Science

Asteroid belt may be just one big melting pot of space rocks
The asteroid belt, a ring of rubble between Mars and Jupiter, has sometimes been written off as discarded leftovers from the solar system's start. But new research shows that the belt actually formed during an unruly later era, when planets themselves were on the move.
China's Jade Rabbit rover may be doomed on the moon
The rover was part of a headline-grabbing push by China to get to the moon. On December 14, the nation's Chang'e 3 lander gently touched down on the lunar surface. It was the first spacecraft to make a soft landing there in nearly four decades.
The Justice Department reached agreements with Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Inc., Facebook Inc. and LinkedIn Corp. that would resolve those companies' legal challenges before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The companies had asked judges to allow them allow them to disclose data on national security orders the companies have received under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Even if prices do rise, Midwesterners might not want to complain too loudly. In the Midwest, one million BTUs of gas costs $10. In New York, consumers pay $60 for that amount, LaRose said. A big reason for that disparity in pricing is the pipeline system that distributes natural gas to the Midwest.
Hear the MPR News Top Coast Festival speakers
Hear the voices of many of the speakers coming to the MPR News Top Coast Festival, presented May 30-June 1, 2014 by the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. "Big Ideas, New Solutions."
BBC: How do humans cope with isolation?
The BBC's Anahi Aradas looks at a number of situations where humans have limited social contact, including people living in the Atlantic, outer space and prison.
What you need to know about net neutrality
After the recent court decision, we'll look at what's next for the open internet battle.
Potential carcinogen in colas has FDA reviewing data
4-methylimidazole -- or 4-MEI for short, is found in the caramel color that soda makers use to dye the drinks brown. While the federal government has no limits on 4-MEI, California law says that people should not consume more than 29 mg of the compound per day.
Goose antibodies that can save puppies
A Grand Forks company that uses goose antibodies to prevent and treat disease is close to marketing its first product, a treatment for parvovirus in dogs. I reported  in 2012 on the work Avianax is doing to develop a treatment for West Nile and other diseases. Because animal treatments require much less stringent testing than human testing, that’s Read more →