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Study: Global warming sparked by ancient farming methods

Ancient man may have started global warming through massive deforestation and burning that could have permanently altered the Earth’s climate, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Virginia and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. The study, published in the scientific journal Quaternary Science Reviews and reported on the University of Virginia’s Web site, says over thousands of years, farmers burned down so many forests on such a large scale that huge amounts of carbon dioxide were pumped into the atmosphere. That possibly caused the Earth to warm up and forever changed the climate

World population projected to reach 7 billion next year

The world’s population is forecast to hit 7 billion next year, the vast majority of its growth coming in developing and, in many cases, the poorest nations, a report released Wednesday said. A staggering 97 percent of global growth over the next 40 years will happen in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Population Reference Bureau’s 2009 World Population Data Sheet.

13 missing on Papua New Guinea flight

A plane carrying 13 people — including nine passengers from Australia — went missing on its way from Port Moresby to Kokoda in Papua New Guinea, the Australia Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Farmer saves $200,000 with poo power

Four generations of Saylors have worked the family’s dairy farm for nearly a century, but for the past three years, the cows have been doing something besides providing milk: They’ve been helping power the place. Growing up on the sprawling spread 90 minutes from Pittsburgh, 36-year-old farmer Shawn Saylor developed into a self-described science buff

Airbus will fund third search for crash debris

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is ready to fund a third search of the Atlantic Ocean if a second search, now under way, fails to find debris from last month’s Air France crash, the company said Friday. Airbus is discussing a payment of between 12 to 20 million euros ($17-28 million) to help pay for a third search, but it is still too early to settle on a figure, company spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said. “We are ready to give a significant share, whatever is needed,” he told CNN

Fish stocks can recover if well managed, says study

Efforts to curb overfishing in five of the world’s marine ecosystems are starting to show signs of working. The news comes from a multi-national study on the status of marine fisheries and ecosystems reported in “Science”. While the report found that stock collapse is an increasing international trend, the scientists involved believe there are positive signs that rebuilding the ocean’s depleted fish stocks is possible

The superyacht that looks like a killer whale

A spectacular superyacht has been designed by an internationally-renowned urban planning architect in a very unusual shape — a huge sea creature. Seventy-six meter long “Oculus,” which is built for 12 guests looks like a large sea creature, with one end looking uncannily like the jaw and eye socket of a shark or a killer whale. A second design, the futuristic 91 meter-long “Infinitas” is based on the figure-of-eight shape of an infinity loop

Verizon changes tune on Wi-Fi

Verizon Communications has had a change of heart about using Wi-Fi to extend its wireless broadband offering as the company announces free access to Wi-Fi hot spots for its Fios and DSL Internet customers. On Monday the company announced that customers subscribed to its Verizon Fios Internet service with 20Mbps per second downstream and 15Mbps upstream or faster and customers who subscribe to its 3Mbps/768 Kbps or higher DSL service will be able to connect to Verizon Wi-Fi hot spots, at no additional charge as part of their broadband service

Whatever happened to the Conficker worm?

Remember Conficker? The hugely talked-about computer worm seemed poised to wreak havoc on the world’s machines on April Fool’s Day.

Analyst: Undersea cable can boost connections

The SEACOM cable being promoted as a computer lifeline for Africa will contribute to social upliftment but not immediately, a telecommunications analyst says. James Hodge, who specializes in competition and regulation, says initially SEACOM will predominantly benefit those already connected. Hodge said it will not initially change the lives of those poor people, sitting in the rural areas without lights or electricity.