Catherine Griffin : Science World Report

Jul 01, 2013 08:46 AM EDT

Watch Out, Soccer Fans: RoboCup Stars Robotic Teams (Video)

Watch out, soccer fans; these aren't your typical players. A tournament in the Netherlands doesn't star human soccer players. Instead, it stars robots.

Jul 01, 2013 07:42 AM EDT

El Niño Gets a Boost from Climate Change: Unusual Activity in 20th Century

The weather system, El Niño, can affect rain and temperature conditions globally. Now, it turns out that El Niño may be getting a bit of a boost--all thanks to climate change. Scientists found unusual activity in the 20th century.

Jun 29, 2013 09:31 AM EDT

New 'Telescope' Contact Lens Helps Patients with Macular Degeneration

Contact lenses help people across the world, correcting their eyesight and allowing them to see more clearly. Now, scientists have developed a slim, telescopic contact lens that can switch between normal and magnified vision, helping those with age-related macular degeneration, AMD.

Jun 29, 2013 09:31 AM EDT

The Science of Collisions: Protecting Spacecraft from Space Junk

Space junk is a huge problem in our orbit. As we move forward to the future, this trash can pose a danger to manned and unmanned spacecraft, which means that shielding ships from this debris is crucial. Researchers are now looking into the science of impacts.

Jun 29, 2013 09:31 AM EDT

Desalinating the Earth's Ocean for Energy Efficient Drinking Water (Video)

Water is one of Earth's most precious resources. It covers our planet, providing the basis for life for billions of organisms. Now, scientists are working on a more efficient way to desalinate the ocean for drinking water-one nanoliter at a time.

Jun 28, 2013 01:26 PM EDT

Wired Brain: Conventional Notion of How We Sense Information Overturned

Scientists are moving forward by leaps and bounds when it comes to studying the brain. Now, a series of studies has toppled the conventional notion of how the brain is wired. The new research has revealed that sensory information travels to two places at once: not only to the brain's mid-layer, but ...

Jun 28, 2013 12:39 PM EDT

Rat Poison from Illegal Pot Farms Threatens Cat-like Fishers

It turns out that fishers may be in trouble due to pot. Scientists have discovered that rat poison used on illegal marijuana grows are killing fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada which could mean devastating consequences for this species.

Jun 28, 2013 11:31 AM EDT

Global Warming Affects Soil Microbe Survival: Changing Climate Impacts Farming

Scientists have discovered that global warming determines where key soil microbes can thrive, which could affect farming practices and soil composition in the future.

Jun 28, 2013 10:27 AM EDT

Paleontologists Uncover How 'Parrot' Dinosaur Switched from Four Feet to Two

Scientists have discovered exactly how one of the best-known dinosaurs, the "parrot dinosaur," switched from four feet to two feet as it grew, revealing a bit more about dinosaur adaptation and evolution.

Jun 28, 2013 09:56 AM EDT

The 'Garbage Truck' of the Human Brain: New Clues to Treating Alzheimer's

Scientists have discovered a new system in this brain that acts as a "garbage truck," removing waste that might affect the brain. The findings could have large implications for treating neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease.

Jun 28, 2013 09:24 AM EDT

DARPA Robotics Challenge Shows Off Software: MIT and JPL Among Winners (Video)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is starting to shell out some awards. It's selected more than half a dozen teams to receive funding after they competed in a software challenge leading up to the agency's Robotics Challenge. One of these teams is NASA's very own Jet Propoulsion L...

Jun 28, 2013 08:33 AM EDT

NASA Launches Sun Watching Satellite into Space

NASA is planning to learn a bit more about our sun. The space agency has announced that it's launching a satellite in order to study just how our closest star's atmosphere is energized. This could lead to a better understanding of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and other solar-related phenomena.