UC Office of the President |

The three-minute pitch: Grad students compete to make their research accessible

A competition that helps grad students build valuable skills in explaining the what and why of their research, the 2016 Grad Slam takes place April 22.

UC Berkeley |

Teen girls see big drop in chemical exposure with switch in cosmetics

A UC Berkeley study finds that using personal care products free of hormone disruptors makes a difference.

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Can we use Wi-Fi to see through walls?

We use Wi-Fi to stay connected, but UC's Yasamin Mostofi shows that Wi-Fi can also be used to sense the world around us – even behind walls.

Science Today |

Eye drops to reverse cataracts

UC San Francisco’s Jason Gestwicki describes his lab’s work developing eye drops to reverse cataracts, a potential boon to millions of people who go blind every year in developing countries because they can't afford (or have access to) the current, successful surgical treatment.

UC Office of the President |

UC president announces 2016 Research Catalyst Award recipients

Grants totaling $4.8 million will foster multidisciplinary research in conservation biology, cultural preservation, agriculture, and the detection of dark matter.

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Climate change facts you need to know

Under current guidelines, the planet is on target to warm up by 2 degrees Celsius in 2050 and by 4 degrees in 2100, triggering serious large-scale problems by the end of the century. UC San Diego's climate scientist V. Ramanathan accurately predicted this trend back in 1980. He says that if we make an effort to adopt existing technology today, we might be able to change our course on climate.

UC Davis |

Pigeons can distinguish cancerous breast tissue from normal

Study finds the birds are uncommonly good at distinguishing cancerous breast tissue from normal .

Science Today |

The value of studying our microbiome

Guess what? You’re only 10 percent human — the rest of you is made up of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes. Science Today talks with UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla and professor Rob Knight about a new Microbiome and Microbial Sciences Initiative that will advance the study of microbiomes found in the gut and everywhere else on Earth.

Lawrence Berkeley Lab |

Precision Urban Agriculture Initiative tackles food deserts

By revealing the complex science behind plant growth, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers hope to replace food deserts — low-income urban areas that lack access to affordable, fresh food — with options to purchase local, sustainably produced vegetables at or below conventional market prices, grown using drastically less water and fertilizer than conventional agriculture. Read more

University of California |

A 'parking lot pitch' to the Pope

Last year, UC San Diego’s V. ‘Ram’ Ramanathan had an audience with Pope Francis in the parking lot of the Vatican. Ramanathan, who serves on the prestigious Pontifical Academy of Sciences panel, delivered what he calls a ‘parking lot pitch’ to the leader of the Catholic Church. Here, Ramanathan describes this moment and how it may have influenced the Pope’s subsequent position on the matter. 

California Matters by University of California |

A watchful eye on farm families’ health

Venture out into the fields of Salinas with Mark Bittman as he interviews UC Berkeley's Brenda Eskenazi. She leads the CHAMACOS study, which follows children born between 2000-02 and assesses the impact of pesticides and other environmental chemicals (like flame retardants) on their long-term health.

Fig. 1 by University of California |

Do high fives help sports teams win?

Hugs. High fives. Fist bumps. Touch is an essential part of how people communicate with one another. UC Berkeley psychology professor Dacher Keltner examined NBA games to see if there is a relationship between a team's success and how often they touch.