[Science] Exoplanet Kepler 37b is tiniest yet - smaller than Mercury

Exoplanet Kepler 37b is tiniest yet - smaller than Mercury
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21471908
Astronomers have smashed the record for the smallest planet beyond our Solar System - finding one only slightly larger than our Moon.

Lobster Nebula: Gorgeous new view of a stellar nursery
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/science-2/lobster-nebula-gorgeous-new-view-of-a-stellar-nursery/
This infrared view reveals the stellar nursery known as NGC 6357 in a new light. It was taken as part of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) survey.

NASA Curiosity rover shows off historic scoop of Mars rock
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/NASA-rover-preps-for-1st-test-of-drilled-Mars-rock-4294319.php
NASA's Curiosity rover has successfully collected its first sample from inside a Martian rock - and the robot geologist has the photo to prove it, Jet Propulsion Laboratory officials said.

NASA unveils 1st radar video of asteroid flyby
http://www.smh.com.au/world/un-calls-for-asteroid-defence-body-20130221-2esgc.html
NASA has revealed the first radar video of an asteroid flyby that sent a space rock half the size of a football field buzzing by Earth last week.

Higgs Boson Doom: Researchers Predict 'Fireballs Of Doom' Could Mean ...
http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/02/20/Will-Higgs-boson-doom-the-universe/3221361383926/
(Photo : Wikimedia Commons) An example of simulated data modeled for the CMS particle detector on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.

The adorable moment when a baby whale swims right up to a boat so that the ...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2281961/Video-shows-adorable-moment-baby-whale-swims-right-boat-passengers-pet-back.html
A Californian family got an unexpected surprise when a baby grey whale came right up to their boat and it wanted the people to pet it.

Seen any meteors lately? Map shows 4300 years of impacts
http://www.complex.com/tech/2013/02/map-details-earths-meteorite-impacts-from-past-4000-years
If you thought that asteroid that scorched through the Russian sky last week was something out of the ordinary, think again. An interactive map that's going viral shows the location, size, and chemical makeup of every asteroid and meteor that has slammed into ...

CAVE2, University of Illinois at Chicago Project, Visualizes Big Data On Room ...
http://www.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/02/20/future-science-using-3d-worlds-to-visualize-data
CHICAGO -- Take a walk through a human brain? Fly over the surface of Mars? Computer scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago are pushing science fiction closer to reality with a wraparound virtual world where a researcher wearing 3-D glasses can ...

Polar Bear Populations Drop: Researchers Debate Methods of Preservation
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/5075/20130220/polar-bear-populations-drop-researchers-debate-methods.htm
(Photo : Reuters) Researchers and environmental groups alike are trying to highlight the plight of the polar bear. A large male polar bear feeds on the fin of a whale carcass in Holmiabukta Bay, northwestern Svalbard, in this undated handout photo.

"Vulcan" has big lead in bid to name Pluto's newly discovered moons
http://www.space.com/19871-pluto-moon-vulcan-star-trek.html
Wed Feb 20, 2013 7:04pm EST. (Reuters) - "Star Trek" star William Shatner and tens of thousands of the show's fans are leading a charge to name one of Pluto's newly discovered moons after the character Spock's home planet.

NASA instrument sees giant sunspot forming
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2013/02/20/NASA-instrument-sees-giant-sunspot-forming/UPI-80691361403797/
The bottom two black spots on the sun, known as sunspots, appeared quickly over the course of Feb. 19-20. These two sunspots are part of the same system and are over six Earths across.

111 chimps retired from federal research reside in Chimp Haven
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/digs-federal-research-chimps-savor-retirement-18544016
An adult chimp plays with a young chimp at Chimp Haven in Keithville, Los Angeles on Monday, Feb 18, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP. Chimps use sticks to poke into a mock termite mound to taste a sweet substance placed in the mound by keepers at Chimp Haven in ...

Newly Discovered Scorpion Species Found Outside Tucson, Arizona
http://www.counselheal.com/articles/3982/20130220/newly-discovered-scorpion-species-found-outside-tucson.htm
The newly discovered dark brown creature, discovered by University of Washington biologist Rob Bryson, is only about 1 inch (27 millimeters) long and lives in the oak forests in the Santa Catalina Mountains at an elevation of around 5,900 feet (1,800 meters), ...

Drunk Apes Part of Our Family Tree?
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/drunk-monkeys-primates-discovered-alcohol-10-mil-years-researchers-article-1.1267832
Ancient primates - a common ancestor of chimps, gorillas, and ourselves - started boozing about 10 million years ago, new research finds.