WASHINGTON (AFP) - In a victory for the President Obama administration, a U.S. federal judge on Wednesday a lawsuit Dismissed That HAD Temporarily blocked Federal Funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Judge Royce Lamberth&&9;s summary judgment Followed year Appeal Court decision in April aussi That Ruled Against the Plaintiffs Who It Was Arguedas illegal to use cash for Taxpayer That Destroys research human embryos.

Obama Lifted a ban on Federal Funding for the research in March 2009. George W. His PredecessorBush HAD government blocked Funding for human embryonic stem cell research on new cell lines, Citing Religious grounds.

At issue in the latest court fight Was a 1996 Amendment to a U.S. law called Set the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, Which barred using funds in research Taxpayer That Destroys human embryos.

In August 2010, Lamberth, a U.S. district court judge, Took up a short challenge Brought by Two Scientists Who Opposed the research and to order Issued year federal ban Funding Until the legal battle Could Be resolved.

A series of court decisions That Followed His Temporarily Lifted ban.Wednesday&&9;s decision by the malaria Lamberth box.

"Having Carefully Considered the motions, oppositions, replies, supplemental briefing, the record in this case Entire, and the applicable law, the Will Court grant Defendants &&9;Motion for Summary Judgement and deny Plaintiffs&&9; Motion for Summary Judgement," Lamberth wrote in history ruling.

The decision WAS Immediately hailed by the National Institutes of Health, Which Allocated about $ 40 million to human embryonic stem cell research in 2010 and HAS set aside $ 125 million this year - a tiny fraction of one billion ITS $ 31 budget.

"We are Pleased with today&&9;s ruling.Responsible Stem Cell Research Has the Potential to Develop New Treatments and ultimately save lives, "Said a statement by NIH director Francis Collins.

"This ruling Will Ensure help this groundbreaking research continues to move forward Cdn."

The American Association for the Advancement of Science, an international non-profit group Which Prestigious Publishes the journal Science, aussi applauded the move.

"The scientific consensus Is That embryonic stem cell research Is An Extremely Promising Approaches to Developing more effective diagnostics and Treatment for Devastating Conditions Such as Diabetes, Spinal Cord Injuries and Parkinson&&9;s disease," Said chief executive Alan Leschner.

"Judge Lamberth&&9;s injunction last year to cause real harm Threatened to Researchers in this field and Discourage the next generation of stem cell scientists."

The defense team for the Scientists Who Brought the lawsuit in a statement Said They Are "considering all options for appeal."

Legal expert Abbe Gluck, an associate professor of law at Columbia University, told AFP the ruling Told WAS no surprise, Given That the Federal Appellate Court Ruled HAD Already the Plaintiffs Were Unlikely to Succeed.

"In April, the Federal Court of Appeals Vacated the &&9;freeze&&9; on stem-cell research HAD That the district court Previously granted, on the ground That the Plaintiffs Were Unlikely to Succeed on the Merits of the ultimate case," she said.

"The core holding of Appellate That WAS That Should the court defer to the expert agency&&9;s - here&&9;s NIH - interpretation of the statute, and the district court today Essentially Held That It Was bound by the high court&&9;s ruling."

The first trials of Two U.S. human embryonic stem cells to treat paralysis and blindness Were Launched late last year, Both by private companies That Did not Rely on federal funds.

US judge tosses lawsuit blocking stem cell funds

St. Helier, Jersey (AFP) - Watching whales and hunting "Works perfectly together" in a look-and-cook combo of tourism and gastronomy, Iceland&&9;s Whale Commissioner Said Thursday at the global whaling forum.

"Many of the tourists go on That whale watching tours go to restaurants to taste whale meat Afterwards," Said Tomas Heider, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the International Whaling Commission in the British Channel Islands.

"I think it IS a very good proof of the compatibility of the two," He Said, That Countering arguments contested the practice of hunting the giant sea mammals drives away whale watching back.

Many Countries in the 89-nation IWC, Especially in South America, argues That Potential Income from tourism far outstrip the value of commercial whaling, and The Two That do not mix well.

Goal in Iceland, Heider insists, the feed industry off Each Other.

"Even though we Have Been Increasing our whaling in recent years, the tourists are streaming in numbers and going to Iceland to whale watching tours like Never Before, &&9;he said. "It Works perfectly together."

Like Norway, Iceland commercial whaling practices, in Much criticised option Invoking Within IWC rules to free Itself from a 1986 moratorium on industrial-scale hunting.

Iceland Takes Both minke whales and end, and HAS Significantly INcreased the number of EACH species Captured.

After not hunting for Nearly Two Decades late, Icelandic Fishermen Killed about 125 in 2009 and 150 last year.For minke whales, the number HAS Jumped from year average of about 40 per year DURING the early 2000s, to Between 60 and 80.

Iceland says whale populations in the North Atlantic are Abundant Enough to withstand thesis numbers.

A study published last year in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Policy Said That whale tourism generated more Than Two one billion dollars (1.4 one billion euros) in 2009 and Is On Track To Increase by about 10 percent a year.

Watch whales, then eat them

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan Will seek to extract natural gas from seabed deposits of methane hydrates, Also Known as "burning ice", in the world&&9;s first offshore Such experiment, a news report Monday Said.

The test IS scheduled for a stretch of ocean southwest of Tokyo, Shizuoka and Wakayama prefectures Between, over SEVERAL weeks in the fiscal year to March 2013, the Nikkei Financial Daily said.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry IS Preparing to request More than 10 trillion yen ($ 127.5 million) for the project, the report said.

Will the government support for AIMS Further research and commercial drilling to start early in the next decade, the newspaper said.

Methane hydrates are found in environments with high pressure and low temperatures Such as the ocean floors, near continental Faultlines Often, Where the gas crystallizes on contact with cold sea water.

The offshore experiment, if Successful, Would Be The World&&9;s first, the Nikkei said. Previously WAS methane extracted from methane hydrates on land in Canada in 2008 using technology Developed in Japan.

Japan has-been looking to diversify energy resources sincere icts The Powerful earthquake and tsunami March 11 triggered the world&&9;s worst nuclear accident in 25 years at the Fukushima Daiichi plant Northeast of Tokyo.

Resource-poor Japan is Heavily RELATED energy imports from the Middle East and puts Until Recently icts One Third of Electricity Needs with nuclear power, now plans aim to boost renewables aussi Such as solar and wind power.

Japan to test-drill for seabed 'burning ice'

THURSDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) - An international team of Researchers HAS Identified Two genetic regions That Seem To Be Implicated in restless legs syndrome.

Restless legs syndrome in Which Is A condition people experience a tingling or "creepy crawly" feeling in the legs, relieved only by movement. One of the MOST common neurological diseases, the syndrome Can lead to chronic sleep loss, daytime fatigue, depression and Even.

In the new study, scientists from Europe, Canada and the United States Analyzed genetic sequence variants in Nearly 5.000 people Suffering from restless legs syndrome Along With More than 7.000 people Who Did not Have the condition.

Researchers found the Two New genetic regions play a role in That the syndrome.One of the regions IS Within a Gene Involved in Regulating brain activity, Known As TOX3, According To the report published online July 14 in PLoS Genetics http://geologyonlinecourses.com/.

Although the exact connection Between TOX3 and restless legs syndrome Remains unclear, it&&9;s Known That the TOX3 protein neuronal protection cells from death, Juliane Winkelmann, of the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Technology in Munich, and colleagues Noted in a news release from the newspaper&&9;s publisher.

Restless Legs Syndrome Can Strike At Any Age, although it is more common Among people aged 65 and older, the study authors Noted in the news release.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Provides more information on restless legs syndrome.

Genes Linked to Restless Legs Syndrome Identified

MIAMI - Hurricane Dora Is Getting Stronger as it moves away from Mexico, and the government There HAS ITS discontinued tropical storm watch.

Forecasters say the Category 4 storms&&9; winds top 140 mph to Have INcreased (220 kph) early Thursday as it Moved to the west-northwest. The storm&&9;s center about 265 miles Located WAS (425 kilometers) south of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico.

The fourth hurricane of the eastern Pacific season WAS forecast to stay offshore industrial ecology masters degree. It&&9;s forecast to Strengthen Before Some weakening on Friday.

In the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Cindy Formed well out to sea and Posed No Threat to Land as it Moved east. Tropical Storm Bret WAS forecast to Weaken As It Moved away from the Bahamas and well off the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Monstrous Hurricane Dora trudges away from Mexico

As the space shuttle Atlantis&&9; wheels rolled to a stop for the final time at NASA&&9;s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the historic moment elicited a sense of pride and Accomplishment, tinged with sadness, for the astronauts and Those Who Have Been Intimately Involved With The shuttle program.

"Mission complete, Houston," Atlantis&&9; order Chris Ferguson said. "After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle found icts place in history, and it&&9;s come to a final stop."

Atlantis Launched July 8 to the International Space Station on the last ever of NASA&&9;s Mission space shuttle program. After 30 years of flying the Orbiters, the program has close to cam Officially When Atlantis Returned to Earth at 5:57 am EDT (0957 GMT) this morning.[Photos: NASA&&9;s Space Shuttle Landing Last in History]

As the shuttle sat on the runway at the Kennedy Space Center&&9;s Shuttle Landing Facility, Ferguson spoke about the enduring legacy of the iconic Orbiters.

"The space shuttle changed the way we viewed the world, and it changed the way we view our universe," Ferguson said. "There&&9;s a lot of emotion today, order one thing IS indisputable: America IS NOT going to stop exploring. Thank you Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavour, and our ship Atlantis. Thank you for Protecting us and Bringing this program to Such A fitting end. God bless all of you.God bless the United States of America. "[By the Numbers: NASA&&9;s Space Shuttle Program]

Paving the Way for the Future

NASA administrator Charles Bolden aussi commented on the Significance of the event and the Accomplishment of Those Who Dedicated Their Lives to the shuttle program.

"As we move forward, we stand on the Shoulders of These astronauts and the Thousand of People Who Supported Them on the ground - as well as Those Who cheered Their Triumphs and Their Mournède tragedies," Bolden Said in a statement.

Bolden aussi Looked to the future, as the shuttle program ends to make way for new exploration projects, to destinations like asteroid and Mars year.

"The Future is bright for human spaceflight and for NASA, &&9;he said. "American ingenuity is alive and well. And It Will fire up our economy and help us win the future, if we aim only dream big and imagine endless possibilities.That future Begins today. "

Emotions from Mission Control

From Mission Control at NASA&&9;s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the shuttle&&9;s entry flight director Tony Ceccaci wrapped up the final flight of the shuttle shift control program with Some words to the history of team members Top 3 programs emergency medical technicians.

"Hopefully I Can get through this," Ceccaci said. "I&&9;d like to take this Opportunity to say a FEW words and this the last time Will Be Will Be this team together. First and foremost, I want to thank you guys - my colleagues, my friends in the shuttle flight control room of Mission operations. It&&9;s been my extreme privilege and honor to work with and Each One of You Have Been Part of this outstanding team of Individuals, so dedicated and passionate about the work THEY do.Each one of you take great pride in Should the Accomplishments You Have Achieved and know That You Are The Reason for the main success of the space shuttle program. "

Ceccaci reminisced about the very first shuttle mission - STS-1 the flight of Columbia, Which Launched on April 12, 1981, Saying, "thirty years ago, the dream HAD Just Begun."

"As Columbia&&9;s nosegear touched down, [STS-1 flight director Donald] Puddy Told His team, &&9;prepare for exploration," Ceccaci said. "The Shuttle Has not failed us in That. It Was a moment for the history books. Today is ALSO the moment in history books. Those books talk about Will the amazing work of the flight control teams over the past 30 years. The work done in this room, in this building, again Will Never Be Duplicated. I Believe That the Accomplishments of the shuttle program Will Become the next set of Shoulders of Giants for the Future Program to stand on.Hold your heads up with pride as we close out the space shuttle program. You Have Earned It. "

And ET have signed off from the final shift of the shuttle program, left a message Ceccaci

"Savor the moment. Soak it in and know you are the best, the best in the world, &&9;he said. "Your work here HAS made America and the world a better place. It&&9;s been unbelievable and amazing year journey. From Intrepid To The Entire Flight NASA team: God bless you all and Godspeed."

You Can follow SPACE.com Staff Writer Denise Chow on Twitter @ denisechow. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @ Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Photos: NASA Shuttle&&9;s Last Mission in Pictures Shuttle Launch: One Last Look Glorious NASA&&9;s Space Shuttle Program In Pictures: A Tribute

As Space Shuttle Era Ends, NASA Pride Reigns From Runway to Mission Control

In a viral ad campaign, Producers of the upcoming film "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" have released a series of videos Showing weapon-wielding apes. Stylized to look like documentary footage out of Africa, one video features a chimp year shooting AK-47 at a group of off-duty soldiers Who HAD-been taunting it. Another clip shows a chimp hacking a carcass to bits with a machete.

The shocking footage IS Most Likely Intended to make the premise of the new film (intelligence-enhanced apes rising up and Taking Control of Earth, enslaving Humans in the process) frighteningly plausible. Purpose Can chimps really wield weapons? [Watch Video of Chimp with AK-47]

According To Experts: yes.Though the footage in the videos IS staged, the chimps are Involved Merely "Actors," and the Underlying message - apes That Could rebel and use advanced weapons the U.S. We&&9;ve Developed Against - is Extremely Unlikely, chimps are able Indeed of Being Trained to use a diverse armory of weapons.

Would the goal apes Know What To Do With An AK-47, or use one to cause intentional harm? Probably not. [Read: What Distinguisher Humans from Other Animals?]

Friendly fire

"I would not Doubt That You Could train a chimp to wield a gun in the Manner Shown," Said John Mitani, a primatologist at the University of Michigan Who Specializes in chimp aggression.

Likewise, Steve Ross, a primatologist chimpanzee at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, chimps are Agreed That Physically and cognitively able of operating weapons, and use &&9;em Said THEY Even in the wild."Chimpanzees Have Been Seen to use Rudimentary weapons (Such as projectiles, clubs and spears), So They Have the capability of understanding That a Tool Can Be Used To cause harm or do damage," Ross Told Life&&9;s Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience. "Whether or not THEY Would Understand a gun is more difficulty to say."

Any chimp Gunplay Would Most Likely Be restricted to mimicry. Mitani Believes Would Likely actor chimps learn to operate-machine guns to please Their trainers and Receive rewards, goal ET Does not think the apes are able of using &&9;em to purposely do harm. "When shooting the gun, I&&9;d Be Hard-pressed to think That Can Really Understand the chimp [the consequences of] What He&&9;s doing."

That Said, chimps are aggressive animals Indeed, the experts Explained - Both Humans and Toward Each Other social work degree in California. Typically THEY goal stick with primitive tools of aggression.THEY Have Been Observed to throw rocks at Humans, Their primary weapons are intended Their hands, feet and teeth. If push comes to shove, Those are What an angry chimp IS Most Likely to Use Against a human. [Animal Welfare: Could the Taliban to Train Monkeys Shoot?]

The real story

"Inappropriate and Inaccurate Portrayal of Chimpanzees Have a number of harmful consequences, Including ... Animal Welfare Concerns That ARISE from Their Treatment Both on and off the set," Ross wrote in an email. The plot of the film Planet of the Apes Might Also lead people to Believe Are not endangered apes, He Said.

Mitani That echoed concern. "Well Before Humans Showed up on Earth, the planet WAS literally filled with apes. Itwas the Planet of the Apes, 20 [million] to 50 million years ago Humans Before cam on the scene, &&9;he said."Since then, ape That diversity has-been lost to the point That we only Have Five Different Kind." [Read: What If Neanderthals Had Not Gone Extinct?]

Not only ape diversity HAS-been lost, There Probably Are not Enough goal left to apes overrun Humans anyway.

"There&&9;s a story going on here, it&&9;s one goal in Which Humans Have taken over the planet and apes Have Nearly driven to the point of extinction," Mitani continued."That&&9;s the Story That Needs to Be Told, Rather Than This fictitious one about how they &&9;re Taking Over the Planet."

Mitani HAS WORKED is quite a different movie about chimps, Called "Chimpanzee" (to be released by Disney in 2012) follows a young chimp That As It Explores icts natural environment - "a motion picture Will That, with luck, show chimpanzees As They Truly are, &&9;he said.

WAS this article provided by Life&&9;s Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow us on Twitter @ llmysteries, then join us onFacebook. Follow on Twitter @ Natalie Wolchover nattyover.

Top 10 Recruits in War Animals 6 Video Paranormal Hoaxes &&9;Gorilla Walks Like A Man&&9; Video Explained

Planet of the Apes: Can Chimps Really Shoot Guns?

As if flying arrows and burning pitch Were not Enough to worry about, medieval knights aussi Had to Their Own battle armor.

A new study could That armor-wearing Volunteers on treadmills Finds That wearing a full armor of the following (Which Might weigh up to 110 pounds, or 50 kilograms), Takes More than Twice the energy of walking around unencumbered. Even lugging around a backpack of Equal Weight less energy-intensive IS Than wearing armor, the study found, wearing 17 pounds Because (8 kg) of steel plates on EACH leg Requires No Small Amount of extra exertion.

One occasion, armor&&9;s weight May Have Turned the tides of battles, Said study lead researcher Graham Askew of the University of Leeds. In 1415, Heavily armored French knights advanced across a muddy field Toward a Lightly armored force in the Français Battle of Agincourt.

"By the time THEY advanced across the field, They Would Have Been exhausted," Askew Told LiveScience."It&&9;s Possibly one of the Reasons Why the French lost, despite Being There many, Many More Than There Were French soldiers Français."

Knights on a treadmill

Like Many casual museum-goers, Askew, a biomechanics researcher, curious about how Became medieval knights around Moved After seeing suits of armor on display. MOST unlikable museum visitors, however, Askew Had an Opportunity to answer the questions using hard numbers.

He and His colleagues Volunteers Recruited oven, historical re-enactors Who Were accustomed to wearing sets of Their Own replica 15th-century armor. Each man Agreed to walk and run on a treadmill (a task Askew Called, "very clanky") while wearing a breathing mask to measure oxygen THEY Took How Much and How Much in carbon dioxide THEY Excelled, as well as Their breathing rate.Allowed the thesis measurements to calculate the energy Researchers THEY Used DURING the exercise periods.

The modern-day knights Used 2.1 to 2.3 times more energy on walking With Their armor Compared with walking without it. Running with the armor Took 1 radiology schools in Houston.9 times as energy-free running armor.

The result, Askew Said, Is That men in armor end up moving Much More Than Steady Men Without armor. This effect IS only exacerbated with age: At His maximum aerobic capacity, an average 38-year-old man Could cover about 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) per second, Compared with 8.8 feet (2.7 m) per second for 38-year Unarmored year -old. With a maximum walking speed of 4.6 feet (1.4 m) per second, an armored 55-year-old Keeping Up Would Have trouble.

Fit soldiers

Few people face the occupational hazards of medieval knights today, Askew Said, with the possible exception of Bomb Disposal Expert, Who wear full-body protective suits That Are Also very heavy.Purpose of the study help to Could Be Historians Trying to Understand the outcomes of ancient battles, Askew said. [Top 10 Battles for Control of Iraq]

The research aussi Gives Into a hint how did the knights of old must have been. Although modern soldiers lug around heavy equipment as a knight&&9;s armor did, Askew Said, They expend less energy doing so Because Their legs are unencumbered.

"It Requires a great deal of physical exertion to Performance event a medium-speed walk in a suit of armor," Askew said. "Certainly I do not think You&&9;d Be Able to put on a suit of armor and walk around with it quite badly Without Suffering If You Were not used to it."

The study Appears today (July 19) in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

You Can follow LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @ sipappas.Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and Discoveries on Twitter and on Facebook @ LiveScience.

Medieval Torture&&9;s 10 Biggest Myths Fight, Fight, Fight: The History of Human Aggression 8 grisly Archaeological Discoveries

Heavy Metal: Armor Drained Medieval Knights' Energy

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Bret IS Growing Strong as it swirls in the Atlantic Ocean near the northern Bahamas.

Authorities in the Bahamas a tropical storm warning Issued early Monday for Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands, tropical storm conditions are Meaning somewhere Expected Within the next FEW hours. Tropical Storm Bret Is not Expected to approach the U.S.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center Said the storm&&9;s center WAS about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Great Abaco Island engineering psychology degree. Its maximum Sustained winds to 50 mph INcreased HAD (85 kph) and It Was drifting east at 3 mph (6 kph). Expected to begin Bret WAS moving north or Northeast Monday to Strengthen and over the next day or two.

The Storm Could Produce 2 to 4 inches of rain over the northwest Bahamas.

Tropical Storm Bret strengthens off Bahamas

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.. - NASA&&9;s orbiting astronauts detached a huge storage bin full of trash from the International Space Station on Thursday and loaded it aboard Atlantis for the last shuttle ride back to Earth.

The Astronaut robotic arm Used in hefty to move the bus-sized canister, stuffed with Nearly 3 tons of packing foam and Other space station refused.

It Was the last job shared by the shuttle and station crews, numbering Altogether 10 astronauts. Coming up fast Was The closing of the hatches Between the Two spacecraft in preparation for Tuesday&&9;s undocking.

The astronauts steeled for Themselves What Was Expected To Be a heartfelt goodbye, Given That Will Never a space shuttle fly again.

Emotions Were Already welling up, down at Mission Control.

Lead flight director KWATSE Alibaruho HAS one more shift Remaining Before signing off forever shuttle from Mission Control in Houston.He Said He and team history vacillate "between intense pride at how well this task Has Gone, and Being Sometimes Somewhat freaked out, for Lack of a more technical term."

Whenever ET pauses to think about the finality of it all, "I get kind of freaked out and sinking Have This feeling in my stomach That Lasts about five or 10 seconds, and then I go back to doing an impersonation of a steely-eyed missile man. " ET Told reporters Monday.

Atlantis Will pull away from the space station early Tuesday and Aim for a pre-dawn touchdown Thursday. Then It Will Be retired.

As a final salute, the space station Will rotate 90 degrees to Provide a new angle for pictures.

It Will Be Some Time Before There Are So Many people aboard the space station again.The Russian Soyuz capsule - the only way to get astronauts to the space station for at least the next FEW years - carry no more Than three engineering psychology degree.

Most of the new commercial spacecraft Under development aussi Would seat three, although A Few May hold or oven more. These Are Three to five years still away from flying.

The 21-foot-long storage canister - named Raffaello, Given icts Italian roots - was Launched aboard Atlantis back on July 8. Carried it up Nearly 5 tons of food, clothes and household goods Other - Enough to keep the space station going for Another Year.

NASA wanted to stockpile in case the orbiting lab private companies get delayed in Launching Their Own cargo ships. The first supply run IS Such Expected by year&&9;s end.

The retirement of NASA&&9;s shuttles Remaining Three has-been in the works since 2004, barely a year the after the Columbia disaster. Then, President George W.Bush Announced a new exploration vision Aimed at Returning astronauts to the moon. President Barack Obama nixed the moon in Favor Of An asteroid and Mars. The target launch date: 2025 year for asteroid and the mid-2030 for the red planet.

Atlantis Will Remain at Kennedy Space Center for retirement, going on public display. Discovery and Endeavour Will Be Transported to museums in Washington and suburban Los Angeles, respectively.

While Many Will Kennedy on down for Thursday&&9;s 5:57 am touchdown - and all the tributes shuttle - Alibaruho Will Remain in Houston. He debated whether to Be waiting for the final landing by a space shuttle, Decided order to observe it from Mission Control - "entirely Appropriate Because that&&9;s, of course, how I&&9;ve Lived."

"It&&9;s home, so that&&9;s Where I&&9;ll be."

___

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Astronauts load storage bin on last space shuttle

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.. - The astronauts making NASA&&9;s last shuttle flight Gave up Their off-duty time Sunday and finished packing up Their gigantic suitcase for the ride home.

The 10 space travelers cheered As They put the final items in Raffaello, the Italian-made cargo canister that&&9;s the size of a bus.

More than 5.600 pounds of old space station equipment, packing foam and Other trash will return to Earth this week inside Raffaello. Everything is neatly packed and stacked, Even If It Is junk.

"We&&9;re full," Reported astronaut Sandra Magnus. "Everybody pitched in."

The compartment Will Be Moved from the International Space Station back onto space shuttle Atlantis early Monday.Carried it up to 9.400 pounds of food, clothes and Other household goods - a year&&9;s worth of supplies.

Will Atlantis undock from the space station Tuesday, After a visit of More than a week, and Aim for a Thursday landing back in Florida to end 30 years of shuttle flight.

Mission Control Gave the oven shuttle astronauts Some Time Sunday off to relax Before heading home, drank THEY Spent it packing.

Now That IS MOST of the work behind, The Realization That This Is The last shuttle flight IS starting to sink in, Said flight director Chris Edelen.He Said HE had a dream the night before in Which He Was gazing in Mission Control, via TV, at the "beautiful" wings of Atlantis, docked at the space station courses for radiologist.

"In my dream, When I woke up, I Realized, &&9;Hey, do I really Need to savor moments thesis," ET Told reporters, "Because this Likely Will Be the last time we ever see a big, winged vehicle Like That docked to the space station. "

In a departure from last week&&9;s string of celebrity greetings, Sunday&&9;s special message to the crew aboard Atlantis cam from Workers at NASA&&9;s Stennis Space Center near New Orleans.That&&9;s Where the shuttle main engines Were Tested over the decades.

"It&&9;s time to fire up your engines - let the good times roll!" the crowd shouted Stennis, using the term Cajun for "Let the good times roll."

The wake-up music WAS Kool and the Gang&&9;s 1980 hit "Celebration," Chosen by the shuttle crew Before the flight.

Magnus Said the crew Picked the song "The Whole to Dedicate to shuttle work force in Celebration of Everything That you&&9;ve Accomplished over the years."

NASA IS ITS Retiring Three space shuttles, Sending Them to museums, so it work on Canon Sending astronauts Beyond low-Earth orbit. The goals set forth by the Obama administration: an asteroid by 2025 and Mars by the mid-2030.

___

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Last space shuttle astronauts finish packing up

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.. - The astronauts making NASA&&9;s last shuttle flight are packing up Almost Done Their gigantic suitcase for the ride home.

The 10 space travelers&&9; final Spent Sunday putting Some items in Raffaello, the Italian-made cargo canister that&&9;s the size of a bus.

"Keep going, you are Almost Done," Encouraged Mission Control.

The compartment Will Be Moved from the International Space Station back onto space shuttle Atlantis early Monday. Carried it up tons of food, supplies and Other household goods.And it will return with Dozens of bundles of trash and discarded equipment.

Will Atlantis undock from the space station Tuesday, After a visit of More than a week, and Aim for a Thursday landing back in Florida to end 30 years of shuttle flight.

The shuttle astronauts oven Took Some Time Sunday off to relax Before heading home.

In a departure from last week&&9;s string of celebrity greetings, Sunday&&9;s special message to the crew aboard Atlantis cam from Workers at NASA&&9;s Stennis Space Center near New Orleans.That&&9;s Where the shuttle main engines Were Tested over the decades.

"It&&9;s time to fire up your engines - let the good times roll!" the crowd shouted Stennis.

The wake-up music WAS Kool and the Gang&&9;s "Celebration," Chosen by the shuttle crew Before the flight.

Astronaut Sandra Magnus Said the crew Picked the song "The Whole to Dedicate to shuttle work force in Celebration of Everything That you&&9;ve Accomplished over the years."

NASA IS ITS Retiring Three space shuttles, Sending Them to museums, so it work on Canon Sending astronauts Beyond low-Earth orbit. The goals set forth by the Obama administration: an asteroid by 2025 and Mars by the mid-2030.

___

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Last space shuttle crew almost done packing up

People Who wears big forks Compared with diners eat less use small forks Who - When eating only goal from a plate loaded with food, According To a new study.

Over a Period of Two Days, Researchers from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City Monitored Customers at year Italian restaurant DURING Two lunches and dinners Two. With one of the study&&9;s authors and research assistants serving as Two waiters, the Assigned Researchers Either large or small forks forks to some tables.

The fork rotated assignments Were After Every meal, and the plates of food Ordered Were scale food was weighed Before They Were Brought To The Customers.After the flat Were Brought back to the kitchen, Either empty, with leftovers to Be Disposed of, or Needing To Be boxed to take home, They Were weighed again.

The Findings Showed That When The initial quantity of food was more, with a well-loaded plate, ate dinner with small forks Significantly More than Those with large forks. That May Be Because They Are not feel diners eating Enough of Their food When using the smaller fork and are not satisfying Therefor Their hunger, According To the researchers.

"The Physiological feedback of feeling full or the satiation signal Comes with a time lag," the Researchers explain in a statement sport pilot training. "In its lack diners focus on the visual cue of whether They Are Any tooth making it the food is flat to Assess Their goal progress."

When Customers Were Given flat with small servings of food, however, the size fork Did not Affect the Amount of food consumed.This May Be Because small servings allow diners to better gauge visually How Much They&&9;ve eaten food, while it&&9;s Hard to Tell How Much progress has-been made from a wide When eating serving.

"People do not Have clear cues about the internal Appropriate quantity to consume," the Researchers wrote in the current issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. "They allow external cues, Such as fork size, to determined the Amount Should THEY consume."

You Can LiveScience writer Remy Melina follow on Twitter @ remymelina. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and Discoveries on Twitter and on Facebook @ LiveScience.

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PITTSBURGH - A natural gas drilling company says it&&9;s No Longer Distributing a children&&9;s coloring book featuring a hard hat-wearing dinosaur that&&9;s Been criticized by a Massachusetts congressman and lampooned by Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert.

Talisman Energy says "Terry&&9;s Talisman Energy Adventure" is no longer a barrier FOLLOWING Distributed Being of criticism.

Critics Called the coloring book&&9;s depiction of land Before and After drilling overly rosy. The post-drilling image adds a rainbow and an Eagle to the scene Where the hydraulic fracturing process drilling Took place.

U.S. Rep. Ed Markey Mocked the depiction of the "friendly Fracosaurus" in remarks last week on drilling safety. Colbert spoofed Earlier this week the book.

Spokeswoman Natalie Cox says the coloring book Distributed in northeastern Pennsylvania HAS Received more careful Than it Should Have.

Gas driller dumps dino-themed coloring book

NASA chief Charlie Bolden Went to bat for the agency&&9;s imperiled next-generation space telescope Tuesday (July 12), telling members of Congress That the instrument HAS Great Potential for discovery Than the iconic Hubble Space Telescope.

A Congressional Budget Proposed Bill Would Announced last week terminate NASA&&9;s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an instrument with a history Ambitious delays and cost overruns of. NASA aims to Can Deliver JWST space for about the Same price as Hubble, Bolden said - and the science returns Would Be Even Greater.

"I have Tried to explain What I think Is The importance of James Webb, in terms of opening new horizons Far Greater Than we got from Hubble," Bolden Told members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee Tuesday."I would only say thats for about the Same cost as Hubble in real-year dollars, we&&9;ll Bring James Webb Into operation." [Spectacular Hubble Telescope Photos]

A rocky history

The $ 6.5 billion JWST, named After a train NASA administrator, IS billed as the agency&&9;s muscular Successor to Hubble, Which Launched back in 1990 and Is Still going strong. JWST observatory Is An infrared Designed to peer further Top Back Into The Universe&&9;s early days Than ever before.

While Researchers Have Many enthusiastically touted the telescope&&9;s potential, ITS has-been plagued by development problems.Last November, an independent review panel found JWST That Will cost at least $ 6.5 billion and Could no launch Earlier Than September 2015, putting it $ 1.5 billion over budget and More than a year behind schedule.

The telescope&&9;s issues are the result of Primarily poor management practices, the panel further Top Concluded.

A recent budget and technology plan year painted Even more pessimistic picture, Estimating JWST That Could Launch by 2018 at the Earliest.

And last week, the telescope&&9;s future cam Into Even More serious question associates degree in safety. The House Appropriations Subcommittee That Oversees a NASA Proposed 2012 Spending Bill That Would Give the space agency just $ 16.8 billion, $ 1.6 Less than one billion last year.JWST&&9;s Funding Would Be Pulled completely.

Fighting for JWST

Bolden cam to Capitol Hill Tuesday to Discuss NASA&&9;s plans for next icts heavy-lift rocket system - specifically, to explain to year increasingly anxious Why the Congress yet to decide HAS agency upon a design. Purpose fielded questions about ET aussi JWST&&9;s fate and made a case for the instrument&&9;s Continued Funding.

For example, Bolden Stressed That HAS NASA&&9;s JWST made to exchange management, and the instrument That IS quite far Along Already in development. More than 75 percent of the telescope&&9;s hardware HAS Already Been Delivered, Bolden said.

The NASA chief aussi Stressed JWST&&9;s Potential to revolutionize our understanding of the universe, Hubble&&9;s great Invoking Achievements&&9;re Such An example of What Powerful telescopes can do.

"When we started Hubble, dark energy Did not exist.At least, We Did not know about it, "Bolden said." When we Launched Hubble, There Was no such thing as extrasolar planets. So Those Kinds of Discoveries Would Probably go Lacking, UNLESS Some Other Nation stepped forward and did it. "

You Can follow SPACE.com Senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: @ michaeldwall. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @ Spacedotcomand on Facebook.

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