Hunting for Earth-like Alien Planets: Q & A with Astronomer Geoff Marcy
Since astronomers discovered the first planet beyond our own solar system back in 1992, they've been on somewhat of a roll — the tally now tops 500.And the finds are about to ramp up dramatically. Today (Feb. 1), NASA's planet-hunting Kepler mission will make much of its data public. A press conference will follow tomorrow,…
Tablet-Aimed Android 3.0 Supports 3-D, Dual-Core Chips
Google's Android 3.0, code-named Honeycomb, will not only help developers adapt their applications for larger screen sizes, but also support multi-core processor architecture, 3-D graphics, and more.The search giant announced on its Android developer blog Wednesday that the 3.0 software development kit with non-final application program interfaces and a system image is available for software…
Corrected: P&G, Colgate hurt by slow developed markets
(Corrects Bob McDonald's title to CEO of P&G, paragraph 8)By Jessica WohlCHICAGO (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co (PG.N) and smaller rival Colgate-Palmolive Co (CL.N) posted lower quarterly net income, hurt by sluggish sales in developed markets like the United States.Household products makers have been using promotional pricing and coupons to woo shoppers who shunned…
Eaton profit jumps 33 percent in fourth quarter
CLEVELAND – Eaton Corp.'s net income surged 33 percent on higher sales, and the diversified industrial manufacturer claimed strong momentum as it boosted its dividend and announced a 2-for-1 stock split Thursday.Sales rose 17 percent over the fourth quarter of 2009 amid a rebounding global economy.The company earned $280 million, or $1.63 per share, for…
Japan's credit rating downgraded on debt concerns
TOKYO (AFP) – Standard & Poor's on Thursday cut Japan's credit rating for the first time since 2002, accusing the government of lacking a "coherent strategy" to ease the highest debt of any industrialised nation.The US credit risk appraiser cut its rating on Japan's long-term sovereign debt to "AA minus" from "AA", saying that it…
Fighting for Pluto's Planet Title: Q & A With Planetary Scientist Alan Stern
Alan Stern has beenfighting for Pluto's planethood ever since the icy body was demotedto "dwarf planet" in 2006. That year, theInternational Astronomical Union (IAU) came up with a new definitionof "planet": A body that circles the sun without beinganother object's moon, is large enough to be rounded by its owngravity (but not so big that…
TO END THE ABORTION WARS, REPEAL ROE V. WADE
Frances Kissling, the founder of the pro-abortion rights group "Catholics for a Free Choice," organized a conference at Princeton a few weeks back seeking "common ground" in the abortion wars.She didn't find any.The always-interesting Will Saletan attended the conference, too, and then interviewed Kissling on BloggingHeadsTV (watch it here: http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/32548) about how to bring an…
The Looming Oscar Smackdown
NEW YORK – Can Natalie Portman’s psycho Black Swan ballerina snag the Best Actress Oscar from Annette Bening, a veteran nominee who caused audiences to swoon in The Kids Are All Right? It may only be December, but the Best Actress race is already shaping up to be the most competitive in years, with everyone…
Mavunga leads Miami (Ohio) over Xavier 75-64
OXFORD, Ohio – Julian Mavunga scored a career-high 24 points and Miami upset Xavier 75-64 on Wednesday night.Nick Winbush scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half to help the RedHawks (3-4) take a 14-point lead with 5:32 left in the game.The Musketeers cut it to two, 64-62, on a pair of free…
Bob Dylan's paintings on show in Danish gallery
COPENHAGEN (Reuters Life!) – Forty new paintings by American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan go on show this weekend in Denmark, but museum-goers will hardly find "Blowin' in the Wind" or references to other famous lyrics in the pictures.The exhibition at the National Gallery in Copenhagen from September 4 to February 20, 2011 presents scenes…