Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Two people walk next to a long set of solar panels over a canal

Solar-panel-covered canals have their day in the sun in California

UC Newsroom

November 25, 2025

California’s first solar-over-canal project goes online with the commissioning of the narrow and wide span arrays in the Turlock Irrigation District, bringing to life the ultimate “why didn’t I think of that!” idea.

Take a tour of your thoughts with the 'Glass Brain'

The Glass Brain is kind of like it sounds. It’s a colorful, 3-D window into all the mysterious activities that light up the brain.

List Grid

Making batteries with portobello mushrooms

Can mushrooms stop cell phone batteries from degrading over time? Engineering researchers at UC Riverside think so.

Invention helps California growers optimize water use

Technology developed at UC Davis is giving growers tools to help irrigate more effectively during the California drought and beyond.

Sun and salt: how solar tech can help California’s drought

Researchers at UC Merced are turning to an unlikely ally to help solve the problem of water availability for California’s farmlands: the sun.