Why mercury is more dangerous in oceans

ScienceDaily (2010-06-28) -- Even though freshwater concentrations of mercury are far greater than those found in seawater, it's the saltwater fish like tuna, mackerel and shark that end up posing a more serious health threat to humans who eat them.

Accurate way to predict the age when women will hit the menopause developed

ScienceDaily (2010-06-28) -- Researchers have developed a way of accurately predicting when women will hit the menopause using a simple blood test. The average difference between the predicted age and the actual age that the women in their study reached the menopause was only a third of a year, and the maximum margin of error was between three and four years.

Hop, jump and stick; Robots designed with insect instincts

ScienceDaily (2010-06-28) -- A swarm of flying robots soars into a blazing forest fire. With insect-like precision and agility, the machines land on tree trunks and bound over rough terrain before deploying crucial sensors and tools to track the inferno and its effects. This is a scenario one researcher thinks may not be so far off.

Biodiversity's 'holy grail' is in the soil : Soil-borne pathogens drive tree diversity in forests, study shows

ScienceDaily (2010-06-28) -- What determines plant diversity in a forest? It's a question even Charles Darwin wanted to unravel. But most research into forest diversity demonstrates only patterns of species survival and abundance rather than the reason for them -- until now. Scientists have now shown that soil-borne pathogens are one important mechanism that can maintain species diversity and explain patterns of tree abundance in a forest.

Reseachers predict larger-than-average Gulf 'dead zone'; Impact of oil spill unclear

ScienceDaily (2010-06-28) -- Researchers say this year's Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" is expected to be larger than average, continuing a decades-long trend that threatens the health of a $659 million fishery. The 2010 forecast, released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), calls for a Gulf dead zone of between 6,500 and 7,800 square miles, an area roughly the size of Lake Ontario.

Prepare for hotter and drier Southwestern US, climate experts urge

ScienceDaily (2010-06-28) -- Prominent climate experts are calling for a "no-regrets" strategy for planning for a hotter and drier western North America. Their advice: use water conservatively and continue developing ways to harness energy from the sun, wind and Earth.

Enterprise PCs work while they sleep – saving energy and money – with new software

ScienceDaily (2010-06-28) -- Personal computers in enterprise environments save energy and money by "sleep-working," thanks to new software called SleepServer. Sleep-working enterprise PCs are accessible via remote connections and maintain their presence on voice over IP, instant messaging, and peer-to-peer networks even though the PCs are in low-power sleep mode. SleepServer can reduce energy consumption on enterprise PCs previously running 24/7 by an average of 60 percent.