Science and Tech

SEATTLE - Jeanne Hyde awoke before dawn one day this week to an odd, unnatural pulse coming from her computer.

NAPLES, Fla. - When Joe Guthrie tries to explain why a statewide wildlife corridor is important, he starts like this:

"Imagine you're a bear. A bear living in Collier County. And you've been out-competed for resources. You need to move to survive, so where do you go?"

Once upon a time, that answer was simple: anywhere you wanted to go.

Maria Medina's life is littered with the destruction of diabetes.

Her neighbor had a foot amputated because of the disease. Her mother went blind from it. Her sister died of it.

SAN FRANCISCO - Like alcohol and tobacco, sugar is a toxic, addictive substance that should be highly regulated with taxes, laws on where and to whom it can be advertised, and even age-restricted sales, a team of scientists contends.

TAMPA, Fla. - A potential source of energy is being flushed down the toilet.

Yes, human waste may be the newest answer to the world's shortage of nutrients, energy and water. At least that's the idea behind a University of South Florida research project, recently boosted by a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - Radium-powered golf balls. Fishing lures that glow in the dark. Atomic potions that add pep to your step and cure all that ails you.

Who knew radiation could be so much fun?

Welcome to what may be the world's finest collection of nuclear paraphernalia, atomic doodads and just about anything having to do with the history of radiation and radioactivity.

During the long and bumpy ride to the top of Chestnut Ridge in Derry, Pa., Sara Fitzsimmons reminisces about her first time looking over the site where a chestnut orchard has been planted.

"It was during a driving blizzard in knee-deep snow," she said with a laugh.

The rough gravel roads that lead to the orchard are desolate, mainly used by hunters and a few locals.

Is access to mobile data the new wealth?

If you look at some of the recent numbers coming out about data use on cell phones and tablets, you might be able to make that case.

On most trips, I just call it the "black-and-white spaghetti": the yards of laptop power cables, Apple sync cords, camera and battery chargers, and headphone wires that somehow wrap themselves into a grapefruit-size tangle at the bottom on my carry-on luggage.

Any organization that believes it has shuttered all of the back door channels that hackers used to breach millions of systems last year should double check the locks in 2012, according to security experts.