LOS ANGELES (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- More than 80-percent of the earth's natural forests have been destroyed, and research shows 45 percent of lakes are too polluted to be safe for drinking, fishing or even swimming. We all know our environment is changing, but there's still a lot to learn. With new technology, we may soon have a clearer picture of exactly what's happening.

Smart Pants

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- You get a cell phone call and your sleeve answers it. You want to know how far you jogged and your pants tell you. Smart clothes are the latest trend to come down the runway.

Breathing Easier With Emphysema

BALTIMORE (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Breathing seems easy, but it's not if you have emphysema -- shortness of breath becomes a way of life. Now, patients with emphysema are breathing better thanks to a new way to fight this deadly lung disease.

Greener Grass, Less Water

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Many Americans spend a fortune trying to maintain a healthy lawn. But one scientist at NASA-Ames Research Center says it's more important to help conserve the water supply than to keep grass green year round.

Back In The Game

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- When the star player of a sports team gets hurt, the whole team can suffer. Now, a new, high-tech approach to protect fragile bones can get injured players back into the game.

Real-Time Quake Detection

SAN DIEGO (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- The first few hours following a major earthquake are critical for seismologists, rescuers and people living in the quake zone. Now, researchers can estimate where a quake made its biggest impact within 30 minutes after a big earthquake.

Stroke Stopper

BALTIMORE (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- When a stroke hits, it hits the brain hard -- many times causing paralysis, speech problems, or even death. Now, doctors have a new weapon against this deadly brain attacker.

Einstein Rings

CAMBRIDGE, Mass (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Ever look at the stars and wonder how it all came to be? Astronomers are now proving how our universe was created.

The New Virtual Reality

SEATTLE (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- A new virtual reality device lets you move around your virtual environment by actually walking, running, jumping and rolling without bumping into objects in the room.

Technology Stops Medical Mistakes

SALT LAKE CITY (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- According to the FDA, at least one person in the United States dies every day from a medication error. Many of those come from giving a patient the wrong dose of a drug or even the wrong drug. Now, new technology could help put an end to those errors.

Lightning: Fact Or Fiction?

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- We've all been caught in the middle of a storm, but what you don't know about lightning may surprise you! Lightning kills, on average, about as many people each year as tornadoes do, and more than 500 people are injured each year. What else do you need to know about lightning?

The Perfect Perfume

New York (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Some are strong ... Others soft ... But as you spray your bottle of perfume, have you ever wondered what the inspiration was behind your favorite fragrance?

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