmering supervolcano rose by ten inches between 2004 and 2010, experts report.
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Scientists Make Dozens of Storms in the Abu Dhabi Desert?
January 18, 2011
A Swiss company’s claims to have created storm clouds in the desert are met with skepticism.
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Going "All The Way" With Renewable Energy?
January 17, 2011
A massive build-out, rare earth minerals, and willpower needed for a 100 percent renewable future, two U.S. researchers say.
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Pictures: Mount Etna Erupts Overnight
January 14, 2011
See this week's explosive nighttime spectacle from Europe's most active volcano—plus classic pictures from years, and centuries, gone by.
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Cholera and Cooperation Play Into Haiti Reforestation
January 13, 2011
Ambitious efforts try to dry out the charcoal business, rebuild eroded hillsides, ease flooding, and improve water quality.
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PHOTOS: Six Long-Lost Haitian Frog Species Found
January 12, 2011
On the one-year anniversary of Haiti's earthquake nightmare, scientists exploring the country's few remaining pristine forests find an abundance of frogs—including six species lost to science for nearly two decades.
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The Next Oil Spill: Five Needed Mandates to Head it Off
January 11, 2011
In an era of more dangerous drilling, major new safety investment needed, concludes U.S. commission appointed to investigate the Gulf oil spill.
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In China’s Icy North, Outfitting Buildings to Save Energy
January 7, 2011
In Harbin, China—known as “Ice City” —a government drive aims to curb the energy wasted keeping drafty homes and buildings warm.
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Photos: Unprecedented, "Biblical" Floods Inundate Australia
January 6, 2011
Queensland, in eastern Australia, suffered torrential rains after Christmas, causing severe floods to spread across an area the size of France and Germany combined.
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Gulf Oil Spill Surprise: Methane Almost Gone
January 6, 2011
Bacteria have dispatched with most of the methane released during the Gulf of Mexico spill—in just four months, a new study says.
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Photos: Huge Observatory 1.5 Miles Deep in Antarctic Ice
January 6, 2011
Just completed deep under South Pole ice, the world's largest neutrino observatory is set to search for clues to cosmic mysteries.
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"Bodies" Make Up Fake Coral Reef
January 5, 2011
Sculptures of human figures are making a home for marine life in waters near Cancun, Mexico. The art is helping preserve the world's 2nd largest barrier reef system. Video.
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Pictures: "Bodies" Fill Underwater Sculpture Park
January 5, 2011
A new underwater sculpture garden off Mexico is to help lure tourists away from fragile natural reefs, says the project's creator.
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On China's Roads (and Rails), a Move Toward Greener Transit
January 5, 2011
The market for cars in China is booming, posing severe traffic problems for a country once nicknamed the "bicycle kingdom."
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Bumblebees Taking a Nosedive in North America
January 4, 2011
A European fungus may be to blame for the rapid decline of four once common bee species in North America, experts say.
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World's Biggest Cave Found in Vietnam
January 3, 2011
Stretching more than 2.7 miles long and soaring as high as 460 feet, a cavern in Southeast Asia is the biggest single cave passage yet found, British explorers say.
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“Mining” Groundwater in India Reaches New Lows
December 31, 2010
Small-scale rainwater harvesting and new crops could fill the gap
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Can Geothermal Energy Pick Up Real Steam?
December 28, 2010
Developers say we have a new chance to mine heat from Earth’s white-hot core -- but as investment lags and environmental questions remain, they fear we'll miss the window of opportunity.
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Africa-wide "Great Green Wall" to Halt Sahara's Spread?
December 28, 2010
great-green-wall-trees-senegal-sahara-desert
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National Snow and Ice Data Center Gets a Cool Makeover
December 27, 2010
Its servers process information that's key to charting climate change, but the center had a climate problem of its own to solve.
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New Species Photos: Fangless Snake, Bald Bird Near the Mekong River
December 25, 2010
Scientists working in Asia's Mekong River Basin are finding new species of bats, birds, snakes, and more at a "staggering" rate.
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Lightning Captured by X-Ray Camera—A First
December 23, 2010
The first x-ray images of a lightning strike have been captured by a new, refrigerator-size camera, researchers say.
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Magma Chamber Surprisingly Close to Hawaii's Surface?
December 23, 2010
The source of Hawaii's copious lava has been found to be closer to the surface than any other known magma chamber, a new report says.
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Green Design Spree Aims to Trim U.S. Government's Big Energy Bill
December 23, 2010
The U.S. government, the nation's biggest energy user, aims to use $4.5 billion in stimulus funds to make federal buildings into "a proving ground for what works" in clean, efficient power.
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Fat's Chance as a Renewable Diesel Fuel
December 22, 2010
One of the world's largest meat companies, Tyson Foods, aims to make renewable diesel fuel out of an abundant waste product: Animal fat.
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African Elephant Really Two Wildly Different Species
December 22, 2010
"Big surprise": The two African elephant types seem to be as genetically different from each other as Asian elephants are from mammoths.
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Predicting the World’s Next Water Pollution Disaster
December 21, 2010
Hungary’s toxic mud disaster in October was a wake-up call, shining a spotlight on potential water pollution hot spots around the globe.
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PHOTOS: Russia's Radioactive River
December 20, 2010
Russian nuclear facilities accidentally—and intentionally—filled the Techa River with radioactive waste and turned the region into one of the world's worst toxic dumping grounds. Decades later the people along its banks are still paying the price.
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Mummified Forest Found on Treeless Arctic Island
December 17, 2010
"Surreal" remnants of a prehistoric forest have been discovered on a now treeless island in the Canadian Arctic.
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Best Pictures: Nat Geo Photo Contest Winners, 2010
December 16, 2010
From a charging buffalo to an erupting volcano—see the winning pictures of the 2010 National Geographic Photo Contest.
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New Oil—and a Huge Challenge—for Ghana
December 15, 2010
The massive Jubilee field begins producing oil this week, but with revenue from the site come concerns about the risk of corruption and environmental compromise.
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Pictures: Seven Supergreen U.S. Government Buildings
December 14, 2010
A subterranean labyrinth in the Rockies, breathing curtain walls by San Francisco Bay, and a Manhattan sky park highlight the U.S. government's drive to cut down its prodigious use of energy.
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Killer Alien Weed May Threaten Biggest Animal Migration
December 10, 2010
An invasive weed found recently in southern Kenya may kill off native vegetation that wild animals and livestock depend on for survival, scientists warn.
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Mystery of Slow Earthquakes Solved?
December 9, 2010
Unfolding over days or even months, the little-understood quakes may help prevent the big ones.
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New Chemistry, Less Energy Could Yield Greener Cement
December 9, 2010
Making cement is one of the world’s most carbon-intensive endeavors, but German researchers think they’ve mixed a better building solution.
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Ten Weirdest New Animals of 2010: Editors' Picks
December 7, 2010
A fish with "hands," a T. Rex leech, and a self-cloning lizard are among National Geographic News's picks for the weirdest new species in 2010.
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PHOTOS: "Alarming" Amazon Drought—River Hits New Low
December 6, 2010
PHOTOS: "Alarming" Amazon Drought—River Hits New Low
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Exxon Valdez Lessons Applied in Gulf Coast Cleanup
December 3, 2010
Sand oiled by the Gulf of Mexico spill is cleaned and returned to beaches, a technique used to avoid repeating mistakes made after the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. Video.
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New Biggest Volcano in the Solar System?
December 3, 2010
If a new theory holds true, Tharsis Rise on Mars is about to cast down Olympus Mons as the largest known volcano in the solar system.
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Mercury Poisoning Makes Birds Act Homosexual
December 3, 2010
Male birds that eat mercury-contaminated food show "surprising" homosexual behavior, scientists have found.
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Amazon Opportunity: Brazil Doesn't Count on Carbon Market
December 3, 2010
Climate negotiators in Cancun aim to build a framework for curbing deforestation’s global warming impact, but forest-rich Brazil doesn’t want to be the world’s carbon sink.
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Global Warming Burning Lakes?
December 2, 2010
Global Warming Burning Up Lakes?
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Ten NatGeo News Stories You Might Have Missed in 2010
December 1, 2010
See our editors' picks of the best stories of 2010 that flew under the radar, including space-time "wrinkles" and squid plastic surgery.
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Pictures: Medieval Cave Tunnels Revealed as Never Before
December 1, 2010
3-D laser scans are revealing anew the man-made caves under Nottingham, U.K., including dungeons, secret tunnels, bowling alleys, and more.
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U.S. Weighs Disclosure Rules for Natural Gas Drillers
December 1, 2010
The Obama administration wants companies to reveal chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing on public lands.
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Top Ten Discoveries of 2010: Nat Geo News's Most Popular
November 30, 2010
A time-bending earthquake, a fish with "hands," and "Yoda bat" are among National Geographic News's most visited coverage of 2010 discoveries.
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2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season Oddly Active
November 30, 2010
"This was a strange, strange season," one expert says, noting that the U.S. seemed to have "hurricane repellent" during high storm activity.
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Top Ten Videos of 2010: Nat Geo News's Most Watched
November 29, 2010
You watched, we noticed. See Nat Geo News's best videos of 2010, as measured by viewer interest—a fire tornado, a vampire squid, and more.
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Climate Change Talks Hinge on “Green Growth,” says De Boer
November 26, 2010
As global climate negotiations open in Cancun, Mexico, former United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer focuses on the role of business.
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Fighting Poverty Can Save Energy, Nicaraguan Project Shows
November 25, 2010
Modernizing electricity services in two rural Nicaraguan villages yielded major energy savings, showing how addressing poverty and climate change can go hand-in-hand, a new study says.
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"Flamboyant" New Squid Worm Surprises, Delights Experts
November 24, 2010
With head tentacles and iridescent "oars," the new sea species is "definitely flamboyant," one expert said. "I'm delighted by it."
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Sea Turtles Match Breathing to Dive Depths?
November 23, 2010
A new study shows that leatherback turtle buoyancy is likely determined by the amount of air they inhale above the surface before they dive. Video.
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How Shark Scales Give the Predators Deadly Speed
November 23, 2010
Scales on a shark's body "bristle" to reduce drag, helping the predator hunt fast-moving prey, new research suggests.
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First Fishing Bat Discovered in Europe
November 23, 2010
The long-fingered bat is the first bat species in the Mediterranean known to catch and eat fish, scientists say.
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New Satellite Pictures: "Magnificent" Views of Earth
November 19, 2010
See Earth's largest sand sea, swirling ice "galaxies," Van Gogh-ready algae, and more in a new collection of artistic satellite images.
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Brazil Ethanol Looks to Sweeten More Gas Tanks
November 18, 2010
Brazil is poised to increase its production of sugarcane ethanol, helped by foreign investment and policy flux in the United States and Europe.
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Cheap Renewable Power Key to BMW’s Electric Megacity
November 18, 2010
Lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber has long been seen as the secret—but an expensive one—for more efficient cars; BMW details a strategy for slashing the cost.
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Exotic Plant's Once-a-Century Bloom in Pictures
November 17, 2010
The rare, 40-foot-tall Queen of the Andes plant flowers just once in its 80- to 100-year lifetime, blooming for a few weeks before it dies.
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Large, "Glamorous" New Glowing Squid Species Found
November 16, 2010
The big, red new squid species—perhaps one of several—underscores the richness of undersea mountain life, experts say.
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Billion-Pixel Image Tool Probes Science Mysteries
November 12, 2010
Ultra-zoomable panoramas give scientists new tools to explore prehistoric rock art, mysterious bee die-offs, and more. <i>With interactives.</i>
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Concrete to Help Oysters?
November 12, 2010
Rings designed to attract oysters may help restore reefs diminished by overharvesting, pollution, and recent oil spill activities, experts say.
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Pictures: Worst Beach Destinations Rated
November 12, 2010
From the U.S. Gulf Coast's oil-stained shores to India's sun-and-sand hedonism, get experts' picks for the worst coastal destinations.
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Flamingos Apply "Makeup" to Impress Mates
November 10, 2010
There's a reason why flamingos are so pretty in pink: The birds apply colorful oil to impress mates, a new study says.
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Has the World Already Passed “Peak Oil”?
November 9, 2010
Higher oil prices in store as conventional crude production appears to have peaked, says the International Energy Agency.
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Polar Bears Turning to Goose Eggs to Survive Warming?
November 8, 2010
Forced ashore earlier due to global warming, the bears are finding nutritious treats on land in the form of goose eggs, studies say.
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Gulf Oil Plumes Still a Threat?
November 8, 2010
Are giant plumes of oil droplets in the Gulf of Mexico, detected by scientists in the months following the BP oil spill, still a threat to the Gulf's marine life? Video.
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Pictures: Volcano's Biggest Blast Yet Scorches Villages
November 5, 2010
Warning: graphic images. Thursday night Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano saw its biggest eruption since the mountain's October reawakening.
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Sea Turtle Herpes Tumors Linked to Sewage?
November 5, 2010
Herpes tumors that have plagued green sea turtles worldwide for decades may be caused by pollution, a new study says.
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Giant Coral Die-Off Found; Gulf Spill "Smoking Gun?"
November 5, 2010
Huge colonies of dead coral found near the Deepwater Horizon wellhead points to the Gulf oil spill as a smoking gun, scientists announced this week.
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Shining Light on the Cost of Solar Energy
November 5, 2010
Solar electricity is pricey, but policy may be as important as technology in hastening its path to parity with other fuel sources.
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Daylight Savings Time 2010: Why and When It Ends
November 5, 2010
Why do we fall back? Should daylight savings be abolished? Get the facts—and a few controversial takes on turning back the clock.
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A U.S. Cap-and-Trade Experiment To End
November 3, 2010
With no prospect of a U.S. climate bill in sight, the Chicago Climate Exchange will shut down an experimental carbon trading program. But California election results keep alive hopes for regional cap and trade.
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Citizen "Scientists" Track Birds in BP-Spill Zone
November 3, 2010
Millions of birds winter on the Gulf of Mexico coast. Now volunteers are counting the animals to help scientists determine the oil spill's effects on resident populations as well as on the migratory populations.
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Pompeiians Flash-Heated to Death—"No Time to Suffocate"
November 2, 2010
Ash may not have killed most of Vesuvius's victims after all. "There was no time to suffocate," says the lead scientist of a recent study.
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"Mind-Boggling" Pictures: Goats Scale Dam in Italy
November 1, 2010
Yes, these viral pictures of goats clinging to an impossibly steep rock face are real. Get the facts behind the Internet rumors.
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Texting Program Helps African Farmers Fight Drought
October 29, 2010
A new Kenyan "micro-insurance" program cushions small-scale farmers against weather-related crop loss using a novel, mobile phone-based approach.
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Photos: Merapi Volcano Ash Smothers Indonesian Villages
October 28, 2010
Pompeii-like scenes are proliferating on the Indonesian island of Java, where the Mount Merapi volcano's eruptions have killed dozens.
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New Video Filmed by Whale Sharks
October 28, 2010
Researchers in Australia deploy the National Geographic Crittercam on whale sharks to see if tourists swimming with the sharks are affecting their behavior. Video.
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Tsunami, Volcano Eruption in Indonesia Linked?
October 27, 2010
The two near-simultaneous events might have been triggered by the same earthquake, which may have been a rare ''slow'' temblor, experts say.
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New Snub-Nosed Monkey Discovered, Eaten
October 27, 2010
Pictured moments before humans ate it, a snub-nosed monkey represents a new species that sneezes when it rains.
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Pictures: Indonesia's Mount Merapi Volcano Erupts
October 26, 2010
One of the word's most active volcanoes, Indonesia's Mount Merapi is the bringer of life and death for a wide swath of the island of Java.
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Robots of the Gulf Spill: Fishlike Subs, Smart Torpedoes
October 26, 2010
From fishlike submersibles to smart torpedoes, meet the 'bots that illuminated deep, dark threats of the BP spill.
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Did Gulf Spill Boost "Dead Zone"?
October 25, 2010
Did the BP oil spill may sap oxygen from the Gulf of Mexico? Scientists are weighing new findings against years of "dead zone" data.
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In the Farmland, an Energy Rush
October 22, 2010
Pennsylvania sits atop one of the largest reservoirs of natural gas in the world, a resource that could boost jobs and shake up the national energy equation. But can this important resource be extracted sustainably?
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Shale Gas Drilling: A Changed Environment
October 22, 2010
Shale Gas Drilling: A Changed Environment
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Faces of the Gas Rush
October 22, 2010
From farmer to supply shop owner, from scientist to job seeker, each Pennsylvanian has a separate view of the natural gas boom that has hit the state.
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A State Booms with New Energy
October 22, 2010
Hopes are high that jobs will flow as fast as the natural gas in the energy boom that has hit Pennsylvania, although locals are finding the new work is not necessarily on the drilling rig.
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The Science of Shale Gas
October 22, 2010
By combining and super-charging old oil field technologies, U.S. energy industry innovators unlocked the natural gas found in deep shale rock—paving the way for a rush on the huge Marcellus shale formation that underlies Pennsylvania.
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On Edison Bulb’s Anniversary, a Lighting Breakthrough
October 21, 2010
GE announces an advance in LED cooling technology, but its rivals race ahead to market an LED replacement bulb suitable for home living rooms.
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Winds Slowing Around the World, Study Suggests
October 18, 2010
Surface winds are slowing far and wide, a new study says. The alleged culprits: breeze-breaking new forests.
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Tsunamis More Likely to Hit California Than Thought?
October 18, 2010
Southern California, Seattle, and Taiwan are some of the places where tsunamis may be more likely than thought, a new study suggests.
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A Dream Dashed by the Rush on Gas
October 17, 2010
The shale gas industry maintains that its safeguards protect drinking water and land. But there have been accidents, and mistrust has been sown as the industrial process has moved into rural communities.
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Forcing Gas Out of Rock With Water
October 17, 2010
By combining and super-charging old oil industry technologies, the energy industry unlocked the natural gas locked in shale rock
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Parks, Forests Eyed for the Fuel Beneath
October 17, 2010
Officials realize they may not be able to protect the “Pennsylvania Wilds” and other state and national public lands from the new gas rush.
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Fuzzy Critters' Crystallized Pee Changes Climate Record?
October 15, 2010
The crystallized pee of the rodent-like rock hyrax is filling in gaps in our understanding of climate change, experts say.
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Gulf Manta Rays Affected by Oil Spill?
October 15, 2010
The little-studied manta rays of the Gulf of Mexico could be their own species—and victims of the BP oil spill, scientists say.
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Scientists Sniff-Test Gulf Seafood
October 14, 2010
In the wake of the BP oil spill, scientists are literally following their noses to determine whether Gulf of Mexico seafood is dangerous. Video.
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Natural Gas Stirs Hope and Fear in Pennsylvania
October 13, 2010
Pennsylvania sits atop one of the largest reservoirs of natural gas in the world, a resource that could boost jobs and shake up the national energy equation. But can this important resource be extracted sustainably?
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Banking on Connections to Spur Offshore Wind
October 13, 2010
Google and a team of fellow investors and energy firms aim to bring an offshore wind power revolution to the East Coast of the United States.
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Surprising Ant "Mixing Bowl" Found in Manhattan
October 13, 2010
At least 13 species of urban ants thrive along the bustling boulevards of the United States' biggest city, a new study has found.
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Pictures: Best Micro-Photos of 2010
October 13, 2010
A zebrafish nose, a wasp nest, and a mosquito heart took home top honors in the 2010 Small World Microphotography Competition.
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Toxic Mud Spill Latest Insult to Polluted Danube River
October 12, 2010
Toxic Mud Spill Latest Insult to Polluted Danube River -- National Geographic
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Giant Crystal Caves Yield New "Ice Palace," More
October 7, 2010
It looks like Superman's fortress and is nearly as hard to get into, but that hasn't kept explorers from uncovering new secrets on and around Mexico's deep, deadly Cave of Crystals.
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Photos: Canadian Rain Forest Edges Oil Pipeline Path
October 7, 2010
In the home of the elusive "spirit bear," nine Coastal First Nations people await a decision on a pipeline to carry Canadian oil to sea for export to Asia.
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Beating the White House to the Solar Punch
October 6, 2010
The island nation of the Maldives races ahead of the U.S. to capture the solar energy limelight.
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Photos: "Huge" Toxic Sludge Flood Hits Hungary
October 6, 2010
''This is huge,'' says one toxicologist of the failure of a toxic-sludge reservoir in Hungary. "If you are trapped in it, it will kill you."
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Plane Exhaust Kills More People Than Plane Crashes, Study Says
October 5, 2010
You're more likely to die from exposure to toxic pollutants in plane exhaust than in a plane crash, a new study says.
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600-Year-Old Worms Among Surprises of 10-Year Sea Survey
October 4, 2010
Six-hundred-year-old tube worms and other oddities help put the brain-boggling, just-ended, ten-year Census of Maine Life in perspective.
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Biggest Marine Census Complete
October 4, 2010
The Census of Marine Life has identified more than 6,000 potentially new species during a decade of exploring the world's oceans. Video.
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Undersea Mountain Photos: Brittlestar Swarm, More Found
October 1, 2010
Swarms of orange fish and other deep-sea creatures have been spotted during a five-year survey of the world's underwater mountain ranges.
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Replacing Oil Addiction With Metals Dependence?
October 1, 2010
China’s pivotal role as world supplier of rare-earth metals raises alarm that the new energy economy will mean the same old foreign dependence.
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Whale Snot, Cursing Away Pain Among 2010 Ig Nobels
October 1, 2010
Profanity to treat pain and whale-snot-collecting helicopters are just a few of the unusual scientific achievements awarded Ig Nobels on Thursday.
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Renewable Energy: Ontario’s New Gold Rush
September 30, 2010
Ontario is better known for majestic falls and forests than for its sun, but a one-year-old government incentive program has made the province a solar energy hotbed.
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80 Percent of Global Water Supplies at Risk
September 30, 2010
80 Percent of Global Water Supplies at Risk
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Best Environmental Photos of 2010 Named
September 29, 2010
See a hummingbird-viper face-off, swarm of devil rays, and more in these winning images from a conservation group's global photo contest.
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Walruses Swarm Beaches as Ice Melts
September 27, 2010
Thousands of walruses gathered recently on an island strip in Alaska, probably because of extreme ice melting, scientists say. Video.
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Hybrid Panthers Helping Rare Cat Rebound in Florida
September 24, 2010
Breeding rare Florida panthers with Texas cougars created tough hybrids that could save the subspecies from extinction, a new study says.
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Drug-filled Mice Airdropped Over Guam to Kill Snakes
September 24, 2010
Dead mice filled with a generic version of Tylenol are being airdropped to kill the invasive brown tree snake, U.S. officials say.
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Whale Sharks Killed, Displaced Due to Gulf Oil?
September 23, 2010
The Gulf spill fouled a stretch of feeding habitat for whale sharks, possibly killing some of the world's largest fish, new research says.
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Flooding Farms on Purpose—For the Birds
September 23, 2010
In response to the BP oil spill, U.S. farmers are flooding fields to create untainted wetland stopovers for migrating birds.
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"Sea Snot" Explosion Caused by Gulf Oil Spill?
September 23, 2010
A "blizzard" of sticky life-forms caused by the BP spill may have crippled the base of the Gulf of Mexico food chain, early results suggest.
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New Magma Layer Found Deep in Earth's Mantle?
September 23, 2010
A layer of molten rock trapped since Earth's formation may exist where the solid mantle meets the core, a new study says.
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Volcanoes Killed Off Neanderthals, Study Suggests
September 22, 2010
Eruptions may have wiped out our heavy-browed cousins, but we survived by being largely out of the line of fire, study suggests.
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Autumnal Equinox: Why First Day of Fall 2010 Is Different
September 22, 2010
Wednesday, for the first time in more than a decade, the full moon will shine over the first day of fall. Get the facts in our autumnal equinox explainer.
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The Solvable Problem of Energy Poverty
September 21, 2010
Providing universal world access to electricity and modern cooking technology is affordable, and can be done without worsening climate change, a United Nations report says
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Pictures: Toxic Foam Chokes Brazil River
September 21, 2010
An outbreak of toxic foam pollution in Brazil's Tietê River has been made worse by the driest August in decades, experts say.
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New Aurora Pictures: Sky Shows Sparked by Sun Eruption
September 21, 2010
On September 11 a NASA satellite spied a magnetic eruption on the sun. A few days later northern skies got an electric shot of sheer beauty.
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Light is the Bright IDEA for Transport
September 20, 2010
Bright Automotive aims to engineer a fuel-saving electric commercial vehicle large to appeal to the U.S. market.
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New Species of Giant Elephant Shrew Discovered?
September 20, 2010
With maroon thighs and a black rump, a two-foot-long elephant shrew found in a remote Kenya forest may be a new species, scientists say.
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Hurricane Karl Slams Into Mexico; Flash Floods Predicted
September 17, 2010
Even as Hurricane Karl makes landfall in Mexico, Hurricanes Igor and Julia are still churning out at sea, experts say.
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Giant Vacuum to Help Bugs in Oiled Marshes?
September 17, 2010
Using huge hoses, researchers are vacuuming up marsh bugs along the oiled Gulf coast. By comparing their samples to bugs collected before the spill, teams hope to determine the effects of oil on creatures near the bottom of the food web.
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Pictures: Fish Suffocated in Giant Louisiana Die-off
September 16, 2010
Thousands of dead fish found in a Louisiana marsh likely suffocated—but oil from the Gulf spill may also have played a role, experts say.
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