Reuters: Science News

U.S. stem cell research rules ease some restrictions

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:54:45 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government released new rules on Monday governing federally funded research on human embryonic stem cells, loosening some ethical requirements that scientists said could have cost them a decade of work.

Reefs could perish by end of century, experts warn

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:04:17 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Increasingly acidic oceans and warming water temperatures due to carbon dioxide emissions could kill off the world's ocean reefs by the end of this century, scientists warned on Monday.

Australia discovers 3 new large dinosaurs

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:45:59 -0400

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Fossils of three new species of dinosaurs have been discovered in Australia, including a meat-eater larger than Velociraptor from the Jurassic Park movies, suggesting Australia may have a more complex prehistoric past.

More than 800 wildlife species now extinct

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:05:27 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 800 animal and plant species have gone extinct in the past five centuries with nearly 17,000 now threatened with extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature reported on Thursday.

Loss of world's seagrass beds seen accelerating

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:24:01 -0400

MIAMI (Reuters) - The world's seagrass meadows, a critical habitat for marine life and profit-maker for the fishing industry, are in decline due to coastal development and the losses are accelerating, according to a new study.

Vatican should learn from Galileo mess, prelate says

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:11:27 -0400

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Catholic Church should not fear scientific progress and possibly repeat the mistake it made when it condemned astronomer Galileo in the 17th century, a Vatican official said on Thursday in a rare self-criticism.

Regenerated legs no big trick for salamanders

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:39:52 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexican salamanders who can re-grow amputated legs are not pulling off quite as big a biological trick as scientists had first thought, which may help doctors trying to regenerate human limbs.

Gene variations hinder mental illness tests: study

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:19:11 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - As many as 30,000 different gene variations may underlie schizophrenia and bipolar disease, meaning any kind of quick test to predict either disease is a long way off, scientists said on Wednesday.

Human heart master cells identified

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:19:51 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have identified the early master cells that make up the human heart and said on Wednesday they could someday be used to make patches to fix damaged hearts.

Solar orbiter Ulysses ends mission after 18 years

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:12:40 -0400

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The interplanetary space probe Ulysses officially ceased operations on Tuesday after an 18-year voyage of roughly 5.5 billion miles (8.85 billion km) and nearly three complete orbits around the sun, NASA said.