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Last month a BBC news story made the Internet rounds, with a somewhat sensational headline declaring the “first Irish case of death” by spontaneous human combustion (SHC). The badly burnt body of a 76-year-old man was found in his Galway home on December 22, 2010, lying on his back with his head close to an open fireplace. There was no trace of accelerant, no evidence of foul play, and “forensic experts” concluded that the fire in the fireplace hadn’t caused the blaze.

BLACKSVILLE, W.Va. -- Who killed Dunkard Creek? Was it coal miners whose runoff wiped out aquatic life in the stream where locals have long fished and picnicked

In five years, Black Death wiped out an estimated 30 to 50 percent of Europe's population. This medieval plague was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis , which still circulates among humans .

By Susan Young of Nature magazine A team of researchers has corrected a faulty gene in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from skin cells of people with an inherited metabolic liver disease. [More]

Right now about one billion people suffer from chronic hunger. the world’s farmers grow enough food to feed them, but it is not properly distributed and, even if it were, many cannot afford it, because prices are escalating

Citizen scientists document turtle roadkill observations in Massachusetts through an online mapping interface [More]

In recent months, politicians cranking up their campaigns for the 2012 presidential elections have made some science claims that might be called interesting at best. Whether it's Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) comparing himself with Galileo or Sen.

* Hurricane Jova crosses Mexico's Pacific coast * Expected to dump flooding rains as it moves inland [More]

Making of Ankylosaur Attack: Daniel Loxton on location in South-Western Alberta. Photo by Cheryl Hebert [More]

What makes a great science book for kids? Scientific accuracy is certainly important but on its own it isn't enough.

Jiminy Cricket may not actually hold the door open for his lady friends, but he can still be chivalrous: researchers from the University of Exeter discovered that when threatened by predators, a male field cricket will protect his mate by letting her enter their burrow first.

* Bangkok threatened later this week when tide to rise * Rice shipments delayed; regional prices may rise [More]

By Gyles Beckford WELLINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The captain of a stricken [More]

In June 2010, an emaciated and disorientated female Amur tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica ) named Galia wandered into the Russian town of Terney seeking any prey she was still strong enough to kill. Authorities were forced to put her down, a sad day for a subspecies that numbers maybe 250 to 300 animals in the wild. The story got worse as all three of Galia’s 3-week-old cubs were also found nearby, dead, their bellies empty

By Elizabeth Armstrong Moore Eight months and several hurdles after receiving 510(k) clearance, mobile-health company Mobisante says its smartphone ultrasound device is officially on the market . The MobiUS system is on the market for $7,495.