Topic: Antarctica

South with the Sun: Roald Amundsen, His Polar Explorations, and the Quest for Discovery

Long-distance swimmer and author Lynne Cox traces the path of polar explorer Roald Amundsen – just in time for the centennial of his arrival at the South Pole.
10/05/2011 07:05 am

India earthquake: What makes the region so volatile?

A magnitude 6.9 Himalayan quake on the border between India and Nepal, highlights the extreme hazard the region faces as enormous patches of Earth's crust crash into each other.
09/19/2011 08:09 pm

Tatooine for real? Scientists confirm planet orbiting two suns.

Tatooine is the mythical home of Luke Skywalker. Now, scientists have identified a planet in a binary system 200 light-years away, although the planet is more like Saturn in mass and makeup.
09/15/2011 07:23 pm

Culture Cafe Fall 2011 movie preview

The 2011 Fall Movie Season is here, and we have your guide to all the films keeping you warm at the theater, complete with images, release dates, and our recommendations!
09/12/2011 04:23 pm

Are we all extraterrestrials? Scientists discover traces of DNA in space.

Fully-formed building blocks of DNA have been found in meteorites, suggesting an extraterrestrial origin for some of the chemicals deemed necessary for organic life.
08/12/2011 07:11 pm

Food critic undercover in San Francisco

Michael Bauer, a food critic, keeps San Francisco chefs on their toes.
08/10/2011 02:14 pm

US heat wave: 5 places that make it look milder

The July heat wave shimmering across the United States is generating everything from prime-time news coverage to contests for describing just how hot it really is. More than a third of the US is experiencing heat indexes of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service. Six US cities set all-time record highs last month, with the hottest new record coming from Childress, Texas. The temp? 117 degrees. Savanna, Ga., meanwhile, experienced temps of 90-plus degrees for 56 days straight (May 20 to July 14). But what may be a record-setting summer in America is relatively routine in other parts of the world, where many people experience months of weather like this – and not necessarily with Western comforts like air conditioning. Some are almost as hot as America’s Death Valley, which averages 115 degrees in July. Yet their inhabitants manage to survive, albeit through sweat if not tears. Perhaps the fortitude of their global brethren will bring a breeze of hope to Americans. Here are five places with more extreme weather than the US is currently experiencing.
07/22/2011 01:50 pm

Nom de Plume: A (Secret) History of Pseudonyms, by Carmela Ciuraru

Carmela Ciuraru takes a playful look at the history of pen names and the reasons authors use them.
07/21/2011 08:05 am

Can Europe find a safe place for nuclear waste?

The European Union yesterday imposed a four-year deadline on member countries to come up with plans for facilities to permanently store their spent nuclear fuel.
07/20/2011 04:36 pm

Ham radio hangs on

07/06/2011 04:33 pm

Why airplanes make it rain or snow

Aircraft create more rain near airports by punching holes in the clouds, effectively seeding the clouds, according to a new study of the phenomenon.
06/30/2011 06:27 pm

Asteroid 2011 MD buzzes Earth, nearer than some satellites

Asteroid 2011 MD, reached its closest point to Earth just after 1 p.m. EDT, when it crept within 7,500 miles of Earth before whipping away again like a slingshot.
06/27/2011 07:24 pm

School-bus sized asteroid to hurtle past Earth Monday morning

At 9:26 AM Eastern time on Monday, a small asteroid will make an extremely close pass to our planet, but there is no chance that it will strike it, say NASA officials.
06/24/2011 05:09 pm

Huzzah, summer solstice? At South Pole, winter solstice is party time.

Tuesday is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. For research teams toiling at the South Pole, though, it's the winter solstice and, oh boy, are they happy about it!
06/21/2011 10:34 am

Lunar eclipse, first of 2011, occurs Weds.

Lunar eclipse: The event is the first lunar eclipse of 2011 and one of two total lunar eclipses this year.
06/13/2011 11:24 am

Ann Curry perseverance pays off at 'Today' show

Ann Curry, who has been the top-rated morning show's news anchor since 1997, officially ascends to the top spot alongside Lauer on Thursday, the day after Meredith Vieira signs off.
06/08/2011 02:42 pm

Three eclipses start with midnight eclipse of the sun

Three eclipses will happen over the next month. As rare as that is, it all starts with another rarity - a midnight eclipse of the sun.
06/01/2011 01:31 am

The Eat, Pray, Love effect: Going way beyond the family vacation

Extended travel – going way beyond the family vacation – is part of a post 9/11, post Eat Pray Love effect. Families sell the house, pull the kids from school and go – looking for more togetherness, an escape from stress, and, a global education.
05/26/2011 12:51 pm

The Eat, Pray, Love effect: How families finance adventure travel

Part 4 of a Monitor cover story about how families hit by the Eat Pray Love effect finance adventure travel – selling the house, taking the kids out of school and hitting the road.
05/26/2011 12:50 pm

In Pictures Way beyond vacation: the 'Eat, Pray, Love' effect

Photos of the Day Photos of the day 05/18

Cicadas re-emerge after 13-year absence

Cicadas are beginning to swarm in the South for the first time in 13 years.
05/11/2011 01:17 pm

Cave of Forgotten Dreams: movie review

In 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams,' Werner Herzog takes us on an extraordinary journey to see Earth's first artists and ponder the origins of what it means to be human.
04/29/2011 05:00 pm

Scientists discover 657 new islands

The Earth has many more barrier islands than previously thought, a global survey has found.
04/19/2011 08:51 pm

In Pictures Space photos of the day: Currents