A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern California on Thursday. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit at 12:20pm PT with an epicenter 47 miles west-southwest of Eureka, CA.

There have been no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but the quake was strong enough to have been felt some 275 miles away in San Francisco.

The last major earthquakes to hit northern California were in 1992 and 2005. Both were 7.2 magnitude quakes.

On Tuesday, the medical journal The Lancet formally retracted a controversial paper published in 1998 that had linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. It had formed the basis for the argument that vaccines cause an increase risk of autism. The study was later discredited, and last week the lead author -- Dr. Andrew Wakefield -- was found to have acted unethically in his research.

Britain's General Medical Council, which oversees doctors in England, said that "there was a biased selection of patients in The Lancet paper" and added that his "conduct in this regard was dishonest and irresponsible." In addition, they found that Dr. Wakefield had subjected some children to various invasive procedures such as colonscopies and MRI scans, and paid children at his son's birthday party to have their blood drawn for research purposes.

Following the Council's findings last week, The Lancet retracted the study and issued a statement, which reads:

Solar activity is due to hit a peak in its eleven-year cycle during the London Olympics in 2012. Solar physicists warned on Tuesday that television sets around the globe could potentially go blank during the broadcast, however they are utilizing satellites to help predict solar storms that could disrupt communications on Earth.

Pictures of the sun will be taken every 0.75 seconds using ultra-violet light. In one day, the satellite will transmit the equivalent amount of data of 500,000 song downloads, and over time it will create more science data than any mission in NASA's entire history.

Scientists in Britain who are involved with the project say that the observations could help them to predict storms that might disrupt terrestrial communications.

The Solar Dynamics Observator is fitted with four AIA telescopes at the top. Solar arrays will collect energy from the sun to power the spacecraft. EVE will measure the tumultuous solar emissions, and the HMI will measure the magnetic field on the Sun's visible surface.

Professor Richard Harrison of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, UK, said:

"Sun's magnetic field is all over the place and huge clouds of energy escape from time to time in coronal mass ejections.

Mirroring the actions of the Cleveland Clinic, Parma Community General Hospital has announced that it will cease hiring smokers beginning March 1, 2010. Those employees who were hired prior this date will not be affected.

Anyone under consideration for a position at Parma will need to first take a nicotine test as a part of a physical examination. If the potential hire tests positive for nicotine, they will be offered smoking cessation resources and could be reconsidered for a position 90 days later if they re-test and come up with a negative result.

In 2006, the Parma, Ohio hospital banned smoking on its campus. Since then it has also launched a number of programs aimed at improving the health of its employees, including smoking cessation tools and weight loss challenges.

Today is February 2nd, which means its groundhog day. Earlier this morning, two of the country's most famous groundhogs crawled out of their holes to let us know whether spring is just around the corner, or if we'll have another 6 more weeks of winter to endure. Punxsutawney Phil from Pennsylvania saw his shadow today, which according to tradition means it'll be a long winter. However, Buckeye Chuck from Ohio failed to see his shadow and predicts an early spring.

Phil and Chuck agreed in 2009, and in 2008 they disagreed. Perhaps their predictions can be interpreted by state - that Ohio will see an early spring, and Pennsylvania will continue to experience cold and snow. It's entirely possible seeing as how the eastern seaboard continues to get dumped on by the snow, while Ohio has fared a bit better.

The Old Farmers Almanac, another old tradition of determining how long and brutal the winter will be, is on Phil's side and has predicted a long, cold winter for much of the United States.

Over the course of the past two weeks, more than one-hundred mostly small earthquakes per day, on average, have shaken up a remote area of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Researchers say that for the time being, the earthquake cluster is more of a cause of curiosity than alarm.

The earthquake zone is located about 10 miles northwest of the Old Faithful geyser, and is far from any road or community. The park is also relatively empty during the winter months. The swarms of earthquakes are relatively common, and a significant swarm was experienced there last year as well. Researchers say that it has shown little indication that it will build towards a larger event, such as a volcanic eruption that destroyed the Yellowstone region tens of thousands of years ago.

Scientists say that the current Yellowstone swarm does at least bear close observation due to its volume. As of Sunday, January 31, 2009, there had been 1,608 earthquakes at the park since January 17.

Henry Heasler, a coordinating scientist for the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, said:

On Sunday, Egypt's antiquities department made the announcement that they will soon reveal the results of DNA testing conducted on the world's most famous ancient king, Pharaoh Tutankhamun, which was undertaken to answer lingering mysteries over his lineage. Archaeology chief Zahi Hawass said at a conference that he would announce the results of DNA tests and CAT scans on February 17.

The results of DNA and CAT scans on King Tut's mummy will be compared to those made of King Amenhotep III, who may have been Tutankamun's grandfather.

The testing of Tut's mummy is part of a wider program to check the DNA of hundreds of mummies to determine their family relations and identities. It is hoped that the program will help to determine Tut's family lineage, something which has long been a source of mystery.

The identity of Tutankamun's parents is not definitively known, though many experts believe that he is the son of Akhenaten, the 18th Dynasty pharaoh who tried to introduce monotheism to Egypt 3,500 years ago. His mother is believed to be one of Akhenaten's queens, Kiya. Others, however, suggest that Tut was the son of a lesser known pharaoh that followed Akhenaten.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it would donate $10 Billion over the next 10 years to and deliver vaccines for the world’s poorest countries. The funds are estimated to save more than 8 million children by 2020.

“We must make this the decade of vaccines,” said Bill Gates. “Vaccines already save and improve millions of lives in developing countries. Innovation will make it possible to save more children than ever before.”

The Microsoft founder and his wife said that more needs to be done from the private sector in helping developing countries dramatically reduce child mortality by the end of the decade and called for other to help with funding and research in childhood immunization.

Cleveland Clinic is lifting visitation restrictions at all hospitals Monday, Jan. 25, which were implemented to prevent the spread of seasonal and H1N1 flu and allowing children 18 and younger to visit patients at its hospitals.

“The restrictions are being lifted because the H1N1 vaccine is now widely available and many people have taken advantage of free vaccination clinics at Cleveland Clinic and throughout Northeast Ohio,” said Thomas Tallman, M.D., Chairman, Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. “Even though the restrictions are being lifted, it is still advisable to refrain from visiting patients if you are sick. If there is another wave of flu or H1N1 outbreaks, we may need to reinstate the visitation restrictions.”

Dr. Tallman said hospital officials have seen a decrease in flu and H1N1-related illness and a decline in the volume of employee absences related to the flu. “This is the trend throughout the U.S. and elsewhere,” he said.

The visitation restriction is being lifted at the following Cleveland Clinic facilities:

* Ashtabula County Medical Center
* Cleveland Clinic (Main Campus)
* Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital
* Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation
* Euclid Hospital
* Fairview Hospital
* Hillcrest Hospital
* Huron Hospital
* Lakewood Hospital
* Lutheran Hospital
* Marymount Hospital
* Medina Hospital
* South Pointe Hospital

According to a new study conducted by Matthew J. Davis at Texas A&M University, lengthy unemployment and poverty may increase sexual appetite and risky sexual behavior in young people.

In the study, which was published in the journal Sexual Addition and Compulsivity, the responses of 2,362 participants ages 21 to 27 concerning their sexual behavior, including number of partners, frequency and use of contraceptives. The study showed those with higher rates of poverty were more likely to have sex more often with multiple partners and not utilize birth control and protection.

Those who worked less than six months in the last two years had greater sexual appetites than those who worked more regularly. It is speculated that there may be two factors influencing the study's findings.

First, employment provides a time structure, social contact and a larger sense of purpose, which acts as a shield against negative and addictive behaviors. The second factor may be future uncertainty. Davis said:

"Unemployed and poor individuals may be less likely to perceive their future as both positive and stable, which may lead to reduction in their ability to delay gratification and comprehend future consequences of their actions."