Archaeology & Paleontology

Ancient Weapons Dug Up by Archaeologists in England (ScienceDaily, Nov. 17)

A Case in Antiquities for ‘Finders Keepers’ (N.Y. Times, Nov. 17) Site requires free registration

Goat Lived Like a Reptile -- A First (National Geographic News, Nov. 16)

New insights into the life of the Maya (Physorg.com, Nov. 16)

Evidence for kings David and Solomon (Times, Nov. 16)

Starvation 'wiped out' giant deer (BBC News, Nov. 16)

Artifacts from the Cascades give scientists a window on human activity in the area thousands of years ago (Oregonian, Nov. 15)

Ancient Penguin DNA Raises Doubts About Accuracy of Genetic Dating Techniques (ScienceDaily, Nov. 15)

Car-Sized Creature Whacked with Tail's Sweet Spot (LiveScience, Nov. 15)

Were rats behind Easter Island mystery? (USA Today, Nov. 13)

Environment

Tree Rings Give Clues To Climate Change (redOrbit, Nov. 17)

U.N. Forest Plan Could Threaten Species (PlanetArk, Nov. 17)

As Leaders Meet New Study Suggests Earth Can Absorb More Carbon (TerraDaily, Nov. 16)

Data shows illegal ivory trade on rise (WWF, Nov. 16)

Tiny Bubbles Used to Clean Oil-Contaminated Water and Soil (ENN, Nov. 16)

Birds, boats threatened by the Pacific's Great Garbage Patch (USA Today, Nov. 16)

Greenpeace to take poverty focus (BBC News, Nov. 16)

Orwellian or Green? Carbon Taxes on Individuals (LiveScience, Nov. 15)

Keeping the young Earth cosy (naturenews, Nov. 15)

Exploration & Adventure

Don't pack your parachute: Totally free fall (New Scientist, Nov. 17)

British 'penguin tourists' trapped in Antarctic ice(Australian, Nov. 17)

Hope floats on eco-celebrity's recycled plastic boat, Plastiki (USA Today, Nov. 16)

Shackleton's whisky to be dug up (BBC News, Nov. 16)

Taking a Bite of Antarctic Ice (Astrobiology, Nov. 16)

Famed climber dies on Nepal peak (BBC News, Nov. 14)

Medicine & Health

Curry as Cure? Spicing Up the Effectiveness of a Potential Disease-Fighter (ScienceDaily, Nov. 16)

Headphone risk to pacemakers (New Scientist, Nov. 16)

Bangladesh mass poisoning mystery solved(New Scientist, Nov. 16)

Why pain sometimes lingers (naturenews, Nov. 15)

Peoples & Culture

Ritual as Maori bones return home (BBC News, Nov. 16)

Bring on the Daisies, and Those Acts of Kindness [Singapore] (N.Y. Times, Nov. 16) Site requires free registration

Sweden returns skulls to Hawaii (BBC News, Nov. 15)

'I will only wear pants' [Sudan] (Washington Post, Nov. 14) Site requires free registration

Natural Disasters & Weather

Venezuela Will Employ ‘Cloud Bombing’ To Relieve Drought (redOrbit, Nov. 16)

Record Highs Outpace Record Lows (LiveScience, Nov. 15)

Underwater robot probes depths for Istanbul quake clues (Physorg.com, Nov. 14)

The Beautiful Aftermath of Tropical Storm Ida (LiveScience, Nov. 13)

Global and U.S. Hazards/Climate Extremes (updated weekly on Wednesdays)

Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet [pdf] (updated late Fridays)

People & Places in the News

Why Robinson Crusoe island is at risk (Independent, Nov. 17)

Baghdad's once ravaged zoo comes back to life (YahooNews/Reuters, Nov. 17)

After Quake in Italy, Seeking Greener Pastures (N.Y. Times, Nov. 17) Site requires free registration

Warmer Means Windier on World's Biggest Lake (ScienceDaily, Nov. 16)

Yemen Finds Dreamland of Architecture (N.Y. Times, Nov. 16) Site requires free registration

Volatile Gas Could Turn Rwandan Lake Into a Freshwater Time Bomb(ScienceDaily, Nov. 16)

Antismoking Fight Proves a Pyramid-Size Task (N.Y. Times, Nov. 16) Site requires free registration

Bolivian glacier 'disappearing' (ENN, Nov. 15)

Superfast train set for departure (BBC News, Nov. 15)

Hawaii's famed white sandy beaches are shrinking (YahooNews/AP, Nov. 14)

Plants & Animals

Japanese researchers film rare baby fish 'fossil' (YahooNews, Nov. 17)

When Mountain Lions Hunt, They Prey on the Weak (N.Y. Times, Nov. 17) Site requires free registration

Climate change gives ancient trees growth spurt (New Scientist, Nov. 16)

Darwin's finches tracked to reveal evolution in action (naturenews, Nov. 16)

Penguins, Sea Lions Help Produce New Atlas of Patagonian Sea (ENN, Nov. 16)

Little is known of hard-to-track orcas (Christian Science Monitor, Nov. 16)

Jellyfish swarm northward in warming world (YahooNews/AP, Nov. 16)

New antennas help track elusive salmon (Idaho Statesman/AP, Nov. 16)

How the sponge stays slim (naturenews, Nov. 16)

Worms turned into hermaphrodites (BBC News, Nov. 15)

Into the wild, once again[orangutans] (Washington Post, Nov. 14) Site requires free registration

Turtles Are Casualties of Warming in Costa Rica (N.Y. Times, Nov. 14) Site requires free registration

Predatory coral eats jellyfish (BBC News, Nov. 13)

Some Trees and Insects Are Made for Each Other (LiveScience, Nov. 13)

Science & Technology

After Microsoft, Bringing a High-Tech Eye to Professional Kitchens (N.Y. Times, Nov. 17) Site requires free registration

Genome Engineering Could Provide New Method of Creating Biodiesel (Physorg.com, Nov. 16)

Algae Turned Into High-Temperature Hydrogen Source (ScienceDaily, Nov. 16)

Cow Dung To Power More Dutch Homes (PlanetArk, Nov. 16)

First universal programmable quantum computer unveiled (New Scienetist, Nov. 15)

Space

Alma antennas collect first data (BBC News, Nov. 17)

Could Jupiter Moon Harbor Fish-Size Life? (National Geographic News, Nov. 16)

Space shuttle lifts off with huge shipment (MSNBC, Nov. 16)

Hidden Details In The Birth Of Super-Suns (redORbit, Nov. 16)

NASA to Begin Escape Attempt for Stuck Mars Rover (Space.com, Nov. 16)

Mystery 'dark flow' extends towards edge of universe (New Scientist, Nov. 16)

Water on the Moon Confirmed by NASA Crashes (National Geographic News, Nov. 14)

Lightning Strike in Africa Helps Take Pulse of Sun (ScienceDaily, Nov. 14)

Butterflies to Hitch Orbital Ride on Space Shuttle (Space.com, Nov. 14)

Lectures, Meetings, & Conferences

Sources:

Conference Calendar for Zoology (BIOSIS)

Meridian International Center Events

National Academy of Sciences Events

National Air and Space Museum Events

National Journal Daybook [includes environment-related events in Washington]

National Museum of Natural History Events

National Press Club

Smithsonian Resident Associate Programs