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	<title> &#187; Science</title>
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		<title>Sexual Images Sway Conservative Guys Toward Risk</title>
		<link>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/sexual-images-sway-conservative-guys-toward-risk/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:38:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor - Science News</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Sexually conservative men are more swayed by sexual images than more adventurous dudes, according to a new study that might help explain why the sexually conservative, paradoxically, tend to take sexual risks. The study suggests that men who have no &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/sexual-images-sway-conservative-guys-toward-risk/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/sexual-images-sway-conservative-guys-toward-risk/">Sexual Images Sway Conservative Guys Toward Risk</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
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<p class="first">
	Sexually <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371683114278_3">conservative men</span> are more swayed by <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371683114278_2">sexual images</span> than more adventurous dudes, according to a new study that might help explain why the sexually conservative, paradoxically, tend to take sexual risks.</p>
<p>
	The study suggests that men who have no intention of having <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/22467-college-students-casual-sex-judgement.html">casual sex</a> nevertheless become more willing to do so after exposure to images of pretty women in bikinis. This <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371683114278_6">willingness</span> without intention may explain a lack of foresight that leads to sex without protection, the study researchers write today (June 19) in the British Journal of Health Psychology.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;Think of this as similar to young teenagers drinking,&#8221; study researcher <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371683114278_5">Megan Roberts</span>, a psychologist at Brown University, said in a statement. &#8220;Most don&#8217;t go out explicitly intending to get drunk, but are willing if they are offered alcohol at a party. Likewise, many adults do not intend to have <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371683114278_1">casual sex</span>, but would be willing to do so if presented with the opportunity.&#8221; [<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/24102-50-facts-sex.html">50 Sultry Facts About Sex</a>]</p>
<p>
	Studies dating back to the 1980s have found that people with <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/18333-sex-education-teen-birthrates.html">conservative attitudes toward sex</a> have less intercourse than the sexually liberal, as might be expected. But when the sexually conservative do get busy, they&#8217;re more likely to take risks, such as not using protection against pregnancy or <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371683114278_4">sexually transmitted infections</span>.</p>
<p>
	<strong>A sexual mystery</strong></p>
<p>
	This puzzle confused health researchers. To get the bottom of why people behave so strangely, Roberts and her colleagues first asked 75 college-age men if they intended to have casual sex with a stranger or acquaintance in the next six months. Twenty-eight of them (37 percent) said no.</p>
<p>
	The researchers then had the men do a word-identification task, into which the researchers had inserted <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371683114278_7">subliminal images</span> of either pretty bikini-clad women or neutral photographs, such as those showing lightening bolts. The images flashed onscreen for only 8 milliseconds, too few to register consciously.</p>
<p>
	After the subliminal image presentation, the men completed another questionnaire, this one including a vignette about going home with a woman from a party. The guys were asked how likely they were to engage in a variety of sexual acts with this near-stranger.</p>
<p>
	<strong>Intention versus willingness</strong></p>
<p>
	The results confirmed that intention and willingness don&#8217;t always go hand-in-hand. The men who said they had no intention of having casual sex became much more likely to report a willingness to do so — but only if they&#8217;d seen the subliminal sexy images. The guys who were already interested in casual sex weren&#8217;t <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/21842-movies-sexual-content-teens-safe-sex.html">swayed by the images</a>.</p>
<p>
	To confirm the findings, the researchers repeated the experiment with 112 men ages 18 to 57 recruited online. The only major difference in the second experiment was that the images weren&#8217;t subliminal; instead, participants were told they were rating images for an ad campaign. Again, some saw sexy women, while others saw neutral photographs.</p>
<p>
	As in the first study, the sexually conservative became more willing to indulge in casual sex if they&#8217;d seen the bikini-clad hotties.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;Compared to men who intend to have casual sex, those who didn&#8217;t showed an increase in willingness to do so if they had viewed sexual images,&#8221; Roberts said. &#8220;This was even true for the older men who were in committed relationships. Overall, this suggests that sexually conservative men can be more swayed by subtle sexual cues.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	The findings suggest that in the real world, the sexually conservative might not plan to have sex, Roberts and her colleagues wrote. When confronted with the opportunity, though, they might be relatively more swayed to do the deed than the sexually liberal — and because they haven&#8217;t planned on having sex, they&#8217;re probably less likely to be prepared with <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/18661-14-common-condom-errors.html">condoms</a> or other protection.</p>
<p>
	<em>Follow Stephanie Pappas on </em><em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/sipappas">Twitter</a> </em><em>and </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://plus.google.com/101831066787121148004/posts"><em>Google+</em></a><em>. Follow us </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/LiveScience"><em>@livescience</em></a><em>, </em><em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/livescience">Facebook</a> </em><em> </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://plus.google.com/101164570444913213957/posts"><em>Google+</em></a><em>. Original article on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/37583-sexual-images-conservative-risk.html">LiveScience.com</a>.</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/11387-10-surprising-sex-statistics.html">The 10 Most Surprising Sex Statistics</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/18962-sex-quiz-myths-taboos-facts.html">The Sex Quiz: Myths, Taboos and Bizarre Facts</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/22415-facts-male-body.html">Macho Man: 10 Wild Facts About His Body</a></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Copyright 2013 <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/">LiveScience</a>, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</span></p>
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		<title>Beetles, housefly larvae open new frontier in animal feed sector</title>
		<link>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/beetles-housefly-larvae-open-new-frontier-in-animal-feed-sector/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:38:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor - Science News</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>By Axelle du Crest and Valerie Parent PARIS (Reuters) &#8211; French start-up company Ynsect has identified a cheap, nourishing and locally sourced alternative to soybeans as a vital source of protein in animal feed. The clue is in its name. &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/beetles-housefly-larvae-open-new-frontier-in-animal-feed-sector/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/beetles-housefly-larvae-open-new-frontier-in-animal-feed-sector/">Beetles, housefly larvae open new frontier in animal feed sector</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
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<p class="first">By Axelle du Crest and Valerie Parent</p>
<p> PARIS (Reuters) &#8211; French start-up company Ynsect has identified a cheap, nourishing and locally sourced alternative to soybeans as a vital source of protein in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371650647767_2">animal feed</span>. The clue is in its name.</p>
<p> Ynsect is not alone in looking to invertebrates to meet a jump in demand for meat and fish, and so for feed, in coming decades.</p>
<p> Black soldier flies, common housefly larvae, silkworms and yellow mealworms were named as among the most promising species for industrial feed output in a report last month by the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371650647767_1">FAO</span>, the United Nations food agency.</p>
<p> &#8220;Given insects&#8217; natural role as food for a number of farmed livestock species, it is worth reconsidering their role as feed for specific poultry and fish species,&#8221; the Food and Agriculture Organization&#8217;s report said.</p>
<p> <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371650647767_3">Jean-Gabriel Levon</span>, co-founder of Ynsect, said new protein sources were essential in a market where costs are set to climb.</p>
<p> &#8220;Insects are an interesting source which can be bred locally,&#8221; Levon said. &#8220;We are in the same situation as oil, with resources getting scarcer and more expensive.&#8221;</p>
<p> According to the FAO, protein such as meat meal, fishmeal and soymeal make up 60 to 70 percent of the price of feed.</p>
<p> Soybean prices have more than doubled over the past decade due to soaring demand and fishmeal prices have also jumped.</p>
<p> The 2-year old company has been developing an insect-based meal that could make up 5-30 percent of feed products, Levon said.</p>
<p> Ynsect, which has around 10 rivals globally, is now raising funds to build the first European insect meal production unit by 2014-2015. One well-heated part of the plant would breed insects and the other would crush them into powder.</p>
<p> It aims to focus on using flies and beetles and Levon says a great advantage is that they can eat just about anything &#8211; for example human food leftovers such as potato peelings.</p>
<p> Once crushed, co-products such as shells can be used in the pharmaceutical sector, for cosmetics and wastewater treatments.</p>
<p> GREAT FERTILISER</p>
<p> What is more, insect droppings make great fertilizer.</p>
<p> &#8220;Insects drink very little water. Their droppings are very dry. They&#8217;re like sand and have all the qualities needed for a classic fertilizers,&#8221; Levon said.</p>
<p> Stephane Radet, who heads France&#8217;s animal feed industry lobby (SNIA) said he was cautious as the protein product would have to prove itself to feed makers and win public acceptance.</p>
<p> &#8220;For new material to enter the manufacturing chain, it has to meet four major criteria: safety, quality, competitiveness and acceptability in the food sector, processors and at the bottom of the chain, the consumer,&#8221; Radet said.</p>
<p> While another pioneering company, South Africa&#8217;s AgriProtein Technologies, is rearing house flies and using insect flour for cattle feed, this is not allowed in the European Union where the &#8220;mad cow&#8221; disease crisis of the late 1990s has led to caution over the use of processed animal proteins (PAPs).</p>
<p> PAPs, particularly when cattle were given bovine protein, were blamed for the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) outbreak.</p>
<p> The European Commission has approved the use of PAPs to feed fish from June 1, which includes insect meal. It may allow their use in pig and poultry feed from 2014, lifting a ban on animal by-products imposed during the BSE outbreak.</p>
<p> The EU imports about 70 percent of its protein-rich material for animal feed. According to European Feed Manufacturer&#8217;s Federation Fefac, Europe&#8217;s market for processed animal feed is worth around 45 billion euros ($60 billion) a year.</p>
<p> Ynsect aims to start with fish feed, where insect-based meal could replace increasingly scarce fishmeal and fishoil.</p>
<p> According to the FAO, fish farming is the fastest-growing animal food producing sector and will need to expand sustainably to keep up with increasing demand.</p>
<p> Trials on certain fish species showed that diets where up to 50 percent of fishmeal was replaced with grass hopper meal produced equally good results as fishmeal only, the FAO added.</p>
<p> A further step one day might be to rear insects for direct human consumption &#8211; the FAO said insects already feed more than 2 billion humans in Africa, Asia and South America.</p>
<p> But EU regulations do not allow this, more research is needed on issues such as allergies, and only a few daring restaurants in Europe are experimenting for curious clients.</p>
<p> &#8220;As for targetting the human food market, that is for some other time. Eating insects is a laugh, people may be curious, but as far as we are concerned that won&#8217;t be happening for the time being,&#8221; Levon said. ($1 = 0.7467 euros)</p>
<p> (Writing by Muriel Boselli; Editing by Anthony Barker)</p>
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		<title>NASA wants backyard astronomers to help track asteroids</title>
		<link>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/nasa-wants-backyard-astronomers-to-help-track-asteroids/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:38:18 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>By Deborah Zabarenko WASHINGTON (Reuters) &#8211; NASA called on backyard astronomers and other citizen-scientists on Tuesday to help track asteroids that could create havoc on Earth. The U.S. space agency has already identified 95 percent of the potentially planet-killing NEOs &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/nasa-wants-backyard-astronomers-to-help-track-asteroids/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/nasa-wants-backyard-astronomers-to-help-track-asteroids/">NASA wants backyard astronomers to help track asteroids</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
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<p class="first">By Deborah Zabarenko</p>
<p> WASHINGTON (Reuters) &#8211; <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371593785008_1">NASA</span> called on backyard <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371593785008_6">astronomers</span> and other citizen-scientists on Tuesday to help track <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371593785008_2">asteroids</span> that could create havoc on Earth.</p>
<p> The U.S. space agency has already identified 95 percent of the potentially planet-killing NEOs &#8211; near Earth objects &#8211; with a diameter of .62 miles or more, a size comparable to the space rock many scientists believe wiped out the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago.</p>
<p> Now NASA wants to work with individuals, government agencies, international partners and academia to &#8220;find all asteroid threats to human populations and know what to do about them.&#8221; More information is available online at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/initiative/grand_challenge.html .</p>
<p> Between 50 and 100 <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371593785008_5">amateur astronomers</span> are doing what is called light-curve analysis on <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371593785008_7">space rocks</span>, making repeated images of the astronomical bodies to help determine their characteristics, said <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371593785008_3">Jason Kessler</span>, program executive for what NASA calls Astroid Grand Challenge.</p>
<p> &#8220;We&#8217;re certainly going to need more help with that as our detection rate goes up,&#8221; Kessler said by telephone. He acknowledged that what NASA aims to do, at least in part, is to crowd-source asteroid detection.</p>
<p> Even smaller space rocks can be dangerous, whether or not they hit the Earth. In February, a meteorite about 19 yards in diameter exploded over central Russia, shattering windows, damaging buildings and injuring 1,200 people.</p>
<p> Earlier this month, an asteroid the size of a small truck zoomed past the Earth four times closer than the moon, crossing within about 65,000 miles over the Southern Ocean south of Tasmania, Australia.</p>
<p> Estimates suggest less than 10 percent of NEOs smaller than 328 yards across have been detected, and less than 1 percent of objects smaller than 109 yards in diameter have been detected, NASA said in a statement.</p>
<p> The initiative aims to detect all NEOs of 33 yards or larger, Kessler said.</p>
<p> The <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371593785008_4">space agency</span> has also announced plans for a mission to capture a small asteroid, redirect it into a stable orbit and send humans to study it as early as 2021.</p>
<p> U.S. lawmakers have also become interested in NEO. In March the House of Representatives&#8217; science committee held a hearing on &#8220;Threats from Space&#8221; that reviewed efforts to track and mitigate asteroids and meteors.</p>
<p> (Reporting by Deborah Zabarenko; Editing by Ros Krasny and Mohammad Zargham)</p>
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		<title>With Russian help, Europe prepares to search for life on Mars</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:38:12 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>By Irene Klotz PARIS (Reuters) &#8211; The European Space Agency signed final contracts with Thales Alenia Space Italy for work on a pair of missions to assess if the planet Mars has or ever had life, officials said at the &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/with-russian-help-europe-prepares-to-search-for-life-on-mars/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/with-russian-help-europe-prepares-to-search-for-life-on-mars/">With Russian help, Europe prepares to search for life on Mars</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
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<p class="first">By Irene Klotz</p>
<p> PARIS (Reuters) &#8211; The <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_1">European Space Agency</span> signed final contracts with <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_2">Thales Alenia</span> Space Italy for work on a pair of missions to assess if <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_7">the planet Mars</span> has or ever had life, officials said at the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_5">Paris Airshow</span> this week.</p>
<p> Until last year, the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_6">ExoMars</span> program was a joint project between ESA and the U.S. space agency <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_3">NASA</span>. But NASA dropped out, citing budget problems.</p>
<p> <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_9">The Russian space agency</span> Roscosmos stepped in to provide two Proton rockets to send an orbiting atmospheric probe and test lander to Mars in January 2016, and a follow-on rover in August 2018 that will drill below the planet&#8217;s surface to look for spores and bacteria.</p>
<p> Roscosmos also is providing a landing system for the rover and scientific instruments.</p>
<p> &#8220;It took some time, some energy, some efforts from a lot of different parties. It was not easy to move from an ESA-NASA cooperation to an ESA-Roscosmos cooperation,&#8221; <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_8">Jean-Jacques Dordain</span>, head of ESA, told reporters after signing a 230 million euros ($300 million) contract with Thales Alenia.</p>
<p> Thales Alenia, selected as the ExoMars prime contractor five years ago, plans to spend 146 million euros on the 2016 orbiter and lander. The satellite is being designed to search the thin Martian atmosphere for telltale gases associated with biological activity. It also will serve as the key communications relay for the 2018 rover.</p>
<p> The lander primarily is intended to test the technologies needed to touch down on Mars, a notoriously difficult task that has bedeviled nearly all of Russia&#8217;s previous efforts and has given NASA trouble as well. The United States currently has two operational rovers on Mars, Curiosity and Opportunity.</p>
<p> After pulling out of the ExoMars program, NASA said it would send a second Curiosity-type rover to Mars in 2020.</p>
<p> The rest of the ExoMars budget will be spent on the 2018 rover, a mission that will make the first direct search for life since NASA&#8217;s 1970s-era Viking landers.</p>
<p> Instead of sampling the planet&#8217;s radiation-blasted surface as the Viking probes did, the ExoMars rover will use a radar sounder to search for subterranean water and then drill down about 6 feet for samples that will be processed through onboard laboratories.</p>
<p> &#8220;If there is any life and if we discover it, it will be unambiguous,&#8221; said Vincenzo Giorgo, Thales Alenia&#8217;s vice president of exploration and space. &#8220;On Viking everybody thought, ‘We found it, we found it,&#8217; but then nobody could prove it.&#8221;</p>
<p> <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371665938823_4">Thales Alenia Space</span> is a joint venture owned 67 percent by France&#8217;s Thales and 33 percent by Italy&#8217;s Finmeccanica.</p>
<p> (Reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by John Wallace)</p>
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		<title>Smarter Than C-3PO: Future Robots Will Work in Teams, Scientist Says</title>
		<link>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/smarter-than-c-3po-future-robots-will-work-in-teams-scientist-says/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/smarter-than-c-3po-future-robots-will-work-in-teams-scientist-says/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:14:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor - Science News</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>In the next few decades, teams of roving robots will take to the seas, the air and other hard-to-reach spots, communicating with one another and working to solve scientific problems, according to a Canadian scientist. Such flotillas of smart machines &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/smarter-than-c-3po-future-robots-will-work-in-teams-scientist-says/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/smarter-than-c-3po-future-robots-will-work-in-teams-scientist-says/">Smarter Than C-3PO: Future Robots Will Work in Teams, Scientist Says</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- google_ad_section_start --></p>
<p class="first">
	In the next few decades, teams of roving robots will take to the seas, the air and other hard-to-reach spots, communicating with one another and working to solve scientific problems, according to a Canadian scientist.</p>
<p>
	Such flotillas of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/34575-robots-evolve-in-computer-simulations.html">smart machines</a> could peer at coral reefs from underwater and in the air, or perhaps explore terrain that is difficult for humans to reach, said <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371481810925_1">Gregory Dudek</span>, research director of McGill University&#8217;s mobile robotics laboratory in Montreal.</p>
<p>
	First, however, researchers will need to make sure <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/topics/robots/">the robots</a> do not overwhelm the waiting humans with data. These robots should parse much of the information themselves and communicate the most interesting results to humans, sort of like a highlight reel from a sports game.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;It&#8217;s getting a robot to go in some environment — on the surface, under the water, on the moon, wherever — and getting it to tell me what it sees,&#8221; Dudek told the Canadian Science Writers&#8217; Association June 7 during its annual meeting.</p>
<p>
	One example, he said, could be <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/29570-hidden-deep-sea-corals-revealed.html">an underwater robot</a> that sends back the locations and types of coral that it views.</p>
<p>
	<strong>&#8216;This perception of C-3PO&#8217;</strong></p>
<p>
	Last year, Dudek took on a new responsibility: leading the new <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/19693-canada-space-robots-funding.html">NSERC Canadian Field Robotics Network</a>. With the federal government and industry partners providing 5 million Canadian dollars ($4.91 million) in matching contributions, robotics scientists across Canada will work together on projects to advance research in the field.</p>
<p>
	This work will culminate in an annual field test, in which robots will rove together underwater or on land, for applications ranging from monitoring oil pipelines to making real-time iceberg warnings.</p>
<p>
	At the conference, Dudek showed a video of a robot that could adjust to walking from the beach to swimming in the nearby water. He said advances in the field are making these machines smarter and faster. For instance, robots can perform multiple functions at the same time: walking, analyzing and sending back information.</p>
<p>
	The public, however, &#8220;has this perception of C-3PO&#8221; from &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; when talking about robotics, so it is difficult to convey how exciting this really is to researchers, Dudek said.</p>
<p>
	Networks of robots will need to balance how often they will meet and how often they&#8217;ll work, he added. Regular contact will be essential to ensuring one robot isn&#8217;t doing all of the assignments. For example, if two machines are exploring the city of Montreal, and one were to stumble into a dead end, resources should be reallocated, Dudek said.</p>
<p>
	Meeting, however, could involve long-distance technologies — the same ones as humans often use. Depending on the terrain, the robots could communicate using short-range radio, Bluetooth or even light beams. But talking shouldn&#8217;t happen all the time, Dudek added.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;If we say, &#8216;Let&#8217;s meet very often,&#8217; it&#8217;s not efficient, and you spend all your time in meetings,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>
	<em>Follow Elizabeth Howell </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/howellspace/">@howellspace</a><em>, or </em><em>LiveScience on Twitter </em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/#!/LiveScience">@livescience</a><em>. We&#8217;re also on </em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/livescience">Facebook</a><em>  </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://plus.google.com/101164570444913213957/posts">Google+</a><em>.</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/29376-rise-of-super-intelligent-robots.html">Super-Intelligent Machines: 7 Robotic Futures</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/34566-weirdest-3d-printed-objects.html">The 10 Weirdest Things Created By 3D Printing</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/18641-reasons-fear-robots.html">5 Reasons to Fear Robots</a></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Copyright 2013 <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/">LiveScience</a>, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</span></p>
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		<title>Kenneth Wilson, Nobel winner for physics, dies</title>
		<link>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/kenneth-wilson-nobel-winner-for-physics-dies/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:13:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor - Science News</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>SACO, Maine (AP) — A physics professor who earned a Nobel prize for pioneering work that changed the way physicists think about phase transitions has died in Maine at age 77. Kenneth Wilson was in the physics department at Cornell &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/kenneth-wilson-nobel-winner-for-physics-dies/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/kenneth-wilson-nobel-winner-for-physics-dies/">Kenneth Wilson, Nobel winner for physics, dies</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="first"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_8">SACO, Maine</span> (AP) — A <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_5">physics professor</span> who earned a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_3">Nobel prize</span> for pioneering work that changed the way physicists think about phase transitions has died in Maine at age 77.</p>
<p><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_1">Kenneth Wilson</span> was in the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_4">physics department</span> at <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_6">Cornell University</span> in Ithaca, N.Y., when he won the Nobel Prize in 1982 for applying his research in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_2">quantum physics</span> to <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_7">phase transitions</span>, the transformation that occurs when a substance goes from, say, liquid to gas. He created a mathematical tool that is still used in physics.</p>
<p>The son of a Harvard chemist, the Waltham, Mass., later retired from <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371577328138_9">Ohio State University</span>.</p>
<p>Wilson had been living in Gray, Maine. Friends and family say he died Saturday at a nursing home in Saco from complications of lymphoma.</p>
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		<title>Scientists discuss new photo-taking satellite</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:13:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor - Science News</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Nearly 120 scientists and engineers from around the world are meeting in South Dakota this week to discuss operational and technical issues with collecting images from the Landsat 8 satellite. The U.S. Geological Survey&#8217;s Earth &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/scientists-discuss-new-photo-taking-satellite/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/scientists-discuss-new-photo-taking-satellite/">Scientists discuss new photo-taking satellite</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="first">SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Nearly 120 scientists and engineers from around the world are meeting in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_3">South Dakota</span> this week to discuss operational and technical issues with collecting images from the Landsat 8 <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_4">satellite</span>.</p>
<p>The U.S. Geological Survey&#8217;s <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_9">Earth Resources Observation</span> and Science Center north of Sioux Falls collects, archives and makes available for download more than 400 data-filled images of the Earth each day. The center also partners with a network of ground stations across the globe that help download and distribute the data.</p>
<p>More than two dozen countries are represented at this week&#8217;s meetings of the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_1">Landsat Ground Station Operators Working Group</span> and the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_2">Landsat Technical Working Group</span> in Sioux Falls, said <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_6">Steven Labahn</span>, the center&#8217;s international ground station network manager.</p>
<p>&#8220;The international cooperators have some very local expertise and knowledge about these special areas,&#8221; Labahn said &#8220;We share information that improves the entire data set.&#8221;</p>
<p>Since 1972, Landsat satellites have been snapping pictures across the globe as part of a mission to document the planet. Satellites in the fleet have helped document forest fires, tsunamis and everyday changes in the Earth&#8217;s geography.</p>
<p>NASA launched the newest addition, Landsat 8, in February, and the space agency handed over operational control of the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_5">satellite</span> to the EROS Center a few weeks ago.</p>
<p><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_7">Adam Lewis</span>, representing the Australian government at the meeting, said the photos help scientists see what is happening to the planet over time. &#8220;You can measure how much bare earth there is, and that tells you how well the land&#8217;s being managed, whether it&#8217;s being affected by drought, how much runoff there might be into rivers and oceans,&#8221; said Lewis, the National Earth Observation group leader for Geoscience Australia.</p>
<p>Landsat 8 is working in tandem with Landsat 7, launched in 1999, to take pictures of each inch of the planet&#8217;s surface every eight days. Landsat 7 continues to operate despite a faulty scan line corrector that leaves zigzag gaps in some images.</p>
<p>Landsat 5, which dates back to 1984, worked decades past its expected mission end but began failing in November.</p>
<p>The earlier generation satellites had limited capacity to store data, and the international ground stations were needed to regularly download information so the orbiters could keep snapping pictures. Landsat 8 has enough onboard storage to send all its images back to the South Dakota repository, but the stations are a backup in case the orbiter ever fails.</p>
<p>&#8220;That network is standing at the ready to bring images back,&#8221; Labahn said. &#8220;We wouldn&#8217;t have to lose the mission or the ability to capture images globally.&#8221;</p>
<p>The international partners also use their local expertise to help calibrate the satellite&#8217;s imagery, like zeroing out a bathroom scale.</p>
<p>When the Landsat is over Australia, for instance, it should capture the darkness of the man-made Lake Argyle while recording the bright color of Lake Frome, which is a shallow salt pan.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have nice clear atmosphere, so when the satellite&#8217;s looking at those, there&#8217;s no smog or other hazing to confuse the signal,&#8221; Lewis said.</p>
<p><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371598751083_8">Ground stations</span> can also help the satellite flight operations team gain telemetry about the health of the satellite while it&#8217;s on the other side of the world, he added.</p>
<p>The new Landsat has several advantages over its still-functioning predecessor, which captures just 250 images a day.</p>
<p>Landsat 8 boasts two new spectral bands: one to see deeper into oceans, lakes and rivers, and another to detect cirrus clouds and correct for atmospheric effects. And its infrared band is split into two, allowing for more accurate surface temperature readings.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online: http://landsat.usgs.gov/</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Dirk Lammers on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/ddlammers</p>
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		<title>Astronaut &#8216;I Scream&#8217;: New NASA Astronaut Candidates Excited to Be Chosen</title>
		<link>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/astronaut-i-scream-new-nasa-astronaut-candidates-excited-to-be-chosen/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:13:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor - Science News</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Ann McClain&#8216;s mother was in her front yard rose garden when her daughter called with the news. &#8220;You&#8217;ll never forget this moment,&#8221; McClain, a 34-year-old major in the U.S. Army told her mom. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been selected as an astronaut candidate.&#8221; &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/astronaut-i-scream-new-nasa-astronaut-candidates-excited-to-be-chosen/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/astronaut-i-scream-new-nasa-astronaut-candidates-excited-to-be-chosen/">Astronaut &#8216;I Scream&#8217;: New NASA Astronaut Candidates Excited to Be Chosen</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
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<p class="first">
	<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371580218162_6">Ann McClain</span>&#8216;s mother was in her front yard rose garden when her daughter called with the news.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;You&#8217;ll never forget this moment,&#8221; <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371580218162_5">McClain</span>, a 34-year-old major in the U.S. Army told her mom. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-061813a.html">selected as an astronaut candidate</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	Her mother&#8217;s response, to scream so loud that McClain&#8217;s stepfather ran out of the house thinking his wife had just injured herself, was rivaled only by McClain&#8217;s. [<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/21599-nasa-astronaut-class-2013-pictures.html">Photos: Meet NASA's 2013 Astronaut Class</a>]</p>
<p>
	&#8220;She sounded like she had the same reaction as I did,&#8221; McClain recalled in a video interview released by <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371580218162_2">NASA</span>.</p>
<p>
	McClain and seven others were announced Monday (June 17) as the United States&#8217; <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-061713b.html">21st class of NASA astronaut candidates</a> (&#8220;ascans&#8221;). The four men and four women will report to the agency&#8217;s <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371580218162_1">Johnson Space Center</span> in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371580218162_7">Houston</span> in August to begin two years of basic training.</p>
<p>
	Victor Glover, a 37-year-old lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy pinched himself after getting the call to report for <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371580218162_3">NASA</span> astronaut training. Currently assigned as a Navy Legislative Fellow in the U.S. Congress, he and his wife, Janet, had been waiting for word as to where he would be going next.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;I called her and I was able to tell her that now we know where we are going, it will be to <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371580218162_4">Houston</span>,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And she was ecstatic.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	Tyler &#8220;Nick&#8221; Hague hadn&#8217;t yet told his parents, but knew they would be excited. His brothers&#8217; reaction? Well, that was bound to be different.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;My brothers, as they always do, will give me a hard time and tell me the challenges ahead in the training program,&#8221; said Hague, a 37-year-old lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and the current deputy chief of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. &#8220;But everybody is going to be excited.&#8221;</p>
</p>
<p>
	<strong>Exciting exploration</strong></p>
<p>
	Other than being thrilled for their selection — the ascans were chosen from among <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-111511a.html">more than 6,000 applicants</a>, the second largest turn out in NASA&#8217;s history — the eight new candidates said they were really excited at the prospect of contributing to humanity&#8217;s exploration efforts.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;I&#8217;m really excited about being a part of something much bigger than me and working alongside some of the world&#8217;s best minds, who, thankfully for us, feel the same about being a part of something much bigger than them,&#8221; said <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371580218162_8">Josh Casada</span>, 39, a high-energy particle physicist and a former naval aviator.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;From my perspective, exploration is the foundation of the human spirit, whether that exploration is at the subatomic level or on the nano scale or even the cosmic scale,&#8221; Casada added. &#8220;I think if society is not exploring, we are really just kind of sustaining, and to be able to contribute to that exploration in any small way is really exciting.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	Glover expressed similar sentiments, stating he is excited to be a &#8220;part of kindling America&#8217;s passion for aerospace and space.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	&#8220;There is something special about flying, and especially flying in space, that it just draws people&#8217;s fascinations and passions,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Being a part of that is the thing that I think excites me the most.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	NASA recruited this class, its first trainees in four years, to prepare for flights to the International Space Station, as well as <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-041013a.html">future missions to an asteroid</a>and Mars. [<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/12156-7-notable-space-shuttle-astronauts-countdown.html">7 Notable Space Shuttle Astronauts</a>]</p>
<p>
	&#8220;I really look forward to being able to directly contribute to the human spaceflight program,&#8221; said Christina Hammock, 34, who serves as a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/30497-noaa-oceans-photos-110606.html">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)</a> station chief in American Samoa. &#8220;I really strongly believe in both the practical aspects of the research being conducted, as well as the larger picture of the human spaceflight program bringing us forward as a human race and uniting us in exploring the universe.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	<strong>Looking forward</strong></p>
<p>
	Before they can hope to launch into space though, the candidates will need to <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-100809a.html">first pass basic training</a>. Over the next two months, the eight ascans will need to relocate to Houston, where they will soon join the NASA community at Johnson Space Center.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;I am really looking forward to the people down at NASA and working for that really great organization,&#8221; 35-year-old Nicole Mann, a major in the Marine Corps, said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve had the opportunity to go down [to Johnson Space Center] a couple of times for a visit and really it is just the energy and the excitement.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	&#8220;The professionals there and our international partners — everybody working towards a common mission, towards science, exploration and that goal of all of humankind — I&#8217;m looking forward to being a part of that very important team,&#8221; she said.</p>
<p>
	Andrew Morgan, a 37-year-old emergency physician and flight surgeon, shares Mann&#8217;s admiration for the people at NASA.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;I definitely felt drawn to being surrounded by the people I have encountered at NASA and being part of the astronaut office and being part of the astronaut corps,&#8221; Morgan said. &#8220;It was just a tremendously talented group of people — and to be a part of that, I knew that would be something special.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	Jessica Meir said she too, was excited to be part of the NASA team, but was also looking forward to the training she and her seven ascans will soon begin.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;I have my private pilot&#8217;s license but I am really excited about going to Pensacola [Fla.] for real flight training in jets. That is something that will be really, really incredible for me,&#8221; the 35-year-old assistant professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School in Boston said.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;I am also looking forward to the international component. I really enjoy studying foreign languages and cultures, and so the emergence in the Russian culture and society that we will have as part of the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html">International Space Station</a> and the other international partners as well, I am really looking forward to that.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	<em>Follow collectSPACE.com on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/collectspace">Facebook</a> and on Twitter at @<a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/collectspace">collectSPACE</a>. Copyright 2013 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/11638-space-records-countdown.html">Most Extreme Human Spaceflight Records</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/21586-nasa-unveils-2013-astronaut-class-video.html">NASA Unveils 2013 Astronaut Class | Video </a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/20616-astronaut-space-life-video-guide.html">Life in Space: Astronaut Chris Hadfield&#8217;s Video Guide</a></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Copyright 2013 <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/">SPACE.com</a>, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</span></p>
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<p>Article source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/astronaut-scream-nasa-astronaut-candidates-excited-chosen-182803934.html">Article Source</a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/astronaut-i-scream-new-nasa-astronaut-candidates-excited-to-be-chosen/">Astronaut &#8216;I Scream&#8217;: New NASA Astronaut Candidates Excited to Be Chosen</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>See Saturn in Stunning HD in Live Webcast Tonight</title>
		<link>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/see-saturn-in-stunning-hd-in-live-webcast-tonight/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/see-saturn-in-stunning-hd-in-live-webcast-tonight/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:37:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor - Science News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Science News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/see-saturn-in-stunning-hd-in-live-webcast-tonight/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Saturn is widely regarded as the most beautiful object in the solar system, and tonight you can get a detailed look at the iconic ringed planet through a powerful telescope during a live webcast. The online Slooh Space Camera will &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/see-saturn-in-stunning-hd-in-live-webcast-tonight/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/see-saturn-in-stunning-hd-in-live-webcast-tonight/">See Saturn in Stunning HD in Live Webcast Tonight</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- google_ad_section_start --></p>
<p class="first">
	<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371590113325_4">Saturn</span> is widely regarded as the most beautiful object in the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371590113325_6">solar system</span>, and tonight you can get a detailed look at the iconic ringed planet through a powerful telescope during a live webcast.</p>
<p>
	The online <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371590113325_1">Slooh Space Camera</span> will air a free <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html">Saturn</a> webcast tonight (June 18) at 11:45 p.m. EST (0345 GMT on June 19), featuring live high-definition views of the planet as seen through a telescope at the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371590113325_2">Prescott Observatory</span> in Arizona.</p>
<p>
	&#8220;In 40 years of observing the heavens and watching people&#8217;s reactions to celestial glories, I&#8217;ve found that no object elicits more amazement and sheer wonder than Saturn,&#8221; <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371590113325_7">Bob Berman</span>, contributing editor and monthly columnist for Astronomy magazine, said in a statement. &#8220;I am thrilled to be part of Slooh&#8217;s live close-up visit to that magnificent planet.&#8221;</p>
<p>
	You can <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/19195-night-sky-planets-asteroids-webcasts.html">watch the Slooh Saturn webcast here on SPACE.com</a>. Prescott Observatory manager Matt Francis will join Berman for tonight&#8217;s 45-minute show, which will also include earlier Saturn views captured by an observatory in the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa.</p>
<p>
	You can also follow the Slooh webcast live via the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://events.slooh.com/">Slooh Space Camera website</a>.</p>
</p>
<p>
	Slooh president <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371590113325_5">Patrick Paolucci</span> told SPACE.com that tonight&#8217;s show is expected to focus on the rings and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371590113325_3">moons of Saturn</span>, as well as the mysterious six-sided vortex that swirls around Saturn&#8217;s north pole.</p>
<p>
	Scientist think that this bizarre hexagonal storm, which is nearly 15,000 miles (25,000 kilometers) across, is formed by the path of a jet stream flowing through Saturn&#8217;s atmosphere.</p>
<p>
	<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371590113325_8">The Slooh</span> show will also discuss the activities and accomplishments of NASA&#8217;s Cassini spacecraft, which launched in 1997 and has been orbiting the gas giant since 2004, Paolucci said.</p>
<p>
	Saturn is the second-largest planet in the solar system, with a diameter about nine times that of Earth. The planet has more than 60 known moons, including Titan, which has a hydrocarbon weather cycle and liquid lakes composed of methane and ethane.</p>
<p>
	Saturn&#8217;s famous rings are composed primarily of water ice and are thought to be just 33 feet (10 meters) or so thick in most places.</p>
<p>
	<strong>Editor&#8217;s note</strong>: If you snap an amazing photo of Saturn in the night sky, or any other celestial object, and you&#8217;d like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please send images and comments, including location information, to Managing Editor Tariq Malik at <a rel="nofollow">spacephotos@space.com</a>.</p>
<p>
	<em>Follow Mike Wall on Twitter </em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/michaeldwall"><em>@michaeldwall</em></a><em> and </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/108984047382030613667/posts"><em>Google+</em></a><em>. Follow us </em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/spacedotcom"><em>@Spacedotcom</em></a><em>, </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/spacecom"><em>Facebook</em></a><em> or </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://plus.google.com/+SPACEcom/posts"><em>Google+</em></a><em>. Originally published on </em><em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/21615-saturn-webcast-slooh-space-camera.html">SPACE.com</a>.</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/16567-saturn-quiz-rings-moons.html"> Saturn Quiz: How Well Do You Know the Ringed Planet?</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/17653-amazing-cosmic-photos-slooh-space-camera.html">Slooh Space Camera&#8217;s Night Sky: Cosmic Photos by Amateur Astronomers</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/15218-saturn-rings-photos-space-gallery.html">Photos: Saturn&#8217;s Glorious Rings Up Close</a></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Copyright 2013 <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.space.com/">SPACE.com</a>, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</span></p>
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		<title>Huge &#8216;Dead Zone&#8217; Predicted in Gulf of Mexico</title>
		<link>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/huge-dead-zone-predicted-in-gulf-of-mexico/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/huge-dead-zone-predicted-in-gulf-of-mexico/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:37:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor - Science News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Science News]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>A very large dead zone, an area of water with no or very little oxygen, is expected to form in the Gulf of Mexico this year — a trend in recent years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration &#8230; <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/huge-dead-zone-predicted-in-gulf-of-mexico/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/06/huge-dead-zone-predicted-in-gulf-of-mexico/">Huge &#8216;Dead Zone&#8217; Predicted in Gulf of Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.rocketnews.com"></a>.</p>]]></description>
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<p class="first">
	A very large <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371597026641_2">dead zone</span>, an area of water with no or very little oxygen, is expected to form in the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371597026641_3">Gulf of Mexico</span> this year — a trend in recent years, according to the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371597026641_1">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</span> (<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371597026641_4">NOAA</span>).</p>
<p>
	Computer models put together by scientists predict that the zone will cover an area between 7,286 and 8,561 square miles (18,871 to 22,173 square kilometers) this summer, the typical time for such zones to form. The large end of the estimate is roughly the size of the state of New Jersey, and would be the largest dead zone ever recorded. The biggest one recorded to date, in 2002, reached 8,481 square miles (21,966 <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371597026641_5">square km</span>).</p>
<p>
	Meanwhile, models predict the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/15438-dead-zones-alive-gulf-mexico.html">dead zone</a> in the Chesapeake Bay will be smaller than usual.</p>
<p>
	The makings of a dead zone begin with nutrient pollution, primarily fertilizers and agricultural runoff. Once these excess nutrients reach the ocean, they fuel <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/34461-red-tide.html">algae blooms</a>. The algae then die and decompose in a process that consumes oxygen and creates lifeless areas where fish and other aquatic creatures can&#8217;t survive. This zone can have serious impacts on commercial and recreational fisheries on the Gulf Coast.</p>
<p>
	Conditions are ripe for a large dead zone this summer, thanks to heavy rains throughout much of the Midwest this spring that have caused water nutrient runoff (for example, from farm fertilizer) with it, according to a NOAA statement.</p>
<p>
	Last year&#8217;s dead zone was smaller than average due, in large part, to the drought that gripped much of the country. It reached a maximum size of about 2,889 square miles (7,483 square km), an area slightly larger than the state of Delaware. Since 1995, the average Gulf dead zone has been 5,960 square miles (15,436 square km), an area a little larger than the size of Connecticut.</p>
<p>
	The official size of the Gulf hypoxic, or dead zone, will be released in August, according to the statement.</p>
<p>
	<em>Email</em> <a rel="nofollow"><em>Douglas Main</em></a><em> or follow him on</em> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/Douglas_Main"><em>Twitter</em></a> <em>or</em> <a rel="nofollow" href="https://plus.google.com/110313020217658235558/posts"><em>Google+</em></a><em>. </em><em>Follow us </em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/#!/LiveScience">@livescience</a><em>, </em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/livescience">Facebook</a> <em>or </em><a rel="nofollow" href="https://plus.google.com/101164570444913213957/posts">Google+</a><em>. Article originally on LiveScience.com.</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/4226-world-10-polluted-places.html">World&#8217;s 10 Most Polluted Places</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/29569-8-of-the-worlds-most-endangered-places.html">8 of the World&#8217;s Most Endangered Places</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/19102-amazing-facts-earth.html">50 Interesting Facts About The Earth</a></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Copyright 2013 <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.livescience.com/">LiveScience</a>, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</span></p>
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