Latest Science News Articles for Los Angeles and the Nation

New idea in mortuary science: Dissolving bodies with lye
Since they first walked the planet, humans have either buried or burned their dead. Now a new option is generating interest - dissolving bodies in lye and flushing the brownish, syrupy residue down the drain.

Seaweed provides clues to earliest inhabitants of Americas
Remains of meals that included seaweed are helping confirm the date of a settlement in southern Chile that may offer the earliest evidence of humans in the Americas.

Conservationists, developer reach major Calif. land deal
A group of environmentalists and the owners of a large stretch of wilderness have reached a deal that would set aside the largest parcel of land for conservation in California history.

Spain claims $500 million in sunken treasure
Spain formally laid claim Thursday to a shipwreck that yielded a $500 million treasure, saying it has proof the vessel was Spanish.

Western states rebuff plan for Italian nuclear waste in Utah
Eight Western states on Thursday rejected a company's plan to ship tons of radioactive waste from Italy for disposal in Utah, saying importing foreign loads would violate the group's rules.

Scientists map the genetic makeup of the platypus
With a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver and snake-like venom hidden in heel spurs, the platypus could be the result of some strange genetic experiment.

Air pollution in Wyo. community rivals that of big cities
There isn't anything metropolitan about this tiny unincorporated town in southwest Wyoming, where a few single-family homes and a volunteer fire station stand against a skyline of snowcapped mountains.

Huge Texas sinkhole's appetite decreasing, officials say
Geologists said a 260-foot-deep sinkhole that grew to the length of three football fields over just two days seemed to be slowing down Thursday, but that it could take months before it's clear whether surrounding areas are stable.

Federal judge in Montana rejects bid to delay wolf lawsuit
A federal judge in Montana has rejected a request by the government to delay a lawsuit seeking to place the gray wolf back on the endangered species list, saying he's "unwilling to risk more deaths."

NASA extends Saturn mission for another 2 years

Video Recipe and Cooking Examiner

Chef John

Beurre Blanc – The Wine and Butter Sauce Born During that Other French Revolution

As far as white tablecloth restaurants go, this simple wine and butter sauce is probably made more often than any other sauce recipe. The wine can be red, white, or blush (we used to call it rosé back when no one liked it), and the technique has ...