'Tree of life' has Kurdish roots: study
Seen by some as emblematic of the Mediterranean landscape and cuisine, the olive tree in fact has its domesticated roots in Kurdish regions, said a study Wednesday that seeks to settle an age-old debate.
Kim Jong-Un and the mystery smartphone
A picture of North Korea's Kim Jong-Un with a smartphone has triggered fevered speculation about which brand is favoured by the leader of one of the world's most repressive nations.
05 February 2013
Scientists 'print' 3D object with stem cells
Scientists on Monday said that for the first time they had printed 3D objects using human embryonic stem cells, furthering the quest to fabricate transplantable organs.
NASA science balloon breaks longest flight record
After more than 55 days flying over Antarctica, NASA's huge Super-TIGER scientific balloon has broken the record for the longest flight of its kind, bringing back a wealth of data.
Skull found in Britain could be King Richard III's
British archaelogists hunting for the lost remains of King Richard III on Monday revealed the first image of a battle-scarred skull found at a car park ahead of what they said would be a "major announcement" about their findings.
04 February 2013
Shackleton Antarctic bid makes landfall
An exhausted British-Australian expedition recreating Ernest Shackleton's 1916 crossing of the Southern Ocean in a small boat made landfall Monday after a perilous 12-day journey.
04 February 2013
Twitter hit by 'sophisticated' cyber attack
Twitter said Friday it was hammered by a "sophisticated" cyber attack similar to those that recently hit major Western news outlets, and that the passwords of about 250,000 users were stolen.
03 February 2013
US scientists explain how owl rotates head
US medical specialists from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have figured out how owls can almost fully rotate their heads - by as much as 270 degrees in either direction.
03 February 2013
US dodges Super Bowl chicken wing shortage
In the run-up to Super Bowl Sunday, millions of American football fans can rest assured: there is no looming shortage of their beloved chicken wings.
02 February 2013
China steel industry says profits plunge
The combined profits of China's major steelmakers crashed by more than 98 percent in 2012 as growth in the economy of the world's largest steel producer slowed.
01 February 2013
Columbia space tragedy, 10 years on
NASA will commemorate the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its seven astronauts a decade ago, a landmark incident that triggered the end of the shuttle mission.