We are confronted by many mysteries, from the nature of dark matter and the origin of the universe to the quest for a theory of everything. These are all puzzles on the grand scale, but you can observe another enduring mystery of the physical world - equally perplexing, if not quite so grand - from the comfort of your kitchen. Simply fill a tall glass with chilled water, throw in an ice cube and ... read more >>

A living room has been built inside a giant water tank to investigate how homes can be guarded against flooding.

The simulator in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, will test products aimed at protecting homes against flooding.

If they pass the tests, the products can be awarded a Kitemark symbol to show they meet new industry standards.

The tank, which is about 2,700 sq m (3,200 sq yds), will be ... read more >>

This winter's extreme weather -- with heavy snowfall in some places and unusually low temperatures -- is in fact a sign of how climate change disrupts long-standing patterns, according to a new report by the National Wildlife Federation.

It comes at a time when, despite a wealth of scientific evidence, the American public is increasingly skeptical that climate change is happening at all. That ... read more >>

Impoverished Yemen is reeling under the threat of Al-Qaeda, northern Shiite rebels and southern secessionists, but a lack of water is putting its ancient capital at even greater risk, experts say.

Within a decade -- or even less -- Sanaa could become the first waterless capital in the world, they warn, adding the outlook is also bleak for the rest of this parched country where wells in some re ... read more >>

For the record I think they're not really laughing maliciously but more of titillatingly screaming as if watching a horror movie. There is some laughing too but seems to me to be more like a laughing in the face of danger rather than at misfortune - don't forget the videographers are trapped too. ... read more >>

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who plumbed the depths of Lake Baikal in a minisubmarine in August and pronounced the lake "ecologically clean," has given a well-connected tycoon's paper mill the go-ahead to resume dumping waste there, reversing what had been a landmark victory for environmentalists.

A decree Mr. Putin signed last week removed waste discharges in the production of pulp, ... read more >>

The barrier's purpose is to increase the draining capacity of the Nakdong River. By draining the excess water, the river can be better managed. This benefits ecology, irrigation, and flood-water safety, which means that the quality of life of the local population is improved.

The barrier is to be built on the edge of the port city of Busan, which, with 4.6 million inhabitants, is the second la ... read more >>

(CBS) "Where we are, the cavalry has not arrived," reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor from Haiti's beleaguered capital city Friday morning, four days after a massive earthquake brought the nation to its knees.

Glor gave a harrowing account of how, in some neighborhoods, bodies of the estimated 45,000 to 50,000 victims are piled high in the streets. "No one should ever have to see this. ... read more >>

Reading Steven Solomon's excellent new book "Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization" I was reminded again of the connection between the water challenge and the field to which I dedicated my life -- energy security.

It is widely accepted that water shortage can -- and most probably will -- lead to military conflict, mass migration, food shortages and a host of other securi ... read more >>

Sonic booms can occur in fairly routine settings: for example, it is a sonic boom you hear when a whip cracks. But in your bathtub? Apparently, whenever a hard object falls into a pool of water, a jet of air is produced that briefly reaches supersonic speeds.

To study this, physicists at the University of Twente, in the Netherlands, and at the University of Seville set up an experiment in whi ... read more >>