NBC4.TV - Los Angeles,CA,USA

Pollution is slowly killing Joshua trees, which could become extinct by the next century if current trends continue, it was reported Wednesday.

Luke Sabala, the physical scientist for Joshua Tree National Park, told the Desert Sun that invasive weeds, nitrogen deposits from auto exhaust, fires and global warming are contributing to the decline of the monument’s namesake.

Scientists Say Joshua Trees Could Become Extinct By Next Century

Independent - London,England,UK

One of America’s most notorious “spammers” - the underground entrepreneurs responsible for the deluge of adverts for Viagra, pornography and high-interest loans which swamp e-mail inboxes - may have buried his illegal gains in his parents’ garden.

AOL, the e-mail giant whose millions of customers were among Davis Wolfgang Hawke’s targets, has won permission to dig up two acres of Massachusetts in the search for gold bars and platinum believed to have been stashed there.

AOL to dig up garden in hunt for spammer’s gold

Yahoo! News (press release) - USA

The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) completed a successful spacewalk and deployed two more suitcases full of material samples and a bonus — 3 million Basil seeds.

The seeds were supplied by Park Seed Company, in Greenwood, S.C. After one year of in-space exposure, these seeds will be given to classrooms of students across the nation for experiments to stimulate interest in space science.

NASA Seeds Student Interest

ABC News - USA

A two-year study on Arkansas’ bumblebees is complete, and scientists say the results will be useful for the state’s farmers, gardeners and environmentalists.

Study on Arkansas’ Bumblebees Completed

MedfordNews.com - Medford,OR,USA

Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered how plants defend themselves against viruses at the most basic genetic and molecular levels, opening the way for important new advances in crop breeding, protection of plants against viral disease, and new applications of plants.

Oregon Research Discovers Ancient “Arms Race” Going On Between Plants, Viruses

Newstarget.com - Taichung,Taiwan

Could a great new cancer drug be found in your own backyard, perhaps in the leaves of the Nandina, the bloom of a beautiful Texas wildflower, or even the roots of a troublesome weed?

A novel research project led by Dr. Susan Mooberry is exploring this question, and early test results indicate that it’s certainly possible.

Can Texas Plants Help Fight Cancer?

 All Headline News - USA

Canberra, Australia (AHN) - Researchers at the Australian National University and Monash University are trying to figure out the mechanism by which insects and worms process certain smells, and then copy the course to build an electronic nose.

The scientists hope to use the so called “Cybernose” in detecting aromas and flavors in wines. Though, they plan to extend the application of “Cybernose” to detect even traces of explosives to prevent more aircraft and sub-way incidents.

Scientists Look At Insects To Build “Cybernose” To Sniff Out Troubles And Wines

United Press International - USA

FULTON, Mo., Aug. 10 (UPI) — A Missouri couple’s garden gnome, stolen two months ago, has been returned with a letter of apology and 56 photographs of his travels.

Garden gnome returned with proof of travel

Blackanthem.com - Clinton Township,MI,USA

Sgt. Otis C. Wells, base reaction force, 122nd Engineer Company, South Carolina Army National Guard, uses his personal time to grow a garden in the middle of a desert.

“I used my time between missions to work on my garden,” Wells said. “That’s what I like to do … I do it every year back home.”

Soldier Uses Personal Time to Grow Garden in Iraq

FreshPlaza - Netherlands

Researchers in the plant-biology laboratory of Dr. Johannes Stratmann at the University of South Carolina are seeking to discover how tomato plants defend themselves against plant-eating insects, such as caterpillars, and microorganisms. Their discovery could help scientists develop new tomato varieties with stronger defense systems to battle the insects, bacteria, fungi and viruses that threaten and destroy crops.

US: Study Could Lead to Tomato Plants with Stronger Defenses