A captive white whale that made unusual mumbling sounds when he was in the presence of people may have been trying to mimic his human companions, scientists have found.
An acoustic analysis of the sounds made by a beluga whale called NOC has revealed remarkable similarities to human speech patterns, indicating that the whale was trying to “reach out” to his human captors, scientists believe.
Talking whale learns to imitate human speech in attempt to 'reach out' to human captors
US may soon become world's top oil producer
U.S. oil output is surging so fast that the United States could soon overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest producer.
Driven by high prices and new drilling methods, U.S. production of crude and other liquid hydrocarbons is on track to rise 7 percent this year to an average of 10.9 million barrels per day. This will be the fourth straight year of crude increases and the biggest single-year gain since 1951.
The boom has surprised even the experts.
Former CIA officer in leaks case pleads guilty to a single charge
A former CIA officer who was charged with repeatedly leaking classified information pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a single charge of disclosing the identity of an undercover CIA operative.
Under the plea agreement, the former officer, John C. Kiriakou, will be sentenced to prison for up to 30 months. The agreement marks the end of a case that involved the spilling of secrets to reporters and that was part of the Obama administration’s unprecedented crackdown on leaks.
Dept. of Energy confirms tank leak at Hanford nuclear reservation
The Department of Energy has confirmed that its oldest double-shell tank is actively leaking radioactive and hazardous chemical waste from its inner shell.
DOE made the announcement Monday after a video inspection of the area between the shells Sunday showed more waste in one place than a video taken Thursday showed.
"It's a very, very small volume," said Tom Fletcher, DOE assistant manager for the tank farms. Although there's no good way to measure the amount, it could be a couple of tablespoons of additional waste between the video inspections.
Alex Baer: 5,000 Years Ago, Once Again Tonight
Ancient history is alive and well today -- and is, in short, old hat.
Submitted for your consideration, a tale of two worlds:
In the UK, a man is trying to decipher the intricate subtleties of symbols on a clay tablet from 3200 BCE that speaks to the current status of the home group, using the language of the time.
Across an ocean, in the US, two men will meet tonight, in 2012 CE, and use modern speech, attempting to speak to their own audience about current affairs within the home group -- providing observers can decode the oblique, nuanced language used.
Accord to Ease Medicare Rules in Chronic Cases
Tens of thousands of people with chronic conditions and disabilities may find it easier to qualify for Medicare coverage of potentially costly home health care, skilled nursing home stays and outpatient therapy under policy changes planned by the Obama administration.
In a proposed settlement of a nationwide class-action lawsuit, the administration has agreed to scrap a decades-old practice that required many beneficiaries to show a likelihood of medical or functional improvement before Medicare would pay for skilled nursing and therapy services.
VIDEO: Pastor delivers passionate speech against gay rights - with a shocking twist
The crowd at a City Council hearing in Springfield, Miss., didn’t expect to be surprised when Rev. Phil Snider took the podium to speak out against a proposed piece of gay rights legislation this summer, as his words initially seemed to echo the sentiments of many right-wing conservatives on the issue.
“I worry about the future of our city,” Snider said in August, of an ordinance that would have protected individuals from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender.
Fracking Poisoning Families at Alarming Rate: Report
Residents living near gas fracking sites suffer an increasingly high rate of health problems now linked to pollutants used in the gas extraction process, according to a new report released Thursday.
The study, conducted by Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project, pulled from a survey of 108 Pennsylvania residents in 14 counties, and a series of air and water tests. The results showed close to 70 percent of participants reported an increase in throat irritation and roughly 80 percent suffered from sinus problems after natural gas extraction companies moved to their areas. The symptoms intensify the closer the residents are to the fracking sites.
Alex Baer: Where No Skydiver (or Marketeer) Has Gone Before
Chalk up another win to tee-shirt philosophy, with an added twist.
Many have long said, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." The current version of such qualitative evaluations in life might be, "Just because you can, why on Earth would you want to?"
Upholding that basic concept, especially with that newest wrinkle, may be a sign of intelligent life down here after all, but I'm not blistering the flooring in a panicked hurry to get out and place bets.
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