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Human Rights, Conspiracy Theory and Environmentalism  articles:

Mars probe Phoenix digs up first sample of Martian soil Nearly two weeks after its historic landing, the US Mars probe Phoenix has scooped up its first sample of Martian soil and begun analyzing it for water and organic compounds, a NASA official said.

 Study Finds Human-Robot Attachment A new study shows how deeply some Roomba owners become attached to the robotic vacuums, and suggests there's a measure of public readiness to accept robots in the house — even flawed ones. They give them nicknames, worry when they signal for help and sometimes even treat them like a trusted pet.

Study finds possible link between cancer and power lines It is something that has been debated for years; whether living next to high-voltage power lines can lead to cancer.

20-year ban on trade in ivory African states have called for a 20-year ban on trade in ivory to protect the continent's elephants from poachers and possible extinction in the wild.

Robot twitcher to scan skies for rare bird The world's first robot twitcher has joined the hunt for the ivory-billed woodpecker. The device's inventors hope it will come up with the first hard evidence for the elusive bird's existence, and say it could monitor other rare species.

Porcupines become fashion victims in S.Africa  South Africa's porcupines are being slaughtered so their quills can be turned into tourist souvenirs.
Porcupines are being hunted wholesale for the fashion market and nobody has any idea how many are being killed.

Non-GMO: Hottest Food Trend Consumers of any age can improve their health with one change. "Avoid eating genetically modified organisms (GMOs)," says expert Jeffrey M. Smith, who points to evidence of mounting health risks associated with gene-spliced foods.

Study: U.S. Media Overlooked Major Humanitarian Stories in 2006 Last year millions of people in many countries lost their lives as a result of wars, violence, disease, and hunger, yet the "Top Ten" most underreported stories of 2006 highlighted by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, accounted for just 7.2 of the 14,512 minutes the three major television networks devoted to their nightly newscasts in 2006.

Jailed for blogging In a cramped jail cell in Alexandria, Egypt, sits a soft-spoken 22-year-old student. Kareem Amer was sent to prison for over a month for allegedly "defaming the president of Egypt" and "highlighting inappropriate aspects that harm the reputation of Egypt." Where did Amer commit these supposed felonies? On his weblog.

Historical UK ship passenger records available online for first time UK National Archives is enabling online access to the first comprehensive database of passenger lists from ships departing the UK on long-distance voyages to destinations including North America, Australia, India and South Africa between 1890 and 1960. Genealogists will get very excited.

The construction of a giant mirror to light up a Bondo, Swiss mountain village whose 198 residents are deprived of sunlight for three months each year, is being considered.

Russian shock at 'gagged' babies Russian prosecutors are investigating allegations that hospital staff in Yekaterinburg gagged babies because they did not want to hear them crying.

Making electricity from hog waste Progress Energy, the Raleigh-based electric utility, will evaluate the feasibility of making electricity from hog waste, according to the N.C. Pork Council. The pilot project will be conducted with participation from hog farms throughout the state, according to a news release from the organization.