Science News

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The state-owned oil and gas company in Kazakhstan, KazMunaiGas, moved on projects involving local firms for the first time in corporate history.

Energy took center stage in Congress this year with policymakers battling over domestic oil drilling and carbon emissions reductions amid volatile oil prices and a plummeting economy. A review of legislative action throughout 2008 tells a story predominantly of inaction, reaping mixed ratings from industry representatives, economists and energy experts.

President-elect Barack Obama's energy team leaders received votes of approval from a number of quarters Tuesday, although not everyone's happy about their policy stances.

COLUMBIA, S.C., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Scientists using nationwide data collected since 1970 have produced a map depicting natural hazard mortality across the United States.

NASA: Dark energy stifles universe growth … New method of killing bacteria is created … Global warning might increase corn pests … FDA criticizes medication information ... Health/Science news from UPI.

CLEVELAND, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The Cleveland Clinic said a team of physicians has performed the first near-total face transplant ever done in the United States.

LONG BEACH, Calif., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Researchers say sea lions and seals living off the coast of Southern California are contaminated by high levels of DDT and PCB.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it will require suicide warnings on all anti-epileptic drugs, including those used to treat other conditions.

One year after President Bush signed a massive energy bill into law, debate still rages as to whether it was ultimately a feat or a failure.

PASADENA, Calif., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says martian soil its Phoenix Mars Lander collected this year is very cold and dry, but during climate cycles it might become moist.

NEWARK, Del., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- An international team of scientists is working under Antarctica's snow-covered surface to build the world's largest neutrino telescope.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers say they have, for the first time, clearly observed the effects of "dark energy" on the most massive collapsed objects in the universe.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Cassini spacecraft has detected Saturn's small moon Enceladus is showing signs of ongoing changes at its south polar surface.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have developed a method of "fooling" a bacterium's evolutionary machinery into programming its own death.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has found flaws in the printed consumer medication information voluntarily provided with new prescriptions.