Three Nations Agree to Share Ice Core That May Yield Clues About Nature of Lake Vostok
Scientists from the United States, France and Russia will equally share samples of an 11.7-meter (38.5-foot) ice core taken from the ice sheet above Lake Vostok, deep in the Antarctic interior, under the terms of an agreement worked out among representatives of the nations' Antarctic research programs. Glaciologists, geochemists and biologists will use the lower portions of the Vostok ice core, which was drilled in 1998, to learn more about the subglacial lake known to exist under the ice at Russia's Vostok Station, high on the polar plateau.
More... (posted May 28, 2002)

Ancient Flower Fossil Points to Underwater Origins
The world's oldest known flower never bloomed, but it has opened scientific questions into whether all of modern flowering plants share underwater origins.The newly discovered remains of the oldest, most complete flowering plant show it lived at least 125 million years ago, most likely underwater, said University of Florida (UF) paleobotanist David Dilcher. The discovery is reported in the Friday, May 3, issue of the journal Science and was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
More... (posted May 3, 2002)

What Americans Know and Don't Know about Science -- Plus How R&D; Affects the Economy, and More
Dramatic increases in research and development (R&D) investments during the past decade, largely from industry, have contributed to U.S. standing as a global economic powerhouse. However, developments abroad could affect U.S. preeminence in science and technology in the years to come, says Science and Engineering Indicators 2002, a biennial report of the National Science Board to the President.
(posted April 30, 2002)

Read the full story

View the report, S&E Indicators 2002

Of Special Interest: Public Attitudes and Public Understanding of Science and Technology

Science Leaders to Open Global Science & Technology Week with Webcast
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies will celebrate Global Science & Technology Week (GSTW) April 28-May 4. The theme is "Science and Technology: Serving Our Global Community." NSF has organized a two-hour Webcast, "Meet a Scientist or Engineer," April 29. It will feature the nation's top scientists at several sites taking questions from middle school students. David Heil, formerly the host of Newton's Apple, will moderate. OSTP Director John Marburger and NSF Director Rita Colwell will co-host.
More... (posted April 26, 2002)

See the GSTW website

Photo credit: NSF

Crossing Alaska By Snowmobile in Search of Climate-Change Clues
A group of scientists left Nome, Alaska in late March on a 35-day snowmobile traverse to scour the Alaskan tundra for clues to the role snow cover plays in climate change. The team also will analyze the chemistry and composition of snow along the route to determine the source of the snow, and how much it has been affected by arctic haze. Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the six- member Snow Science Traverse - Alaska Region (SnowSTAR 2002) expedition plans to cover 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) -- from Nome, northeast through the Brooks mountain range to Barrow.
More... (posted April 17, 2002)

Also see: Dispatches from the science party.

Photo credit: "SUNY at Buffalo"

Researchers Attempt to Identify When, Where Volcanoes will Erupt
Researchers funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and affiliated with the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo are developing technology that may identify not only where and when a volcano will come to life, but the path its destructive lava flows will follow. Combining mathematical modeling, geologic simulations, geographic information science, scientific computing and virtual reality, the researchers will provide accurate information on geologic dangers to scientists, civil-defense authorities, and citizens who live in the shadow of a volcano.
More... (posted April 17, 2002)

Photo credit: Victor Pasko, PSU

Researchers Capture Image of Unusual Blue Jet Lightning
Deep in the tropical jungle of Puerto Rico lies the NSF's Arecibo Observatory, where for the first time a team of researchers has captured video evidence from the ground of a lightning phenomenon known as a blue jet. The discovery is the first ground-based evidence linking the ionosphere with cloud tops in blue jet events. According to Victor Pasko of Penn State, an electrical engineer working at Arecibo, "Pilots and others reported observations of red sprites and blue jets long before the first one was captured on video, and numerous undocumented reports of similar phenomena have appeared in scientific literature for over a century."
More... (posted April 17, 2002)