Science
Finding a fitting future for stadiums
As the knockout stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup begin, it's not only the teams dropping out of the tournament.
Finding a fitting future for stadiums
As the knockout stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup begin, it's not only the teams dropping out of the tournament.
Join the Earth's Frontiers debate: Preservation or progress?
How can we balance progress and conservation?
How 'green' is the World Cup?
In homes and workplaces around the world it's hard to find someone who is not celebrating the imminent arrival of football's World Cup.
New species celebrated amid warnings of biodiversity loss
A flat-faced frogfish, bug-eating slug and carnivorous sea sponge are some of the top new species named by scientists.
Scientists create a living organism
Scientists have turned inanimate chemicals into a living organism in an experiment that raises profound questions about the essence of life.
The world's biodiversity hotspots
From the forests of Ecuador to the shore of the Aral Sea, in the coming months Earth's Frontiers will be exploring the rich diversity of life on our planet and the challenges of conservation.
Tracking tigers in Korea's DMZ
I am huddled in a sleeping bag in an old military tent near the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea. I am camping out with a band of men dedicated to protect their loved ones.
Neanderthal genome shines light on human evolution
An international team of scientists that spent more than a decade studying remains of Neanderthals has drafted the first genome sequence of humans' closest extinct biological relative.
Can world's largest laser zap Earth's energy woes?
Scientists at a government lab here are trying to use the world's largest laser -- it's the size of three football fields -- to set off a nuclear reaction so intense that it will make a star bloom on the surface of the Earth.
Archaeologists discover a Roman-era mummy
A Roman-era mummy was recently unearthed in a Bahariya Oasis cemetery, about 190 miles southwest of Cairo.
How scientists found world's deepest undersea volcanoes
A team of British scientists surprised the world this week with its discovery of volcanic vents spewing superheated water from a trench three miles below the surface of the Caribbean.
The stark reality of a throw-away society
I grew up on the shores of Sydney Harbor and I fondly remember exploring the crystal clear pools, observing the unique and bountiful marine life. Shells and driftwood, cuttlefish bones and dried seaweed littered the sand. That was the only debris from the ocean beyond that I saw.
Mega-dairies: Farming solution or big problem?
The plan for Britain's first "factory farm" for cows has stirred up the debate on the future of farming in Europe.
Ancient skeletal remains shed new light on evolution
Scientists may have discovered a new branch on your family tree.
Quake frequency normal, scientists say
Yes, it seems as if there have been a lot of strong earthquakes this year. And no, it's not a signal that the planet is coming apart at the seams, seismologists say.
Deadliest catch: Turtles die 'in their millions' from fishing lines
Millions of sea turtles have been the unintentional victims of the world's fisheries in the past 20 years, according to a report published Tuesday.
Q&A: 'Climategate' explained
On Tuesday November 17, a substantial file including over 1,000 e-mails either sent from or sent to members of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia in eastern England were allegedly hacked and leaked onto the Internet.
Scientist: Don't blame cows for climate change
A scientist in the United States has questioned the impact meat and diary production has on climate change, and accused the United Nations of exaggerating the link.
Hadron Collider breakthrough as beams collide
Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider managed to make two proton beams collide at high energy Tuesday, marking a "new territory" in physics, according to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
Penguins lost in tropical Brazil
Located only 16 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro, Niteroi Zoo is home to dozens of animal species from this tropical region of Brazil. But lately the zoo has gained more recognition for its work in rescuing animals and returning them to their natural habitat than for its size or animal variety.
Report: Central African gorillas may go extinct
Gorillas may go extinct in much of central Africa by the mid-2020s -- victims of a meat trade, of logging and mining, and even the Ebola virus, a new report says.
Beheaded Vikings found at Olympic site
They were 51 young men who met a grisly death far from home, their heads chopped off and their bodies thrown into a mass grave.
Scientists reaffirm theory that giant asteroid killed dinosaurs
A team of scientists has agreed that a giant asteroid killed off dinosaurs and a majority of other species on Earth more than 65 million years ago.
Giant waves: Tall tales or alarming fact?
Cinemagoers will be familiar with the thrill of giant waves.
CNN Fact Check: Are recent earthquakes connected?
On January 12, a magnitude-7.0 quake struck Haiti just southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince. On February 27, an 8.8-magnitude quake hit Chile near that nation's second largest city, Concepcion. That same day there was a 7.0 quake off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, and just this week a 6.4 quake hit southern Taiwan.
Weed killer 'castrates' male frogs, study says
Atrazine, a weed killer widely used in the Midwestern United States and other agricultural areas of the world, can chemically "castrate" male frogs and turn some into females, according to a new study.
Trek to gauge carbon's impact on Arctic sealife
Two teams of explorers and scientists are on their way to the Arctic for the first international project to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in water beneath the ice.
Arctic explorer prepares for icy swim
For polar explorer Ann Daniels, the worst part of this year's expedition to the Arctic won't be enduring bitterly cold temperatures or pulling a 100-kilogram (220-pound) sledge over steep jagged ridges.
U.N. climate chief to stand down
The head of the United Nations climate change convention is leaving his post, a move that comes a few months after the Copenhagen summit.
Half of world's primate species endangered, report says
Nearly half the world's primate species are in danger of extinction, according to a report released Wednesday by a major conservation group.
Launch of rocket with solar probe reset for Thursday
NASA has postponed for one day the scheduled launch of a rocket carrying a solar probe.
Tigers on verge of extinction in the wild, World Wildlife Fund warns
Tigers could become extinct in the wild in less than a generation, the World Wildlife Fund warned Wednesday as it launched a campaign to save them.
Cars of the future to power themselves
A car able to run solely on power generated from the material in its roof or door could offer a sustainable alternative to other eco-friendly motoring solutions, researchers say.
'Ranching' tuna the eco-friendly way
Tokihiko Okada has hundreds of children. Well, not literally, but you might as well call the giant bluefin tuna he cares for in the ocean tanks his "children."
Getting connected: Europe's green energy 'supergrid'
It is a criticism frequently leveled at those promoting wind or solar power as an alternative to fossil fuels: what happens when the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine?
Experts warned of Haiti earthquake risk
Scientists have warned for years that the island of Hispaniola, which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic, was at risk for a major earthquake.
NASA: Last decade was warmest ever
The first decade of the 21st century was the warmest ever on Earth according to data released by scientists at NASA.
'Water justice' advocate: Don't privatize
Every eight seconds, somewhere in the world a child dies from waterborne diseases because the parents cannot afford clean water, according to Maude Barlow, founder of the Blue Planet Project.
Top 10 environmental moments of the decade
What a difference a decade makes. Since the turn of the millennium environmental issues have come to the forefront with a marked shift toward all things green in politics, technology and perhaps most importantly, society.
After Copenhagen: Hope for the future
The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen last December was widely portrayed as a failure. But just how bad was the result? And is there cause for optimism? CNN spoke to climate change expert Mark Lynas who was in the room with world leaders as key decisions were debated.
Are booming bioplastics here to stay?
As world leaders and their delegates trod the carpet thin at the United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen last week, one environmental solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was literally under their feet.
Scientists capture deepest underwater volcanic eruption on film
Scientists witnessed the eruption of the deepest underwater volcano and caught the entire event on film for the first time -- complete with molten lava and sulfur smoke clouds.
Experts clash at CNN/YouTube climate change debate
Thousands of people tuned in to watch the CNN/YouTube climate change debate, which took place Tuesday at the COP15 climate conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Giant iceberg heading toward Australia
A massive iceberg -- more than twice the size of New York's Manhattan island -- is drifting slowly toward Australia, scientists said Wednesday.
Unmanned research sub crosses Atlantic
A U.S.-built, unmanned mini-submarine on an ocean research mission has successfully crossed the North Atlantic by gliding on underwater currents, U.S. officials said Wednesday in Spain, where they came to retrieve it.
Comment: People power can drive change
In the run up to what some individuals and media outlets are labeling "the meeting of Humanity's future" all eyes will be on the 12,000-15,000 official U.N. accredited participants as well as the army of activists, media, business representatives and even skeptics.
Climate chief dismisses e-mail outrage
One of the world's leading authorities on climate change has dismissed the contents of controversial e-mails leaked from the University of East Anglia as nothing more than friends and colleagues "letting off steam."
U.N. official optimistic on climate accord
On the opening day of the global climate summit in Denmark, a key U.N. official said she is optimistic that there will be a binding international treaty next year to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Can burying carbon emissions work?
Nestled in the heart of American coal country, on the banks of the Ohio River, an expensive, high-stakes experiment is under way -- one that could fundamentally alter the way the world manages carbon emissions.
UK Met Office to publish climate records
The UK's weather service, the Met Office is to publish station temperature records that make up the global land surface temperature record.
Scientists test climate change 'early-warning system'
An international team of scientists has developed a new method of measuring the absorption of CO2 by the oceans that could become an "early-warning system" for climate change.
Climate change threatens life in Shishmaref, Alaska
When the arctic winds howl and angry waves pummel the shore of this Inupiat Eskimo village, Shelton and Clara Kokeok fear that their house, already at the edge of the Earth, finally may plunge into the gray sea below.
G20 needs to 'quadruple' carbon intensity cuts
G20 economies need to quadruple cuts in their carbon intensity levels in the next ten years or risk a dangerous rise in global temperatures by 2050, according to new report.
New technology cleans up coal with CO2
The world has taken a step closer to "clean coal," thanks to new technology that actually uses CO2 to make power generation more efficient.
Massive icebergs floating towards coast of New Zealand
New Zealand is preparing for some rare spring visitors.
Dawkins: Evangelist an 'idiot' on evolution
A Christian evangelist branded an idiot by atheist biologist Richard Dawkins for trying to refute Charles Darwin's theory of evolution has brushed off the criticism.
Sea level rise could cost port cities $28 trillion
A possible rise in sea levels by 0.5 meters by 2050 could put at risk more than $28 trillion worth of assets in the world's largest coastal cities, according to a report compiled for the insurance industry.
Koreans make plastics without fossil fuel chemicals
A team of South Korean scientists have produced the polymers used for everyday plastics through bioengineering, rather than through the use of fossil fuel-based chemicals.
Project Kaisei: voyage to clean up the plastic vortex
A salty soup of seawater, microscopic pieces of plastic and marine debris. Those are the ingredients in the North Pacific Gyre, an ocean vortex estimated by Greenpeace to be the size of Texas, contaminated with the floating detritus of our modern lives.
Comment: We need leaders, not politicians
Today we face a perfect storm. As the crises related to the climate, economy, food and poverty collide and combine they threaten to overwhelm us.
Can cloud ships and space sun shades fix the planet?
In order to stop dangerous climate change we may be forced to construct giant solar shades and cover great swathes of land with artificial trees that suck up carbon dioxide.
Climate change: Can we even do it? Should we even try?
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has long been known worldwide for its engineering programs, and a symposium at MIT this week will draw scientists from around the globe to focus on a hot facet of the field -- climate engineering.
Glaciers disappearing from Kilimanjaro
The ice and snow that cap majestic Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania are vanishing before our eyes.
Costing the Earth: Investing in protecting the planet
Coral reefs around the world are worth a staggering $172 billion dollars a year to the global economy. But the wealth of the oceans' reefs, and their amazing monetary value, is on the verge of being destroyed.
Plight of the albatrosses: Choking on plastic waste
Midway Atoll, a small stretch of sand and coral in the middle of the north Pacific, is home to one of the world's largest populations of Laysan Albatrosses.
Defriending can bruise your 'digital ego'
If you harbor a bit of angst over Facebook friend requests gone unanswered, a surprise "defriending" or being deserted by your Twitter followers, you're not alone.
Defriending can bruise your 'digital ego'
If you harbor a bit of angst over Facebook friend requests gone unanswered, a surprise "defriending" or being deserted by your Twitter followers, you're not alone.
Employing the fun theory
Making a set of subway stairs into a piano and a bottle bank into an arcade game; just two ingenious ways to get people to take time to do the right thing and have fun.
Blame genetics for bad driving, study finds
The next time you see a motorist obliviously straddling two lanes, don't fault bad driving, but genetics.
Sailing the Northwest Passage: epilogue
Silent Sound completed her voyage through the Canadian Arctic on October 10, four months and four days after slipping her moorings in Victoria, British Columbia.
'Imagineer' touts geothermal energy invention
Hidden under a quaint resort 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, lies a treasure trove of potential energy that's free and available 24/7.
Team California shine in Solar Decathlon
The smile never came off of my face as we heard who placed third, second, and first in the 2009 Solar Decathlon.
32 planets discovered outside solar system
Thirty-two planets have been discovered outside Earth's solar system through the use of a high-precision instrument installed at a Chilean telescope, an international team announced Monday.
Germany nabs second Solar Decathlon win
A university team from Germany has won the U.S. Energy Department's Solar Decathlon for the second competition in a row, officials declared Friday. In second place was Team Illinois, and third place went to Team California.
Going for gold in the Solar Decathlon
For two weeks the National Mall in Washington D.C. has been transformed into a boulevard of homes of the future.
Pterodactyl fossil fills gaps in evolutionary tale
Scientists say a very rare find of some 20 fossilized pterodactyls has produced the first clear evidence of a controversial theory of evolution.
Does your social class determine your online social network?
Like a lot of people, Anna Owens began using MySpace more than four years ago to keep in touch with friends who weren't in college.
'Mad scientist' to build greener future with 'megacrete'
Pliny Fisk III has been called a "mad scientist," a "dreamer" and a "visionary." His favorite word to describe the architectural work he does is "crazy."
Action man of adventure exploring ways to preserve the planet
"The Earth is just too small," sighed South African adventurer Mike Horn, one of the few people on the planet who can get away with saying such a statement.
NASA flights will study Antarctic ice changes
NASA plans to launch next week the first of 17 planned flights to study changes in Antarctic ice and collect data that may help scientists better predict the consequences of those changes, officials said Thursday.
Oldest human skeleton offers new clues to evolution
The oldest-known hominid skeleton was a 4-foot-tall female who walked upright more than 4 million years ago and offers new clues to how humans may have evolved, scientists say.
The high stakes of melting Himalayan glaciers
The glaciers in the Himalayas are receding quicker than those in other parts of the world and could disappear altogether by 2035 according to the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
Fuel for thought: Film strives for energy answers
It's taken 11 years, thousands of miles and a few fistfuls of dollars for Josh Tickell to complete his film. But when you've devoted your life to a cause as important as helping save the planet, it's a small price to pay.
Risky business: insuring countries against climate catastrophe
The last 50 years have borne witness to a spate of climate-related disasters across the world causing over 800,000 fatalities and $1 trillion in economic losses.
Bird-eating frog among 163 new species found in Mekong region
A frog that eats birds and a gecko with leopard stripes are among the 163 new species discovered last year in the Greater Mekong region of southeast Asia, according to a report by the World Wildlife Fund.
Commentary: Real progress on climate change
On Tuesday, more than 100 world leaders gathered at the United Nations for a climate summit. They were called together by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to build momentum for the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December.
European air safety agency orders Airbus part checked
A small part that tells computers on some highly-automated Airbus aircraft how fast the plane is flying became a concern again Wednesday.
Blame prolonged rains -- not big storms -- for Atlanta flood
Much of Atlanta is underwater. Highways and neighborhoods have been submerged. Creeks are swollen. Several are dead.
Climate change proposal would revolutionize value of forests
The world's tropical forests are disappearing, and one reason is simple economics: People, companies and governments earn more by logging, mining or farming places such as the Amazon jungle than by conserving them.
Greenland's frozen landscape warming up
My taxi driver is telling me about his meal last night. His name is William. He ate whale.
Sailing the Northwest Passage: mission accomplished
There are several definitions of where the Northwest Passage begins and ends, but using the Arctic Circle is certainly the most encompassing, so we've been holding our breath until we crossed this line.
Putting cattle on a diet to curb climate change
Much has been made of the problem of livestock emissions of methane -- a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2 -- but a solution might be just around the corner.
Tiny T. rex fossil discovery startles scientists
A pint-sized version of the Tyrannosaurus rex, with similarly powerful legs, razor-sharp teeth and tiny arms, roamed China some 125 million years ago, said scientists who remain startled by the discovery.
Ancient bones seized, returned to China
Fossilized bones of a saber-toothed cat and dinosaurs that may be 100 million years old are among "priceless" artifacts that the United States handed over to China in a ceremony Monday.
Documentary looks at plight of the honeybee
"The Last Beekeeper" will change the way you see honeybees.
Feeding the future: Saving agricultural biodiversity
When the chips are down, the world may one day owe a debt of gratitude to a group of potato farmers high up in the mountains of Peru.
