Physicists in race to find dark matter

Photos reveal Mars had water underground

New, detailed photographs of Mars show evidence of subterranean streams of liquid, including water, that once flowed long enough that they could have sustained simple forms of life, researchers say. Photos from the NASA8217;s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal a landscape of hills and sand dunes punctuated by rock bleached by minerals in ancient underground streams. Those streams of water, or water mixed with liquid carbon dioxide, flowed for weeks or longer8212;long enough to have supported bacteria or other simple life forms, according to a study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science appearing in the journal Science. 8220;The most interesting aspect we found in these new photos is that we can see that the water, with most likely other dissolved chemicals in it, resided in these areas for weeks or months or longer,8221; said the study co-author, Chris Okubo, of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona. 8220;It means these areas would have been potentially habitable.8221;

A foamy mug of beer without the fear of pain

Those with celiac disease need not fear beer. Popping up on some shelves are four new brews claiming to be free of gluten, a class of proteins that spark a dangerous autoimmune reaction in the intestinal tracts of celiacs. These beers eschew barley, wheat and rye brewing grains that contain gluten in favour of other fermentables.

New Grist, from Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, is made from a syrup of sorghum and rice. It is a bright straw-gold with a thick white foam, but the similarity to mainstream beer ends there. With a sour aroma, a crisp cider-like flavour, notes of vanilla and a faintly grainy finish, it8217;s quaffable but eccentric. Brewery co-owner Russ Klisch says his sales increased 41 percent last year, mostly because of New Grist. But competition has stiffened now that industry giant Anheuser-Busch has released Redbridge, a sorghum- and corn-based amber lager. Toleration Ale, from Hambleton Ales in England, is, according to the label, fermented from 8220;specially prepared non-malt dark sugars.8221; Dragon8217;s Gold is a pale lager from Bard8217;s Tale Beer Co., a business founded by celiacs Craig Belser and Kevin Seplowitz. Their beer is brewed from two kinds of malted sorghum.

Study questions prospects for much lower emissions

Electric power companies, which emit about one-third of America8217;s global warming gases, could reduce their emissions to below the levels of 1990, but that would take about 20 years, no matter how much the utilities spend, according to a new industry study. The report, prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit consortium, is portrayed as highly optimistic by its authors, who presented the findings on Thursday at an energy conference in Houston. In an interview, one of the authors, Dr. Bryan J Hannegan said cutting carbon dioxide that much would mean pursuing every option, including energy efficiency, zero-carbon wind and sun power; new nuclear reactors; coal plants that capture and sequester their carbon; and even plug-in hybrid electric cars, which would require making more electricity but would reduce carbon dioxide and save gasoline. At the Natural Resources Defense Council, David G. Hawkins, an energy and climate expert, said that the industry group8217;s projections would not provide the necessary savings soon enough.