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Two papers in the journal Nature shed new light on the relationship between wildfires and the environment. Major fires in Indonesia in the late 1990s spewed large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.

NPR's David Baron reports that an international group of scientists has issued a warning that synthetic chemicals in the environment may be harming children's intelligence and behavior. This concern stems from ongoing studies of chemicals -- such as PCBs and dioxins -- that may disrupt hormones in the body. Skeptics say the evidence of harm is sketchy and comes mostly from animal experiments using far higher levels of the chemicals than most people encounter.

NPR's Dan Charles reports on the work of a handful of researchers who believe in something called Cold Fusion. It's a complicated idea...involving the fusion of atoms and the subsequent release of enormous amounts of energy...all accomplished in a controlled and friendly environment. And it's controversial -- SO controversial that most scientists don't even think cold fusion is possible. Despite the sceptics, the search for cold fusion goes on.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that officials from the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are working out details of a plan to bring about the most ambitious trade liberalization plan in history. But as they were meeting, there were noisy demonstrations against the plan on the streets of Manila. Opponents complain that freer trade will allow large multi-national corporations to exploit the region's poor and the environment.

NPR's Nina Totenberg reports on the arguments before the Supreme Court today on whether Clean Water regulations apply to a body of water contained within a state, but used as habitat by migrating birds. The justices are being asked to rule on whether the fate of the body of water is of concern only to that state, or, because of the impact on the birds, to the larger environment.

In ancient world the Library at Alexandria, Egypt was the meeting place where philosophical, spiritual, and cosmological teachings met to create a vital cultural environment. But the Library dissappeared 2000 years ago possibly when Julius Caeser sacked the city. Today a new library is rising in Alexandria hoping to recapture some of the former's glory. Kate Seelye reports.

In 1991, a group of scientists entered Biosphere 2 for a two-year experiment that would test whether humans could survive in a closed environment. The experiment wasn't exactly a success. As NPR's Joe Palca reports, researchers are now trying to show that Biosphere 2 can serve another purpose -- as a laboratory to study Earth systems.

Through one avenue or another we are all probably familiar with The Nobel Prize. But how much do we actually know about the history of the award? This…

Gravitational Waves are disturbances in the curvature of spacetime, generated by accelerated masses, that propagate as waves outward from their source at…

on transportation and the environment, NPR's John Nielsen reports on Chicago's struggle to lure commuters out of their cars and into mass transit. Though the city has an extensive system already, it must keep up with changes in commuting patterns as more jobs leave downtown for the suburbs.