Space
Failure To Launch: SpaceX Delays Mission
3:50
Science
SpaceX rocket Falcon 9 at Cape Canaveral in Florida was scheduled to launch Saturday morning, but aborted just before liftoff.
Rocket Liftoff Aborted A Half-Second Before Launch
()The privately funded, unmanned spacecraft was attempting its first flight to the International Space Station. The spacecraft had a one-second window to take off, and the failed launch means it won't be trying again for at least a few days.
Space
NASA, SpaceX Aim To Launch Private Era In Orbit()
May 18, 2012 If all goes well, an unmanned capsule will become the first commercial spacecraft to visit the International Space Station. SpaceX and NASA have been working together to make this launch happen, navigating cultural differences between the young startup and the veteran agency.
The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers
Pennsylvania Doctors Worry Over Fracking 'Gag Rule'()
May 17, 2012 A new law grants doctors access to information about trade-secret chemicals used in natural gas drilling. Doctors say they need the information to treat patients who may have been exposed to chemicals. But the law also says doctors can't tell anyone else — not even other doctors — about what's in the formulas.
Research News
Dino-Aged Deep-Sea Bacteria Have Been 'Splitting A Pie' For Eons()
May 17, 2012 Back when the dinosaurs ruled the Earth, some hardy bacteria took up residence at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Eighty six million years later, they're still there. And a new study says they're living out the most Spartan lifestyle known on this planet.
The Salt
The Secret Life Of California's World-Class Strawberries()
May 17, 2012 We may romanticize that strawberries are grown down the road, but most of them come from California. And a complex web of plant cloning practices, relocation and fumigation has cropped up to keep it that way. Although scientists are exploring new options, like soil-free growing.
Krulwich Wonders...
The Essence Of Science Explained In 63 Seconds ()
May 17, 2012 Legendary scientist Reichard Feynman offered a simple but profound lesson about how we understand the world in a lecture at Cornell in 1964. The world, it is presumed, works perfectly well without us. How we think about it makes no important difference.
The Two-Way
Feds: Fire Season Off to Slow Start Even As Wildfires Rage in Southwest()
May 17, 2012 As five large fires burn thousands of acres and threaten some communities in the Southwest, federal response teams say they have plenty of resources available and that this wildfire season is actually getting off to a slow start.
The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers
Fracking's Methane Trail: A Detective Story()
May 17, 2012 Four years ago, an atmospheric scientist near Boulder, Colo., stumbled on surprising air pollution data: The region's levels of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, were far higher than anyone would have expected. What was going on? The search for an answer led straight to the natural gas and oil fields of northern Colorado.
Shots - Health Blog
CDC Cuts Lead-Poisoning Limit For Kids()
May 16, 2012 The public health honchos agreed with an expert panel that recommended in January that anything greater than 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood for kids 5 and younger should be considered dangerous. That's half the current standard and represents the first reduction since 1991.
Animals
What Killed Orca Victoria? Some Point To Naval Tests()
May 16, 2012 The U.S. Navy is in the process of renewing its permits to conduct sonar and explosive tests off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. But the recent unexplained death of a young orca who washed ashore in February has thrown a wrench in the process. Experts say injuries to the whale may indicate she was exposed to an underwater explosion or sonar testing.
The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers
Town's Effort To Link Fracking And Illness Falls Short()
May 16, 2012 Many residents of Dish, Texas, blame the fracking operations that surround their tiny town for a host of health problems — from nosebleeds to cancer. The former mayor was so scared, he left town. But scientists who've studied Dish say there's not enough evidence to link natural gas operations to any illness.
