Earth

  1. Earth

    Sky High: Gamma-ray bursts are common in Earth’s upper atmosphere

    Enigmatic bursts of high-energy gamma rays produced Earth's atmosphere are stronger and more frequent than previously thought.

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  2. Earth

    Subway air does extra damage

    Airborne particles in subterranean transit stations may be more damaging to human cells than are particles from street-level air.

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  3. Earth

    Natural or Synthetic? Test reveals origin of chemicals in blubber

    Natural compounds that are chemically akin to certain industrial chemicals wend their way up marine food chains and accumulate in whale blubber.

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  4. Earth

    Long-winded benefits

    Certain wind-energy systems that store excess energy for a time using compressed air can be as reliable as and far cleaner than conventional electric-generating plants.

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  5. Earth

    Of X rays, viruses, and cooked meat

    The National Toxicology Program updated its list of human carcinogens to include X rays and several viruses and added lead and some compounds formed in overcooked meats to its list of probable human carcinogens.

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  6. Agriculture

    Illegal cigarettes pack toxic punch

    Tobacco used in counterfeit cigarettes is apparently grown using metal-laced fertilizers, making the fake products even more harmful than the real things.

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  7. Earth

    Ice age hit Missouri 2.4 million years ago

    Analyses of a soil sample from central Missouri suggest the date of onset of North America's most recent spate of ice ages.

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  8. Earth

    Ozone saps toads’ immune systems

    In amphibians, ozone damages immune function in the lungs, suggesting a possible new contributor to worldwide amphibian declines.

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  9. Earth

    When Mountains Fizz

    Scientists are finding that the driving force behind a volcanic explosion is the same thing that propels spewing soda pop: bubbles.

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  10. Earth

    Early Warning: United States to deploy 32 more buoys for sensing tsunamis

    On Jan. 14, the Bush administration announced a $37.5 million program to expand the nation's tsunami-warning capabilities.

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  11. Earth

    Air pollution trims fetal growth

    Pregnant women who breathe polluted air deliver babies that are typically slightly smaller than those born to other mothers.

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  12. Earth

    Living in a Fog: Secondhand smoke may dull kids’ wits

    Millions of U.S. children may have reading deficits because of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.

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