Archaeology & Paleontology

An underground treasure trove [Ancient relics found in Seoul.] (JoongAng Daily, Dec. 15)

Discovery Of New Dinosaur Provides Insight To Early Evolution (Terra Daily, Dec. 15)

Rise and fall of a dinosaur hunter (New Scientist, Dec. 15)

A rocky vacation she really dug [Volunteer archaeologist works in Cleveland National Forest.](Washington Post, Dec. 13) Site requires free registration

Prehistoric Pygmy Sea Cow Discovered in Madagascar (National Geographic News, Dec. 12)

Environment

Black Carbon Deposits on Himalayan Ice Threaten Earth's 'Third Pole' (Science Daily, Dec. 15)

UN climate talks 'back on track' (BBC News, Dec. 15)

Coal remains king in China, despite climate change vow (Energy Daily, Dec. 14)

Budget win for climate probe (Nature News, Dec. 14)

Deniergate: Turning the tables on climate sceptics (New Scientist, Dec. 14)

Trusting Nature as the Climate Referee [Setting financial penalties according to temperature changes in the earth’s atmosphere.] (N.Y. Times, Dec. 14) Site requires free registration

Gore: Polar ice may vanish in 5-7 years (Yahoo!/AP, Dec. 14)

Exploration & Adventure

Shackleton's cousin retraces polar adventure 100 years on (Irish Independent, Dec. 15)

'No sign' of 2 missing Mount Hood climbers (Yahoo!/AP, Dec. 15)

19th-century soup can a clue to Arctic deaths (Toronto Star, Dec. 15)

Medicine & Health

Controlling Key Enzyme in Brain Offers Clue for Future Obesity Treatment (Science Daily, Dec. 15)

Drinking cups of tea and coffee 'can prevent diabetes' (BBC News, Dec. 15)

Nearsightedness increasing in the United States (Science News, Dec. 14)

Fake blood cells so agile they can carry drugs (New Scientist, Dec. 14)

In Surgery, a Tangled Tumor Meets Its Match (N.Y. Times, Dec. 14) Site requires free registration

New Goal for the Obese: Zero Gain in Pregnancy (N.Y. Times, Dec. 14) Site requires free registration

Stem-cell induction made simpler (Nature News, Dec. 13)

Peoples & Culture

Trust firstborns to show their selfish side (New Scientist, Dec. 15)

Sand Playground Surfaces Reduce Risk of Arm Fractures from Falls, Study Shows (Science Daily, Dec. 15)

NFL Tries to Get Serious on Concussions (LiveScience, Dec. 15)

People who look young for their age 'live longer' (BBC News, Dec. 14)

Americans Are Info-Junkies (Yahoo!/LiveScience, Dec. 14)

Natural Disasters & Weather

20,000 evacuated as Philippine volcano oozes lava (Yahoo!/AP, Dec. 15)

Portions of Arctic Coastline Eroding, No End in Sight, Says New Study (Science Daily, Dec. 15)

'Monster' iceberg shedding hundreds of offshoots (Yahoo!/AFP, Dec. 14)

Built back better in Aceh five years after tsunami (Yahoo!/Reuters, Dec. 14)

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

Saudi Arabia Running out of Sand? (ENN, Dec. 15)

Did You Hear the One About the Former Scientist? [Former biologist turns to comedy.] (N.Y. Times, Dec. 14) Site requires free registration

Half a Lifetime Spent in Pursuit of Waterbirds [Theodore Cross photographs waterbirds.] (N.Y. Times, Dec. 14)Site requires free registration

Walkout heightens failure fears for climate marathon (Terra Daily, Dec. 14)

Yellowstone's Plumbing Reveals Plume of Hot and Molten Rock 410 Miles Deep (Science Daily, Dec. 14)

Plants & Animals

Why Humans Outlive Apes (LiveScience, Dec. 15)

Killer Catfish? Venomous Species Surprisingly Common, Study Finds (Science Daily, Dec. 15)

Introns Nonsense DNA May Be More Important to Evolution of Genomes Than Thought (Science Daily, Dec. 14)

10 Animals That Use Tools (LiveScience ,Dec. 14)

Female Fruit Flies Can Be 'Too Attractive' to Males, Scientists Show (Science Daily, Dec. 14)

"Bizarre" Octopuses Carry Coconuts as Instant Shelters (National Geographic News, Dec. 14)

Genome reveals panda's carnivorous side (Nature News, Dec. 13)

Science & Technology

LCD screen can recognise what happens in front of it (New Scientist, Dec. 15)

OMG. Did you just feel a quake? [Tweets 'shed light' on earthquakes.] (BBC News, Dec. 15)

For Bicyclists Needing a Boost, This Wheel May Help (N.Y. Times, Dec. 14) Site requires free registration

A Deluge of Data Shapes a New Era in Computing (N.Y. Times, Dec. 14) Site requires free registration

Universal Quantum Mechanism: Physicists Find Reappearing Quantum Trios (Science Daily, Dec. 14)

Space

Theorists Propose a New Way to Shine And a New Kind of Star: 'Electroweak' (Science Daily, Dec. 15)

Nasa sky survey probe blasts off (BBC News, Dec. 14)

First Super-Earths Discovered Orbiting Sun-Like Stars (Science Daily, Dec. 14)

Magnetic Power Revealed in Gamma-Ray Burst Jet (Science Daily, Dec. 14)

Black Hole Found to Be Much Closer to Earth Than Previously Thought (Science Daily, Dec. 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