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Agriculture
Artificial intelligence

Scientists in blue University of California labcoats inspecting plants in a lab setting

A new (and surprising) way to use solar panels

In the middle of California's Central Valley, a new way to use solar panels could change how we think about clean energy and water. It’s a simple idea that people have talked about for decades, but only now is it finally being tested in real life.

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Two women in dark blue shirts kneeling in a meadow. One is holding a plastic tube while the other looks on
UC Davis |

What does it take to be a queen bumblebee?

Scientists are examining the extraordinary colony-building capacities of solo queen bumblebees to better understand cognition and preserve a critical ecological link.
A gray whale at the surface spouts with the San Francisco skyline in the background
UC Santa Barbara |

New AI system uses cameras and thermal sensors to steer ships clear of gray whales in the San Francisco Bay

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara's Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory expand their whale-saving operations into the busy San Francisco Bay, where gray whales have been taking unexpected detours, possibly for food.
A large crowd holding signs gathers outdoors.
UC Newsroom |

UC faculty and staff rally for state investment in science

UC President James B. Milliken and other leaders urged state lawmakers to pass SB 895, bipartisan legislation that would place a $12 billion bond to fund scientific research across California on the November 2026 ballot.
An image of the Pulitzer Prize medal which features a man dressed from the torso down operating an early press
UC Newsroom |

4 UC alums honored with 2026 Pulitzer Prizes

Alumni reporting on last year's most urgent stories in California, the nation and the world earned one of journalism’s highest honors.

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