Glacier in North Greenland Breaks Off Huge Iceberg, Yosemite Would Expand Greatly Under Bill - 7/18 KQED Science News Roundup

Glacier in north Greenland breaks off huge icebergOn Monday, NASA satellites showed it had broken completely, freeing an iceberg measuring 46 square miles. Ohio State University ice scientist Ian Howat said there is still a chance it could be normal calving, like losing a fingernail that has grown too long, but any further loss would show it's not natural: "We're still in the phase of scratching our heads and figuring out how big a deal this really is."

Astronaut trio docks with space stationALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) â A trio of astronauts traveling onboard a Russian-made Soyuz capsule has reached the International Space Station, two days after launching from the Baikonur cosmodrome in southern Kazakhstan. NASA astronaut Suni Williams, veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide of Japan docked Tuesday slightly ahead of schedule at 08:51 a.m.

Stanford Research Finds Cancer Risks From Fukushima Disaster | KQEDRadiation from Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster is likely to result in about 130 cancer deaths and 180 cancer cases worldwide according to new data from Stanford researchers. That contradicts earlier statements that there would be no significant health effects. Stanford professor Mark Jacobson combined 3-D modeling of global atmospheric conditions with a model to estimate human exposure to the radiation.

Cambodia shuts all schools to fight virus spreadPHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Cambodia is closing all kindergarten and primary schools two weeks before a regular vacation to try to stop the spread of a virus that has killed hundreds of young children around Asia.

New drug for Alzheimer's symptom relief shows promiseVANCOUVER, British Columbia | Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:30am EDT VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - An experimental Alzheimer's drug that activates a specific nicotine receptor in the brain improved measures of thinking and memory over a six-month period in patients with mild to moderate disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Yosemite would expand greatly under billThe park service could buy the designated land, located near an existing resort development called Yosemite West; in theory, the agency also could accept donated property or acquire it through a land swap. While this helps in a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, every public lands bill faces a series of hurdles ranging from price tag to public policy.

Link to Mars and its latest robot rover - San Jose Mercury NewsWebsites enable anyone to learn about the Mars Science Laboratory, now nearing the Red Planet carrying the news robot rover, Curiosity and to see what images it sends back to earth