In The News

From Old World to Real World

Steven Pearlstein April 26, 2007
Advocates of globalization, free trade and outsourcing admit that jobs shift to low-wage developing nations, but promise eventual benefits for the developed world. Producing goods at a lower cost abroad reduces prices, translating into more money for Western consumers to purchase more products. A common strategy for keeping jobs in the developed world is to provide high levels of education and...

Bees Vanish, and Scientists Race for Reasons

Alexei Barrioneuvo April 25, 2007
Researchers are scrambling to determine the reasons behind the disappearance of 25 percent of US honey bees – as well as colony crashes in Europe and South America, which may or may not be linked. Culprits could include viruses, funguses or pesticides. Honeybees are the principal pollinators of hundreds of crops and essential for fruits, vegetables, flowers and nuts – and the insect’s decline...

The World’s Growing Nuclear Club

Humphrey Hawksley April 16, 2007
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), opened for signing in 1968 and in force since 1970, established a nuclear regime intended as temporary until decision could be reached on eliminating nuclear weapons altogether. While the treaty has proven remarkably enduring, its failure to address the ultimate goal and its inability to cope with the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, Iran, Israel,...

Malaria: GM Mosquitoes Offer New Hope for Millions

Ian Sample March 21, 2007
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have announced the development of a genetically modified mosquito that cannot transmit malaria. Malaria leads to 1 million deaths each year, mostly in developing nations. Initial experiments in cages suggest that the modified mosquitoes eventually overwhelm the ordinary mosquitoes who serve as vectors in passing malaria to humans. In developing such...

The New Math of Alternative Energy

Rebecca Smith February 23, 2007
Criticized for years as costly and unsustainable, alternative energy attracting renewed interest amidst a wave of technological developments and rising oil prices. While the US depends heavily on fossil fuels, renewable energy sources such as biomass, wind, geothermal and solar are likely to account for a larger share of the electricity supply in future years. With growing concerns over global...

Climate Change: Scientists Warn It May Be Too Late to Save the Ice Caps

David Adam February 20, 2007
New studies of ice in Greenland and Antarctica show that ice is melting faster than scientists had expected. Melting ice would raise sea levels by 6 meters and sharply reduce the world’s supply of fresh-water. Low-lying areas – from Bangladesh to London and New York – can expect major flooding. Scientists estimate a 50 percent chance that the planet’s ice caps will melt, regardless of what...

Internet Users Transformed Into News Reporters

February 16, 2007
Cell-phone cameras and digital cameras are ubiquitous tools that provide immediate images of any news happening. Websites like NowPublic and YouWitnessNews now offer a public platform for news reports, videos, photos and commentary supplied by amateurs all over the world. NowPublic.com claims more than 60,000 contributors in more than 140 countries. The new websites work with traditional news...