Oldest Known Rock on Earth Discovered

Canadian bedrock more than 4 billion years old may be the oldest known section of the Earth's early crust.Scientists at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and McGill University in Montreal used geochemical methods to obtain an age of 4.28 billion years for samples of the rock, making it 250 million years more ancient than any previously discovered rocks.The findings, which offer scientists clues to earliest stages of our planet's evolution, are published in this week's ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112299&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

2008 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge Winners Announced

The National Science Foundation (NSF) along with the journal Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), today announced the winners of their sixth annual International Science and Technology Visualization Challenge. The winning entries included breathtaking photographs and graphics that reveal intricate details of our world--the three-dimensional path made by a rapidly spinning string cutting through space and the unique anatomy of ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112304&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

All Students Proficient on State Tests by 2014?

The law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), enacted in 2002, set an ambitious goal: that across the nation, every state would test students annually in reading and math, and that the number of students scoring at the level of "proficient" or higher would rise each year, until all students reached proficiency in the year 2014.Towards that end, each state developed its own assessment tests and identified a rate of adequate yearly progress (AYP) towards full proficiency by ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112312&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Pine Bark Beetles Affecting More than Forests

Pine bark beetles appear to be doing more than killing large swaths of forests in the Rocky Mountains. Scientists suspect they are also altering local weather patterns and air quality.A new international field project, led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., is exploring how trees and other vegetation influence rainfall, temperatures, smog and other aspects of the atmosphere.Plants take in and emit chemicals that affect the ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112290&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.