(Getty Images) One of America's most stunning tropical gems is slowing eroding from within. Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah took a closer look at the building blocks of Hawaii's Oahu Island. They concluded that, in time, Oahu will actually flatten from an island to a "low-lying seamount," according to an article in Live Science. Parts of Oahu can get anywhere from 2 to 23 feet of precipitation a year, depending on the landscape. But scientists say it's not...

Fireworks explode over Elizabeth Tower housing the Big Ben clock to celebrate the New Year in London, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Fiscal cliff? Recession? Not in Asia, where the first countries to see 2013 are enthusiastically welcoming the new year. The buoyant economies of the Asia-Pacific are prepared to party with renewed optimism despite the so-called fiscal cliff threatening to reverberate globally from the United States and the tattered economies of Europe. Increasingly democratic Myanmar is having...

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- It's happened a lot of times on this barrier island. A new owner picks up a piece of land and an old path or set of woods is suddenly fenced off or has some no trespassing signs. A St. Simons Island couple want to do the opposite: They want to keep their recent acquisition open for those who have worn a footpath across it and to preserve that access into the future. "The public has...

TRAVELING IN 2013 (Getty Images) There are few certainties when it comes to travel. But in this new year, travelers can count on one thing: They'll have to spend more money if they want to fly. Airlines had a profitable 2012. And industry analysts say they'll probably have an even better 2013 if they keep raising fares, charging more fees and cutting back on the number of flights. That may push some travelers to their cars. If it does, they...

(Getty Images) A sobering new study shows America's tired population is creating a major hazard on the road. According to a report just released by the CDC, more than 4% of Americans say they have recently fallen asleep while driving. Experts admit that number could be even higher because many people don't realize they've drifted off for a moment. Government awareness campaigns are quick to promote the dangers of drunk driving, but most people don't realize sleep depravation can be...

Ellwood says passengers used duct tape to calm the drunk man. (Andy Ellwood via Tumblr) A photo of an allegedly obnoxious, drunk passenger who wound up duct taped to his seat during a flight from Iceland to New York's JFK is exploding on social media. Blogger and businessman Andy Ellwood first posted the photo on Tumblr. He got it from a friend who was on the flight. "Passengers hog-tied fellow passenger who drank all of his duty free liquor in...

A pilot poses inside an Airbus A380 at Guarulhos international airport, in the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 22, 2012. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/GettyImages) Some U.S. airlines may see a pilot crunch as soon as this year, as thousands of pilots start to retire and new rules requiring extra training and more rest start to kick in, some aviation analysts say. As the economy slowly improves, potentially increasing the desire by Americans to travel, a wave of pilots is reaching...

A Cessna 560 XL Citation Excel business jet airplane prepares its approach to Vienna Schwechat international airport as it flies in front of the moon on Sept. 23, 2012. (ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images) NEW YORK -- Fewer business travelers are likely to hit the road this year as the travel industry is challenged by corporate America's persistent economic fears. Business travelers are expected to take 431.8 million trips in 2013, the Global Business Travel Association said Tuesday. The industry trade group...

Passengers on a QANTAS flight in Australia could have used Samuel L. Jackson on board. The Sydney Morning Herald reports a 9-foot python attached itself to the wing of the plane. "There was no panic. At no time did anyone stop to consider there might be others aboard," passenger Robert Weber told the newspaper. The python wraps itself around the wing of the plane in mid-air. (YouTube Screenshot) The plane landed without a problem. This isn't the first time reality...

A man walks in front of a poster of the All Nippon Airways (ANA)'s Boeing 787 plane in Tokyo. ANA had to cancel a flight earlier this week after a computer wrongly indicated there was a problem with the Boeing 787's brakes. (Associated Press) Prompted by a series of mechanical issues this week, the Federal Aviation Administration says it'll investigate Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Although both the FAA and Boeing say there's no data to suggest the plane is unsafe, investigators...

Will the sun finally set on some of the airlines' most aggravating policies? (Getty Images) Tougher New Airline Regulations Ahead Trying to book and pay for a plane ticket can make you feel helpless. But the Department of Transportation (DOT) is expected to come to your rescue this spring, according to reports from USA Today and Huffington Post. The new regulations could force airlines to tell you exactly what you're paying for before you buy a ticket. (MORE: 5 Travel...

A view of the Florida island on sale on eBay. (eBay) A longtime Volusia County resident is trying to auction off part of an uninhabited island in the Intracoastal Waterway for as little as $459,000 on eBay. On the plus side, the waterfront views are unencumbered and neighbors are nonexistent on the 3-acre site in Port Orange. On the minus side, future inhabitants would need solar power, a rainwater cistern and permission from local government to build anything there. The...