Wildlife and habitat

Restored wetlands rarely equal condition of original wetlands
Unprecedented, man-made trends in ocean's acidity
'Peak timber' concerns in tropics
Marine mammals on the menu in many parts of world
Study Finds Mercury in More Northeastern Bird Species
Bird-Watchers Revel in Unusual Spike in Snowy Owl Sightings
Catalina Island fox makes astounding comeback
Cougars extinct in East? No way, say those who claim sightings
    Related: Tejon Ranch halts hunting after state probe of cougar killings
Disbelief Still as Florida Reacts to Burning of 3,500-Year-Old Tree

Discoveries about the natural world

Birds seek certain trees when foraging for caterpillars
Fungi-filled forests are critical for endangered orchids
Competition is at the root of diversity in rainforests: study
Ecologists record and study deep-sea fish noises
'Worm speak' uses chemicals to communicate
Tiny crooners: Male house mice sing songs to impress the girls
Science's "most beautiful theories"
Bonobos' unusual success story
Dolphins heard talking in their sleep — in whale songs
Wasp found in upstate New York shows up in Southern California
Researchers identify mechanism behind associative memory by exploring insect brains
Jumping spider uses fuzzy eyesight to judge distance

At La Brea Tar Pits, Relics From Long Before Freeways
Black adorned feathers of Archaeopteryx
Oldest dinosaur nest site found
Big Tokyo earthquake likely 'within the next few years'
Waiting for Death Valley's Big Bang

Weather and climate

Scientist: Temperate freshwater wetlands are 'forgotten' carbon sinks
NASA animation of temperature data from 1880-2011
Huge pool of Arctic water could cool Europe: study

Environmental policy

Obama's New Forest Planning Rule Fails to Satisfy Conservationists
Judge Declares California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard Unconstitutional

Automakers Could Wipe Out CAFE Fuel Standards With Larger Vehicles

Energy

Can economy bear what oil prices have in store?
Energy Race to 2035: Renewables, Efficiency, Domestic Oil and Gas Win
    Related: Waning Support for Wind and Solar

Air

Asthma rate and costs from traffic-related air pollution are much higher than once believed

Chemical concerns, waste management, recycling

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (Radio Times, NPR audio)
Nano form of titanium dioxide can be toxic to marine organisms
    Related: Panel Urges More Study of Nanomaterials’ Risks
Documentary examines how toxic water at the nation’s largest Marine base damaged lives

Agriculture and food, livestock and pets

High levels of MRSA bacteria in retail meat products
Researchers look at effects of 2 common sweeteners on the body
    Related: High fructose consumption by adolescents may put them at cardiovascular risk
USDA To Require Healthier Meals In Schools With Updated Nutrition Standards
New federal map for what to plant reflects warming
New disease hits Dutch, German livestock
Overgrazed grasslands tied to locust outbreaks

Health and medicine, human behavior

Study examines link between vaccinations and exposure to compound widely used in food packaging
Mayo Clinic finds mild cognitive impairment is common, affects men most
The ethics of brain boosting
Why Abortion Is Less Risky than Childbirth
High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk
Chefs, Butlers, Marble Baths: Hospitals Vie for the Affluent
Magic Mushrooms Expand the Mind By Dampening Brain Activity
Study of one million Americans shows obesity and pain linked
Mystery disease diagnosed at clinic of last resort
Study Finds Virus to Be Fast Learner on Infecting
Tiny amounts of alcohol dramatically extend a worm's life, but why?
Researchers suggest a proximate cause of cancer
The amygdala and fear are not the same thing
Brown Fat, Triggered by Cold or Exercise, May Yield a Key to Weight Control
Bizarre skin ailment (Morgellons) all in the mind, study says
T-rays technology could help develop Star Trek-style hand-held medical scanners
Babies are born with 'intuitive physics' knowledge, says MU researcher

Optical Illusion experiment shows higher brain functions involved in pupil size control
Experiences are better when we know they're about to end
To 'think outside the box,' think outside the box
Are Religious People Better Adjusted Psychologically?
The price of your soul: How the brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Group settings can diminish expressions of intelligence, especially among women
Nature of prejudice fundamentally different for men and women
Powerful people feel taller than they are
Believing the impossible and conspiracy theories
New study of hunter-gatherers suggests social networks sparked evolution of cooperation
Survey suggests family history of psychiatric disorders shapes intellectual interests

Education

Science education group decides it's time to tackle climate change

Law

Research shows genes influence criminal behavior
US Supreme Court says police must get search warrant before using GPS to track criminal suspects
In Police Training, a Dark Film on U.S. Muslims
FBI seeking social media monitoring tool

Archeology, art and history

Dog skull dates back 33,000 years
Viking mass grave linked to elite killers of the medieval world
More than 7,500-year-old fish traps found in Russia
Neanderthals and their contemporaries engineered stone tools
Anthropologists clarify genetic link between Asians and early Native-Americans

Astronomy and cosmology, spaceflight

Astronomy Picture of the Day: January Aurora Over Norway

Physics, chemistry and materials science, mathematics

Nature Materials study: Graphene 'invisible' to water
Scorpions inspire scientists in making tougher surfaces for machinery

Technology and engineering, robotics

How wings really work

Of note

Scientific plagiarism: A growing problem in an era of shrinking research funding
A database that shows how some executives of companies on the S&P 500 are being paid

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