[Science] Domestic Cats Kill Billions Of Mice And Birds Per Year, Study Estimates

Domestic Cats Kill Billions Of Mice And Birds Per Year, Study Estimates
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/01/30/your_cuddly_kitty_is_actually_a_natural_born_killer_says_new_study.html
In a new study, biologists estimate cats kill billions of birds, mice and small mammals each year. (Image via Shutterstock). Your pet cat may not be as cute and cuddly as you might think.

Simulation reveals evolutionary origins of modularity
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20130029233716data_trunc_sys.shtml
Robotics researchers say they now understand why humans, bacteria and other organisms evolved in a modular fashion, a finding that they believe will lead to a deeper understanding of the evolution of complexity.

Beijing smog offers silver lining for some
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/smog-fraud-and-diplomacy/
Flights have been cancelled, traffic disrupted and hospital wards filled with patients, but one part of the Chinese economy is benefiting from Beijing's toxic air pollution.

How the Columbia shuttle disaster changed spacecraft safety forever
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270183/Fine-dining-space-Astronaut-food-travels-light-years-half-century--meat-paste-tube-haute-cuisine-paella-bag.html
Ten years after the devastating Columbia space shuttle accident that took the lives of seven astronauts, NASA is building a new spacecraft that will take humans farther into space than ever before, and will incorporate the safety lessons learned from the ...

Cold front may foul rocket launch
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av036/preview.html
Forecasters give a 2 in 5 chance of communications satellite launch being grounded because of weather. 011113 tdrs-k satellite. Workers at AstroTech prepare the TDRS-K satellite for its scheduled launch Jan. 30.

'Habitable zone' for alien planets redefined
http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/habitable-zone-for-alien-planets-redefined/
Scientists have changed the rules for what constitutes the habitable zone of alien planets. In order to be considered potentially habitable, a planet must lie within the habitable zone, which is a distance that cannot be too far or too close to the planet's parent ...

If you saw something odd in the East Coast sky last night, it was just NASA
http://www.slashgear.com/if-you-saw-something-odd-in-the-east-coast-sky-last-night-it-was-just-nasa-30267330/
If you happen to be outside last night over on the United States East Coast looking at the sky, you may have been surprised at what you saw.

37 Pythons Killed So Far in Everglades Python Challenge
http://www.frenchtribune.com/teneur/1315730-37-pythons-killed-so-far-everglades-python-challenge
Florida's "Python Challenge" is almost near to its end and reports are confirming that approx 37 pythons have been caught so far in the Everglades.

NASA's new lunar robot will work all day, every day for years
http://thespacereporter.com/2013/01/nasas-new-lunar-robot-will-work-all-day-every-day-for-years/
NASA is building an incredible lunar digging robot that could work all day, every day for years. This robot will be as different from the Curiosity rover as night and day, according to a news release from the space agency.

NASA's Curiosity Rover Poised to Drill Into Mars
http://www.browndailyherald.com/2013/01/30/mars-team-ready-to-analyze-planets-surface/
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is sizing up a target rock and flexing its robotic arm ahead of its first-ever drilling activity on the Red Planet, which should take place in the coming days.

Giant asteroid will buzz the Earth on February 15
http://www.slashgear.com/giant-asteroid-will-buzz-the-earth-on-february-15-30267325/
NASA and other space agencies around the world are always on the lookout for giant asteroids headed towards the Earth. NASA recently reported that a gigantic and very fast asteroid will zip past the Earth on February 15.

APNewsBreak: Virgin shuns binding spaceport lease
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/28/3204968/apnewsbreak-virgin-agrees-to-pay.html
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Virgin Galactic has agreed to start paying New Mexico rent on the nearly quarter-billion dollar spaceport the state built for British businessman Richard Branson's space tourism business, but it says it is doing so under protest and ...

Ridges on Mars Point to Ancient Flowing Water
http://www.rdmag.com/news/2013/01/ridges-mars-suggest-ancient-flowing-water
Mars is cold, dry, and apparently dead. But it wasn't always this way. I've written before about the evidence of past liquid water on Mars; there are copious data to support the idea that there were rivers, lakes, catastrophic floods, and even oceans on the red ...