RoundTable.

There’s only one way to test a bulletproof vest: with bullets. Of course, any vest worth its hefty price tag has already been certified by the National Institute of Justice

It’s long been known that nutrient-rich dust from Africa floats across the Atlantic to the Amazon. And it’s assumed that the dust fertilizes the rainforest. Oliver Chadwick from the University of California, Santa Barbara, says that Hawaii can also thank immigrant dust for its lush forests:

“Hawaii is one of the least dusty places in the world. It’s one of the most remote archipelagos in the world and receives very little dust. And yet, we’ve been able to demonstrate that the phosphorus that’s carried by the dust and deposited on the old landscapes in Kauai actually fertilizes the forest.”

Congressional legislators in Florida are mounting a campaign to extend space shuttle operations to 2015, adding two flights each year. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas said a bipartisan plan is in the works, which would require adding another $200 million to the NASA budget for 2010 and between $1.5 – $2 billion a year […]

Focusing on the heaviest-fished areas can help meet conservation goals

A growing number of software companies are capitalizing on an unexpected opportunity: Internet censorship. In countries where governments filter the Web, more people want tools that help them access information.