Archaeology & Paleontology

Valley in Jordan Inhabited and Irrigated for 13,000 Years (ScienceDaily, Dec. 18)

World's oldest known DNA discovered (MSNBC, Dec. 17)

Stone Age sorghum found in African cave (naturenews, Dec. 17)

Rising seas 'clue' in sunken world off Orkney(BBC News, Dec. 17)

Monument Lifted From Cleopatra's Underwater City (npr, Dec. 17)

'Jesus-era' burial shroud found (BBC News, Dec. 16)

Ancient Book of Mark Found Not So Ancient After All (Science Daily)

Mammoths Were Alive More Recently Than Thought (LiveScience, Dec. 15)

Eight ancient drinks uncorked by science (MSNBC, Dec. 15)

Viking Weapon-Recycling Site Found in England? (National Geographic News, Dec. 13)

Environment

No Deal Yet in Copenhagen, But US Announces Aid of 100 billion by 2020 (ENN, Dec. 18)

Acid oceans: the 'evil twin' of climate change (YahooNews/AP, Dec. 18)

Mammals May Be Nearly Half Way Toward Mass Extinction (ScienceDaily, Dec. 18)

Computer simulation strengthens link between climate change and release of subsea methane (Physorg.com, Dec. 17)

Climate talks on brink of failure as time runs out(Independent, Dec. 17)

That Tap Water Is Legal but May Be Unhealthy (N.Y. Times, Dec. 17)Site requires free registration

Goldrush destroying Peru's forests (BBC News, Dec. 16)

Ski Industry on the Front Lines of Global Warming (ENN, Dec. 16)

Sea level rise may exceed worst expectations (naturenews, Dec. 16)

Forest-CO2 scheme needs cash to save species (PlanetArk, Dec. 16)

Canada’s Dirty Secret not so Secret Anymore(emagazine, Dec. 15)

Exploration & Adventure

Icebreaker to Embark on First Mission (Korea Times, Dec. 17)

Century-old butter found in Scott's Antarctic hut (YahooNews/AFP, Dec. 16)

Soup can yields details on doomed 19th-century Arctic expedition(CanWest News Service, Dec. 15)

Medicine & Health

Assessment and Thanks as Flu Wave Ebbs in U.S. (N.Y. Times, Dec. 18)

Air Pollution Linked To Asthma In Young Children (redOrbit, Dec. 17)

Happiest States Revealed by New Research (LiveScience, Dec. 17)

Scientists crack gene code of common cancers (Physorg.com, Dec. 17)

Is synaesthesia a high-level brain power?(New Scientist, Dec. 17)

Peoples & Culture

At Japanese Cliffs, a Campaign to Combat Suicide (N.Y. Times, Dec. 18)Site requires free registration

Holiday of White Conquest Persists in South Africa(N.Y. Times, Dec. 17)Site requires free registration

In pictures: Zambia's leading lady in the ring(BBC News, Dec. 16)

In Baghdad, Hemlines Rise As Violence Falls(npr, Dec. 16)

Sierra Leone woman barred from becoming chief (BBC News, Dec. 15)

Natural Disasters & Weather

Colliding auroras produce an explosion of light (Physorg.com, Dec. 17)

Philippines forces evacuation as Mayon volcano eruption threat persists (Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 17)

Pre-Eruption Earthquakes Offer Clues to Volcano Forecasters (ScienceDaily, Dec. 17)

Irrigation Decreases, Urbanization Increases Monsoon Rains(ScienceDaily, Dec. 17)

Scientists watch deep-sea volcano for first time (YahooNews/AP, Dec. 17)

Secrets of Mysterious 'Night-Shining' Clouds Unlocked by NASA's AIM Satellite and Models (ScienceDaily, Dec. 16)

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

Cyprus No Man's Land A Haven For Rare Wildlife (PlanetArk, Dec. 18)

New Delhi's filth continues to choke once-sacred Yamuna River (Washington Post, Dec. 17)Site requires free registration

Dams and Development Threaten the Mekong (N.Y. Times, Dec. 18)Site requires free registration

World's Longest Sea Bridge May Boost South China Economy (PlanetArk, Dec. 16)

Greenland Glaciers: Water Flowing Beneath Ice Plays More Complex Role (ScienceDaily, Dec. 16)

D.C. woman to be honored for work with Congo's bonobo (Washington Post, Dec. 16)Site requires free registration

Robotic Planes Capture Detailed Images of Remote Antarctic (LiveScience, Dec. 15)

Adapting to climate change in the Mekong Delta (BBC News, Dec. 15)

Plants & Animals

Research Explains Orchids' Sexual Trickery (redOrbit, Dec. 18)

The how and why of freezing the common fruit fly (Physorg.com, Dec. 18)

Sucker-Footed Bat Hangs Upright Via Sweat, Not Suction (National Geographic News, Dec. 17)

Animal Rights Groups Tries To Stop Nevada Horse Roundup (redOrbit, Dec. 17)

Wild chimps have near human understanding of fire, study says (Physorg.com, Dec. 17)

Ancient Origins of Modern Opossum Revealed(ScienceDaily, Dec. 17)

N. America's biggest fish slips toward extinction (YahooNews/AP, Dec. 17)

Elusive Tree Kangaroos Fitted With Video Cameras(National Geographic News, Dec. 16)

Rare Cross River gorilla filmed (BBC News, Dec. 16)

Scotland's deer are changing shape due to hybridisation (BBC News, Dec. 16)

Wyoming wolf numbers rise outside Yellowstone (Jackson Hole News, Dec. 16)

Squid invasions signal changes in the Pacific Ocean (Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 15)

"Bizarre" Octopuses Carry Coconuts as Instant Shelters (National Geographic News, Dec. 15)

New warbler bird species discovered in Vietnam (BBC News, Dec. 15)

Science & Technology

Physicists see through the opaque with 'T-rays' (Physorg.com, Dec. 18)

Supermarket robot to help the elderly (Physorg.com, Dec. 17)

Scientists Film Photons With Electrons (ScienceDaily, Dec. 17)

Bacteria Used to Power Simple Machines: Organisms Turn Microgears in Suspended Solution by Swimming(ScienceDaily, Dec. 17)

Strange Physical Theory Proved After Nearly 40 Years (LiveScience, Dec. 16)

Earthquake Concerns Shake Geothermal Energy Projects(LiveScience, Dec. 16)

Space

Scientists discover fog on Titan(Physorg.com, Dec. 18)

The first glimpse of dark matter? (BBC News, Dec. 18)

Supernova explosions stay in shape (Physorg.com, Dec. 17)

Herschel space telescope captures birth of stars(BBC News, Dec. 16)

Nearby "Super Earth" May Have Oceans, Thick Atmosphere (National Geographic News, Dec. 16)

'Coldest place' found on the Moon (BBC News, Dec. 16)

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