Planes disappear in Germany

Bratislava, Slovakia At least a dozen planes briefly disappeared from Central European radar screens on two occasions last week, and nobody knows why. Air traffic controllers in Slovakia, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic reported that radar information on positions of civilian passenger planes flickered in and out for nearly half an hour, and only voice contact with the pilots […]

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Pakistani activists seek to block Chinese power plants

Karachi, Pakistan Nuclear plants at risk: Pakistani activists are seeking to block the construction of two nuclear power plants in an earthquake-prone, coastal area that is vulnerable to tsunamis. The Chinese are building the two reactors—using an experimental design—less than 20 miles from the sprawling city of Karachi, where 20 million people would be at risk should a reactor meltdown […]

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The pill and prostate cancer

Hormones found in birth control pills could be polluting the water supply and increasing men’s risk of prostate cancer. That’s the suspicion of Canadian researchers who found that countries that have the highest percentage of women using oral contraceptives also have the highest rates of men with prostate cancer. Women who take birth control pills excrete estrogen from the medication […]

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How Addiction Affects Offspring

When laboratory rats abuse cocaine, they produce offspring that are less susceptible to addiction, according to the Los Angeles Times. This surprising genetic twist emerged from a study done at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, which found that male pups with cocaine-addicted fathers were less likely to want the drug and more resistant to its effects. By contrast, […]

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Choking smog in China

Beijing The cloud of pollution over Beijing grew so dense this week that much of the city was rendered invisible. Hundreds of flights were grounded, auto traffic was stalled for scores of miles, and residents rushed to buy masks and air filters. Chinese officials downplayed the air-quality crisis, as usual, saying their readings showed that air pollution was “moderate.” But […]

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