Topic: Oregon State University

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Study links speciation to changes in body size in fish

An analysis of nearly 8,000 species of fish found that the speed at which new species emerge is strongly correlated with the speed at which changes in body size evolve.
Earth's cooling came to sudden halt in 1900, study shows

An international study used tree rings and pollen to build the first record of global climate change, continent by continent, over 2,000 years.
Opinion Long live the purity of seeds for broccoli

The majority of the world's seed for broccoli, cauliflower, and similar veggies is produced in Oregon's Willamette Valley. But the seeds can be easily contaminated by pollen from canola, which the state recently allowed in the valley. The legislature must ban the canola.
'Tsunami fish' story: Flooded boat. A 4,500 mile trip.

Five live Japanese beakfish wash up in Washington State after a cross-Pacific ride from Japan in a tsunami-wrecked boat. The Japanese beakfish survived in a flooded bait box.
Global temperature rise is fastest in at least 11,000 years, study says

The study, which also found the magnitude of the global temperature rise to be unmatched in 4,000 years, suggests that the current warming trend cannot be explained by naturally occurring temperature fluctuations.
Pacific earthquake: Are scientists underestimating 'superquakes'? (+video)

Pacific earthquake: An 8.0 Pacific earthquake hit about 1,000 miles northeast of Australia. Over the past half-century, three 9.0 or higher 'superquakes' have hit the Pacific's Ring of Fire, pushing scientists to rethink their models of earthquake formation.
Focus Japan's nuclear dilemma: What to do with all that nuclear waste?

Japanese citizens are balking at the lack of information and supervision of waste stored in public places, such as playgrounds.
100-million-year-old fossil reveals ancient spider attack in progress

The piece of amber, which contains 15 intact strands of spider silk, provides the first fossil evidence of such an assault, the researchers said.
Oregon town angers China with controversial mural

A mural painted along the top of a building at a busy intersection in Corvallis, Ore., has angered Chinese consular officials. The mural's themes are China's human rights violations and independence for Taiwan.
Latin America Monitor Mexico: What keeps drug traffickers 'in the game?'

Mexico's drug trade employs an estimated 500,000 people. A new study explores factors – like addressing drug addiction – that can lead traffickers to exit the drug trade, and how to encourage more to follow.
Focus Drought: Farmers dig deeper, water tables drop, competition heats up

A drier 'new normal' is forcing US farmers to dig deeper wells. That affects water tables and municipal supplies, and, if climatologists are right about global warming, it could also mean more competition for less water in the future.
Modern Parenthood Teens waiting to get drivers' licenses, prefer public transport

Teens are waiting longer to get their drivers' licenses, according to a new study. They prefer walkable cities and good public transportation to the hassle and cost of maintaining a car.
Invasive species ride tsunami debris to US shore

A floating dock from Japan washed up on an Oregon beach this week. Scientists worry that it represents a new way for invasive species to muck up the West Coast's marine environments.
Chad Ochocinco announces Patriots release on Twitter

Chad Ochocinco was let go by the AFC champions on Thursday. Ochocinco expressed his gratitude to Pats fans via his preferred social media outlet.
Tsunami debris: Dock from Japan floats 5,000 miles to Oregon (+video)

Beside the dock, there are 1.5 million tons of tsunami debris still floating in the Pacific. A Harley Davidson in a crate arrived in British Colombia. A soccer ball from Japan washed up in Alaska.
Humongous fleas gorged on dinosaurs, report scientists

Five to 10 times larger than today's bloodusuckers, the flea-like Mesozoic bugs whose fossils were unearthed in China are thought to have dined on feathered dinosaurs and mammals.
Japanese tsunami debris to hit West Coast this year, sooner than expected

A new estimate suggests that debris from the Japanese tsunami will hit US coasts this year, not next year as previously thought. Who will lead the cleanup is still being worked out.
Ice age study delivers blow to global-warming skeptics

A new study finds that rising levels of carbon dioxide drove rising temperatures at the end of the last ice age. The findings contrast with previous studies, which skeptics of human-triggered global warming said showed that CO2 levels weren't an important factor.
Increasing carbon dioxide levels ended the last ice age

Using data from ice cores and underwater sediment, new research shows that carbon dioxide emissions contributed to the temperature change at the end of Earth's last ice age.
Cohabitation before marriage? It's no greater divorce risk.

New divorce and marriage research shows that contrary to popular wisdom, cohabitation before marriage carries no extra risk of divorce - at least not when a couple plans to get married.
Is Mars sucking water from its own atmosphere?

Salty soils on Mars act to collect moisture from the Red Planet's atmosphere, according to new research. The salt and the moisture combine to create a brine that may encourage nutrients.
Are arsenic levels in apple juice too high?

Arsenic levels allowed in apple juice may be too high, but even the consumer groups that are most concerned can't agree on the right levels.
12/01/2011 12:35 am
Worms from Hell: How deep do they dig?

Worms from Hell? Scientists have discovered a new species of worm called Halicephalobus mephisto in honor of Faust's demon Mephistopheles. It's the deepest living multicell organism found in the Earth.
06/03/2011 09:41 am
For Super Bowl fans, an X's and O's page-turner

"Blood, Sweat and Chalk" delves into the thinking and history behind some of football's best offensive and defensive strategies.
02/03/2011 02:39 pm
Mohamed Osman Mohamud: The Somali teen who wanted to bomb Portland

Authorities say Mohamed Osman Mohamud acted alone in trying to bomb a Christmas tree lighting event in Portland, Ore. Details about the Somali-born teen’s life are now emerging.
11/28/2010 01:19 pm