TODAY'S TOP NEWS STORIESAnimals Just Like to Have Fun, Survey FindsJennifer Viegas, Discovery News May 11, 2009 -- From tickling to playing catch, animals engage in certain behaviors just for fun, even enjoying sensations that are unknown to humans, concludes an extensive new survey on pleasure in the animal kingdom. The findings, published in the latest Animal Behavior, hold moral significance, argues author Jonathan Balcombe. He believes scientists, conservationists and other animal rights activists should not overlook animal joy. » More Animals News Animals Just Like to Have Fun, Survey FindsFrom seagulls that play catch to fish that exchange charges, animals seek pleasure.SLIDE SHOW: Got Joy? Animals DoLike people, animals engage in a variety of behaviors just for the fun of it.Milky Way May Be Teeming With Black HolesRogue black holes may be scattered throughout the Milky Way, say astronomers.Coal Supply May Be Vastly OverestimatedThe world's coal supply may be so low that an energy crisis looms, estimates show.Space Shuttle Blasts Off for Hubble MissionShuttle Atlantis takes off for an ambitious mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.Surveillance Tech Watches for AnomaliesIntelligent cameras are replacing human eyes and watching for suspicious behavior.Hubble: From Joke to Cherished Eye in SpaceThe Hubble Space Telescope has captivated the world, but its start was nearly a fiasco.SLIDE SHOW: The Week's Top StoriesBrowse through images from the week's top stories in Discovery News.Warning: Sunspot Cycle Beginning to RiseAs the sun moves into a busier part of its cycle, engineers on Earth stand guard.Earthly Cave Bacteria Hint at Mars LifeEarth's first cave dwellers show how life on Mars may be possible today.Polar Bear Protection Won't Be BroadenedPolar bear protection will not be expanded to include nation-wide emissions limits.Shrinking Glaciers Redraw Europe's BordersItaly and Switzerland remap their borders as global warming alters the dividing line.Whale Sharks Travel Vast Distances to BreedThe biggest fish in the sea, whale sharks, are surprisingly low in genetic diversity.Look of Youth May Boost Success of Black CEOsBlack CEOs with a "babyface" appearance are more likely to lead wealthy companies.Basking Sharks' Hiding Places FoundBasking sharks hide out and scientists have finally tracked where they go.Hubble Telescope to Get Final House CallAstronauts will make final repairs and add key instruments to the Hubble Space Telescope.Domestication Led to Horse Color ExplosionHorses' coats exploded into colors after domestication took off some 5,500 years ago.Giant Trilobites in Portugal Could Be BiggestA newly discovered cluster of trilobite fossils could include the largest ever found.Fears of 'Lights Out' for Malaysian FirefliesA dazzling firefly population in Malaysia faces destruction due to tree clearing.Fuel for Deep Space Missions Running LowNASA is running out of nuclear fuel needed for its deep space exploration.Seahorses 'Stood Up' 25 Million Years AgoSeahorses adopted their upright posture to take advantage of grassy habitats.'Hobbit' New Species After All, Says StudyAnalysis of the feet of ancient hobbit-like fossils suggest they were their own species.Hydrogen Fuel Made Using Green EnergyNASA designs a green-powered fueling system for buses that run on hydrogen.Dating Sites ID the Smell of LoveTwo dating companies turn to science and odor to help couples find their match.Smuggler Tries to Conceal Birds in SocksA man tried smuggling songbirds into the country by hiding them in a pair of leggings.Disease Strikes Great Barrier ReefBlack band disease, which kills coral as it eats tissue, has infected the Great Barrier Reef.Some Himalayan Glaciers Growing Despite WarmingA cluster of glaciers in the Himalayas are bucking the global warming trend.New Race Car Runs on ChocolateA race car fueled by chocolate waste is designed to reach 145 mph.NASA to Test Antifungal Drugs in SpaceA satellite the size of a loaf of bread will test how well antibiotics work in space.WIDE ANGLE: Earth's Greatest MountainsGet dispatches from an Everest trek and explore how huge mountains grew.Mercury in Seal's Diet Linked to WarmingVanishing sea ice could cause seals to eat more mercury-contaminated fish.BLOG: Mexico's Toughest AnimalsOn this Cinco de Mayo, explore a top 10 look at Mexico's hardiest animals.Disease Threatening Bees in South AfricaHundreds of thousands of bees are at risk from a disease sweeping through hives.Rome's 'Talking Statues' Get SanitizedStatues that have served as platforms for satirical Romans for centuries get a clean up.Grey Wolf Taken Off Endangered ListAfter a comeback the grey wolf is no longer endangered and can be hunted in most states.Lizards Sunbathe for Vitamin DLizards and chameleons bask in the sun to stock up on vitamin D.Supercontinent Set Stage for Worst ExtinctionErosion flowing off Pangea may choked seas and set the stage for mass extinction.Dr Pepper Artifact Points to Original FormulaAn old drugstore ledger now up for auction has a recipe for "D Peppers Pepsin Bitters."SLIDE SHOW: The Week's Top StoriesThere was more to the news this week than swine flu. See what you may have missed.Mercury Flyby Reveals Active Inner PlanetThe solar system's smallest planet is far more active than previously thought.Ozone Recovery Could Thaw AntarcticaThe ozone hole may explain why Antarctica's ice is more resilient than the Arctic's, for now.Comet Dust Collected by NASA Predates SunAn excursion to collect comet dust yields a surprise: the dust is older than the sun.Mummified Puppy Found in Egyptian TombA tiny body found at the feet of an Egyptian mummy was probably his beloved pet.Pet Trade Introduces Diseases, CostsInvasive species, often introduced as pets, increase risk to diseases and lead to heavy costs.Dancing Birds Feel the BeatSome birds can boogie to the beat in almost-perfect tempo. How do they do it?Evidence of Water Found on Saturn Moon EnceladusIce volcanoes on Enceladus are probably rooted in a subsurface sea of liquid water.New Toxin Detected in Forest Fire SmokeScientists discover a new pollutant emitted from forest fires that can alter human DNA.Blue Laser Could Help Lead to Autism CureScientists use a laser in mice to induce a brain wave that is linked to concentration.Animals That Play Dead Sacrifice OthersAnimals that play dead often survive, but more often when others are there to take the heat.Hypersonic 'WaveRider' Poised for Test FlightThe X-51 is designed to fly more than six times faster than the speed of sound.Swine Flu Outbreak Tracked With TwitterAdd Twitter to the toolbox for public epidemiologists tracking the spread of swine flu.GPS and Hair Analysis Reveal Elephant StressesKenya elephants' diets are gleaned from tail hair analysis and GPS tracking.Wide Angle: Swine Flu OutbreakGet video, interviews, news and more on pandemics and the swine flu.Plastic Water Bottles May Pose Health HazardWater bottles made with PET plastic are shown to harbor estrogenic compounds.Top 10 Animals That Carry FluAs swine flu captures the world's attention, we wondered, which strain is next?Antimatter Scout to Hitch Last Shuttle RideA 7.5-ton antimatter detector could help explain the universe's lopsided balance sheet.Stress Gives Reef Fish Wonky EarsReef fish under environmental stress create offspring with asymmetrical ears.Wimps, Fitness Buffs Hear 'Looming' Sounds DifferentlyWeak people perceive approaching sounds as closer than they really are. But why?Sea Shells Used to Clean Up Heavy MetalsCrushed shells work to remove heavy metals from contaminated water and soils.INTERVIEW: Microbes Spread in the WindDust storms can carry infectious diseases to far-flung parts of the globe.Methane Climate Shock Unlikely, Study SaysCatastrophic climate change from methane release may be less likely than thought.Dead Star Debris Reveals Earth-Like TracesAbout 1 to 3 percent of dead stars could have hosted Earth-like worlds.DDT Exposure in Womb May Cause ObesityA pregnant woman's diet can have significant effects on her child's health years later.Ozone Layer Faces Bumpy Return to HealthThe Earth's ailing ozone layer may recover, but it will never look exactly like it used to.Yearbook Photo Smiles Predict Marriage SuccessA person's smile in yearbook pictures appears to predict later marriage success.Microbe-Powered 'Fart' Machine Stores EnergyA new electrical device could improve fuel cell tech by turning CO2 into methane.Owls Getting Redder as Climate WarmsLike living thermometers, some owls are turning redder as the climate warms.'Drowned' Spiders Come Back From the DeadMarsh spiders enter temporary comas to survive drowning, research shows.Deeper NewsSwine Flu Outbreak The spread of swine flu begs the question, is this the next "Big One?" We look at the flu virus in this special Discovery News Wide Angle. Discovery Earth WIDE ANGLE: Fossil Fuels. Read about the limits of coal and signs that we're past the fossil fuel brink -- and how that's good news. Discovery Tech WIDE ANGLE: The Tech Face of Everest. It takes talent, training and courage to get to the top of the world, but it also takes the right gadgets. Discovery Space WIDE ANGLE: Hubble's Final Fix. This repair mission is the last time anyone will touch the space telescope. Dig into Hubble's last hurrah. Discovery News Video Our producers get dirty with scientists and newsmakers, covering the world through a uniquely Discovery lens. News in PicturesTop 10 Animals That Carry Flu Which animals can pass the flu virus on to people? Find out in our Top 10. Earth, From a Bird's Eye Take a tour of the home planet through the watchful eyes of Earth-observing satellites. The Many Faces of Da Vinci Experts have never been certain what Leonardo da Vinci looked like, but the answer could be somewhere in these portraits. Lights Out for Earth Hour From the Egyptian pyramids to the Arctic Circle, millions took part in Earth Hour 2009. New Species From Papua New Guinea A trove of new species are found in a remote region of Papua New Guinea. AnimalsArchaeologyDinosaursEarth |
News Blogs
Free Space: Irene Klotz
"Acting administrator Chris Scolese said he’s been to see the president three times last month..."
Born Animal : Jennifer Viegas
"We're celebrating all moms, from doting cockroaches to mothers the size of a bus..."
Earth Pub
"Sixty-eight percent of Republicans do not believe (or perhaps one should more accurately say acknowledge) the theory of evolution..."
Earth Live Arctic Blog
"We will continue our sampling campaign during the Barrow snowmelt period..."
Archaeorama : Rossella Lorenzi
VIDEO: "Dr. Hawass takes us into the mysterious tunnel in the tomb of King Seti I, deep into the Theban cliffs..."
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