Topic: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Bizarre cosmic ray mystery deepens (+video)

Humongous space explosions known as gamma ray bursts have been ruled out as a source of the universe's most intense cosmic rays, a new study has found.

Mitt Romney's top 5 attacks on President Obama

Mitt Romney has yet to nail down the Republican presidential nomination, but he’s already attacking President Obama. Here's a look at five of Mr. Romney’s charges – and whether they’re true.

Alexander Graham Bell recordings discovered after 130 years

Alexander Graham Bell went on to invent the telephone, but before he did that he experimented with recording devices.  The old disks were considered unplayable until new technology gave scientists the chance to listen to the recordings for the first time in 130 years.

Mystery of supernova birth points to white dwarfs

Scientists hit "rewind" to discover how white dwarfs play a role in the evolution of a supernova.

Climate study, funded in part by conservative group, confirms global warming

The latest global warming results confirm those from earlier, independent studies by scientists at NASA and elsewhere that came under fire from skeptics in an episode known as 'climategate.'

Discovery that universe is expanding faster and faster earns physics Nobel

Three astronomers will share the Nobel prize in physics, for their finding that the universe's post-Big Bang expansion is neither slowing nor retreating, but is speeding up.

Supernova 'of a generation': how you can see it with binoculars

A supernova in the nearby Pinwheel Galaxy is the closest supernova in 25 years. Situated near the Big Dipper, the SN 2011fe supernova can be seen with binoculars this week.

How the Hippies Saved Physics, by David Kaiser

Modern theoretical physics owes its survival, in part, to the counterculture movement of the 1960s and ’70s.

CERN scientists 'trap' antimatter for more than 16 minutes

Scientists at the world's largest particle physics laboratory in Switzerland have found a way to contain antimatter atoms in a magnetic 'bottle' for as long as 1,000 seconds, an eternity in particle physics.

Japan nuclear crisis: Will radioactive food reach US supermarkets?

Worry not. While Japan has banned the sale of some produce from the area near the reactors, similar contamination is highly unlikely in the US, as is the import of tainted Japanese food.

Suddenly, spotlight on earthquake entrepreneur

Earthquake entrepreneur George Dickson hopes to change the way the world gets its earthquake warnings.

Can huge Mojave wind farm boost faltering wind power industry?

Construction began last week on a wind power plant in the Mojave Desert. Its developers say it will be the nation's biggest but it comes amid dimming prospects for wind power in the US.

What's really causing Himalayan glaciers to melt?

A new study suggests that black carbon could be the cause of Himalayan glaciers melting.

Earth Talk: Compare costs of alternative energy

Is it better to go with your utility's renewable power option or install your own solar or wind power?

Keep tabs on energy use with Microsoft's Hohm

Is the Internet bad for the environment?

Solar prices dropping fast

The price of solar panel systems has been plummeting, making installation more affordable for homes and businesses but potentially spelling trouble for manufacturers.

Energy Secretary: Climate change could wipe out Calif. farming

Energy Secretary Steven Chu warned that, if climate change continues unabated, California's agriculture could vanish by the end of the century.

Obama's green team

At a news conference in Chicago Monday, Barack Obama announced many of his energy and environment appointees, a team that many say signals a sharp break from Bush administration policies toward pollution, wildlife, clean energy, and climate change.

Reports: Obama picks energy chief

Barack Obama will tap Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who runs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as to head the Department of Energy, numerous news outlets say, quoting officials close to President-elect.

How white roofs shine bright green

Painting homes a lighter shade does more than save money on A.C.

Study: white rooftops could curb climate change

If the world's 100 biggest cities were whiten the roofs of all of their buildings and use more reflective pavement, the global cooling effect would be huge, a new study has concluded.

Europe’s Large Hadron Collider tests the bounds of physics – and budgets

Scientists look for technologies to push particles faster, better, and cheaper.