Nell Greenfieldboyce

Sand From Fracking Could Pose Lung Disease Risk To Workers

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:12:00 +0000

When workplace safety expert Eric Esswein got a chance to see fracking in action not too long ago, what he noticed was all the dust.

It was coming off big machines used to haul around huge loads of sand. The sand is a critical part of the hydraulic fracturing method of oil and gas extraction. After workers drill down into rock, they create fractures in that rock by pumping in a mixture of water, chemicals and sand.

First Space Tourist Sets Sights On A Mars Mission

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:57:00 +0000

The world's first space tourist is financing a project that aims to launch an American man and woman on a mission to fly by Mars in 2018.

Back in 2001, businessman Dennis Tito shelled out about $20 million to ride a Russian spaceship up to the International Space Station. Now he's unveiled a new nonprofit group called the Inspiration Mars Foundation.

It's working to take advantage of a launch opportunity coming up in January of 2018.

To Keep Deadly Bird Flu In The Lab, Feds Set Rules For Scientists

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:13:00 +0000

Government-funded scientists here in the U.S. are a step closer to being able to resume some controversial experiments with lab-altered bird flu viruses.

Researchers in the Netherlands restarted their experiments a week ago, after scientists around the world declared an end in January to a year-long voluntary moratorium.

Highly Anticipated Asteroid Upstaged, By A Meteor

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:18:00 +0000

The much-anticipated close flyby of a large asteroid was upstaged Friday when a meteor unexpectedly streaked across the sky over Russia. The ensuing explosion sent window shards flying and injured hundreds of people.

Close Shave: Asteroid To Buzz Earth Next Week

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:35:00 +0000

An asteroid the size of an office building will zoom close by Earth next week, but it's not on a collision course, NASA says.

Still, some people think this near-miss should serve as a wake-up call.

"It's a warning shot across our bow that we are flying around the solar system in a shooting gallery," says Ed Lu, a former astronaut and head of the B612 Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting humanity from asteroids.

The asteroid known as 2012 DA14 was first spotted last year by astronomers in Spain.

Silica Rule Changes Delayed While Workers Face Health Risks

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:31:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHwvKKQ5WtI

Scientists Put An End To Moratorium On Bird Flu Research

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:35:00 +0000

Controversial experiments on bird flu could resume within weeks because leading influenza researchers around the world have finally called a halt to an unusual moratorium that has lasted more than a year.

The voluntary pause in the research started back in January 2012.

Rules Would Retire Most Research Chimps

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:39:00 +0000

The National Institutes of Health should retire most of its chimps that are currently living in research facilities, according to a working group put together by the NIH to look at the future need for biomedical research on chimps.

The group did recommend keeping a small number of chimps in reserve in case they are needed for studies later on.

Figuring How to Pay For (Chimp) Retirement

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:36:00 +0000

Retirees flock to Florida — and the Sunshine State even has a retirement home for chimpanzees.

There, chimps live in small groups on a dozen man-made islands. Each 3-acre grassy island has palm trees and climbing structures, and is surrounded by a moat.

This is Save the Chimps, the world's biggest sanctuary for chimps formerly used in research experiments or the entertainment industry, or as pets. The chimps living here — 266 of them — range in age from 6 years old to over 50.

You Can't See It, But You'll Be A Different Person In 10 Years

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 23:08:00 +0000

No matter how old people are, they seem to believe that who they are today is essentially who they'll be tomorrow.

That's according to fresh research that suggests that people generally fail to appreciate how much their personality and values will change in the years ahead — even though they recognize that they have changed in the past.

Daniel Gilbert, a psychology researcher at Harvard University who did this study with two colleagues, says that he's no exception to this rule.

"I have this deep sense that although I will physic