The rapid rise of ship tourism in Antarctica has led to concerns that the tourism situation in the region was a potential disaster in the making.

  In an unprecedented joint effort, 18 of Britain?s top companies, including carmakers, airlines, retailers and banks, are pledging a push to reduce carbon emissions.

  Scientists and scholars question the claims of companies offering DNA tests to people exploring their ancestry.

  The Japanese ritual of killing whales in the name of scientific research may inspire new protests with the targeting of the endangered species.

  They may never persuade other scientists the earth is young, but creationist geologists are having an impact on other Christians.

  Supporters see modern wind turbines as elegant symbols of a clean-energy future, but the anti-wind farm lobby is decrying the turbines as ugly, noisy and destructive, especially for picturesque locales that rely on tourism.

  With $100 million in state money, and a remarkable lack of controversy, stem cell research in Connecticut is picking up speed.

  Mr. Saffir created a five-category system to describe hurricane strength, laying out what kind of damage could be expected from an approaching hurricane.

  Wind energy is coming under scrutiny, not just from hostile neighbors but from energy experts who question its reliability as a source of power.

  European Union officials may ban the sale of genetically modified corn plants that could harm butterflies.

  Dr. Leonard?s studies of reproductive hormones in animals helped prepare the foundation for in vitro fertilization in women.

  James A. Thomson?s laboratory reported a way to turn human cells into what appear to be embryonic stem cells.

  Ryan David Kennedy, a scrappy Canadian graduate student, crashed a party sponsored by Cigar Aficionado magazine to study the impact of tobacco on air quality.

  China announced new plans to confront environmental and geological problems around the Three Gorges Dam, which has been dogged by controversy.