I was naive enough to believe that if a group of ninth graders could not read it was unique to this Chicago school. Today I read a report by Christopher B. Swanson, Ph.D. titled "Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytical Report on High School Graduation." Dr. Swanson’s report clearly shows that we are in an academic crisis in the U.S.

In the first experiment of its kind conducted in nature, a University of British Columbia evolutionary biologist has come up with strong evidence for one of Charles Darwin’s cornerstone ideas – adaptation to the environment accelerates the creation of new species.

“A single adaptive trait such as color could move a population towards the process of forming a new species, but adaptation in many traits may be required to actually complete the formation of an entirely new species,” says UBC post-doctoral fellow Patrik Nosil. “The more ways a population can adapt to its unique surroundings, the more likely it will ultimately diverge into a separate species.”

Nosil studied walking-stick insects in the Santa Barbara Chaparral in southern California.

SHANGHAI, China, April 2 /PRNewswire/ --

- 93% Power Efficiency, 0.27 GFlops/Watt, and 7-Year Lifecycle

NEW YORK, April 1 /PRNewswire/ --

Computer Generated Solutions, Inc. (CGS), a leader in innovative IT solutions and services, today announced that its long term services relationship between CGS Romania, a wholly-owned subsidiary, and AOL L.L.C., was recognized by FAO Research in a report published last week for having achieved value beyond initial contract expectations.

CHICAGO, April 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- MOMENTUM Trial Results Presented at the American College of Cardiology Annual Meeting

Orqis(R) Medical Corporation, a medical products company developing and marketing devices to treat heart failure, announced today that the company's MOMENTUM Trial results were presented during the Late Breaking Clinical Trials session at the annual American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting in Chicago. The MOMENTUM Trial evaluated the percutaneous Cancion System in patients hospitalized with heart failure.

Using a new technique, two NASA scientists have identified the lightest known black hole. With a mass only about 3.8 times greater than our Sun and a diameter of only 15 miles, the black hole lies very close to the minimum size predicted for black holes that originate from dying stars.

"This black hole is really pushing the limits. For many years astronomers have wanted to know the smallest possible size of a black hole, and this little guy is a big step toward answering that question," says lead author Nikolai Shaposhnikov of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Shaposhnikov and his Goddard colleague Lev Titarchuk presented their results on Monday, March 31, at the American Astronomical Society High-Energy Astrophysics Division meeting in Los Angeles, Calif. Titarchuk also works at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., and the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.
The tiny black hole resides in a Milky Way Galaxy binary system known as XTE J1650-500, named for its sky coordinates in the southern constellation Ara.

EL SEGUNDO, California, April 1 /PRNewswire/ --

Amid US$100-per-barrel oil prices, rising instability in petroleum-producing regions and mounting concerns regarding the environmental impact of fossil fuels, renewable energy -- particularly solar -- has emerged as a critical technology of the 21st century.

LAS VEGAS, April 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Company Combines Smartphone Design Expertise and Manufacturing Muscle, Showcasing New Devices with High-End Features and Mass Consumer Appeal

Velocity Mobile, a collaboration between one of the world's largest notebook computer manufacturers and a team of veteran wireless designers and engineers, today announced that it is showcasing its first Microsoft Windows Mobile phones at CTIA Wireless 2008. With an emphasis on ease-of-use, sleek and attractive design, and high-end features, Velocity Mobile aims to shift the way people view and use smartphones, combining Western design philosophy and Eastern manufacturing efficiencies to bring no-compromise experiences and value to consumers.

LAS VEGAS, April 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Company demonstrates new version of Internet Explorer Mobile with desktop-grade web browsing, introduces updated Windows Mobile operating system.

Windows Mobile is improving smartphones to better meet people's rapidly expanding work and personal needs, Microsoft Corp today announced. At CTIA Wireless 2008, the company unveiled the newest version of Internet Explorer Mobile, which adds desktop-grade web browsing to Windows Mobile phones. In addition, Microsoft announced Windows Mobile 6.1, an update for its Windows Mobile software that includes new time-saving features, easier phone navigation and management, and increased security safeguards.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

LAS VEGAS, April 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- New mobile solution, mobile services plan and phones come together for end-to-end managed offering.

Helping to propel large-scale mobile phone deployments by businesses, Microsoft Corp today announced at CTIA Wireless 2008 the immediate availability of System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 and plans for a Microsoft Mobile Services Plan (MMSP) to be available from mobile operators worldwide. Together with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1, the software and services provide the best solution for midsize and large businesses to manage and help protect Windows Mobile phones.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)