Archive - 2010

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Fishing industry joins with 39 lawmakers who wrote to the FDA this week asking the agency to stop its approval process for the genetically modified salmon. They cited concerns about "human health and environmental risks" from the AquAdvantage salmon. Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell slammed the idea of allowing genetically engineered salmon to be sold in supermarkets. "We are concerned genetically engineered salmon could jeopardize the health of wild-salmon stocks."

Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska): Serious health and environmental questions regarding the fish cannot be adequately evaluated by the public, Begich wrote. Led by Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), the senators complained to FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg that the agency is using the wrong process for evaluating the safety of the modified fish and that the public is being left out.  read more »

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They are coming from around the world. The horses and riders. The media crews and fans. The exhibitors and entertainers. This fall, the world’s most prestigious equestrian competition comes to Lexington, Kentucky. The largest equine event in U.S. history, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will bring more than 900 horses, 800 athletes, 1,000 media outlets (NBC will cover the event), and between 200,000 and 300,000 spectators to the Horse Capital of the World from September 25 through October 10.  read more »

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The oldest man in the world has celebrated his 114th birthday with a slice of cake and few pearls of wisdom.
Walter Breuning gave a short speech telling the guests at a small gathering on Tuesday what they all wanted to know - the secret of living a long life.

But for anybody who thinks you can have such a good innings without effort, they are in for a surprise.

Hard work, according to Mr Breuning, is the key to living a long time, and he should know. The pensioner held down a management job until he was 99, meaning he has spent longer working than some people have lived their whole lives.

His other advice was to watch what you eat, which has caused him to cut down to two meals a day.

He also tells those younger than him to be kind to others. ‘When you help someone else, you're actually helping yourself even more,’ he said.

Mr Breuning was born on September 21, 1896 in the rural town of Melrose in Minnesota. He moved to Great Falls, Montana in 1918, where he has stayed ever since. He worked for more than 50 years for the Great Northern Railway, saw some 20 U.S. Presidents come and go, lived in three centuries and survived two World Wars - although he served in neither because he not called up or was considered too old to fight, one of his few regrets.

World's oldest man marks 114th birthday in U.S.
Walter Breuning urged people to rely on their faith in a speech he delivered in Great Falls on his 114th birthday Tuesday. Breuning is verified by two groups as the world's oldest man.  read more »

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The Trouble With Trash
It's been 53 years and over 4,500 launches since the dawn of the space age, and Earth's orbit is a junkyard. Our orbit is littered with spent rocket stages, lens caps, broken-up satellites, frozen urine, the odd glove, bits of foil, and the tool kit dropped by astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper during a spacewalk in 2008. You name it; the low Earth orbit has probably got it.

Millions of pieces of this space debris orbit the globe at break-neck speeds, and the spacecraft that pass through orbit are in jeopardy from even the smallest objects. But while the problem is evident, the solution remains elusive. Will Earth's orbit forever resemble a scene from WALL-E? Many scientists have now turned their attention to cleaning up the clutter.

Every satellite that goes up to orbit is the pride and joy of some company, lab, or nation. But once it has outlived its purpose, it's nothing but junk.  read more »