Science

With NASA reporting a "significant amount" of water on the lunar surface, is it time to re-examine our priorities regarding living and working in space? Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute, talks about why and how people should venture beyond Earth.

Two instruments from the Hubble Space Telescope, including the camera that corrected an early flaw in the telescope, are now on exhibit at the Smithsonian. The camera, about the size of a baby grand piano, is responsible for some of Hubble's most astounding photos.

The shuttle rocketed into orbit with six astronauts and a full load of spare parts for the International Space Station that should keep it humming for years to come. The launch was NASA's first launch "tweetup," attended by about 100 Twittering space enthusiasts.

A rocket set on a collision course with the moon reveals it's not just a dull, dry satellite. Water lurking in its craters could someday provide everything from drinking water to rocket fuel for astronauts exploring the moon.

A NASA rocket slammed into a lunar crater in October. A second spacecraft followed minutes later, taking inventory of kicked-up debris and sending data to Earth. Scientists have now analyzed those data, which may reveal whether the moon harbors significant quantities of water ice.

Researchers are hoping to improve solar energy installations by coupling a solar panel to an efficient hydrolysis unit that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. Daniel Nocera of MIT says the approach could lead to personal solar power units that could get many houses off the grid.

Tell Me More host Michel Martin and Lee Hill, the program's "digital media guy," comb through listener feedback and offer important news updates to recent conversations heard on the program. This week, the audience shares personal stories in reaction to controversial new guidelines issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a component of the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency says suggests women can now wait an additional 10 years before getting an annual mammogram.

Google is preparing to strip down the computer-user experience to a single application: the Web browser. The company says it's just recognizing the reality that most people use their computers to connect to the Web, and that's about it.

Sony's new online service connecting the whole range of its gadgets to downloadable content like movies and games should help build brand loyalty, a top executive said.

How much do you know about the company that knows so much about you? In Googled: The End of the World as We Know It, Ken Auletta chronicles the growth of Google, from the brainchild of two computer science graduate students, toiling in a California garage, to the multi-billion dollar, multi-nation corporation it is today.

The e-mails and documents hacked from a computer server at a British university will undoubtedly raise questions about the actions of some scientists.

A reporter test drove a Chevrolet Volt to see how it performed after its electric power supply was depleted.

Sony Ericsson hopes to differentiate its new smartphones with an "Infinite Button" that links entertainment and communications. But will it ever be sold in the United States?

Customers buying the company's electronic reading device now will receive them next year.

Google fields questions about its Power Meter, its market strategy and the privacy of consumer data at a smart grid conference in California.