Science & Tech

One Limb, Two Limb, Left Limb, Right Limb: The Ground Rules of Planar Cell Polarity

The way in which structural symmetry is broken and complexity forms in an organism depends on the directional instructions given to cells, provided by pathways known as planar polarity pathways.
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Researchers Study Hawaiian Volcano Kilauea’s Destructive 2018 Eruption

Scientists’ understanding of collapsing volcanic calderas had been severely limited by poorly-documented caldera-forming eruptions up until this 2018 outburst.
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Researchers Compare Computational Models of Mate Preference Integration Across 45 Counties

In their paper published in Scientific Reports, the researchers investigated eight different human mating models to determine which can most accurately predict our realized mate choices.
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Recapping the First Annual Blockchain Summit at UCSB

On Nov. 23, the campus organization Blockchain at UCSB hosted the first-ever Santa Barbara Blockchain Summit at Corwin Pavilion, featuring tech industry leaders, start-up founders and professors. 
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A Sunsational Study: UCSB Researchers Examine Political Identities and Participation of U.S. Solar Households

“If you look inside a neighborhood, Republicans and Democrats have the same probability of having solar,” Mildenberger said.
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Racial Discrimination in Medicine: Physician Bias, Income and Mortality

On Monday, Nov. 18, UCSB’s Broom Center for Demography invited Economics Professor Trevon Logan to speak on his research on the racial disparities in health care. 
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You Reef What You Sow: Coral Reef Management and Status in a Warming World

“Many reefs around the world are losing ecosystem function and declining to degraded states with a loss of coral cover, less fish and the proliferation of algae,” Donovan said.
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Mental Health in Medicine: Presented by Vania Manipod, D.O., at UCSB

Manipod described her own experience with occupational burnout and how living with the condition led to her reevaluate her career and her priorities as a psychiatrist. 
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UCSB Researchers Investigate Snail Control Efforts To Combat Parasitic Disease

Schistosomiasis, an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms of the genus Schistosoma, affects over 200 million people worldwide.
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Fungus Among Us: Researchers Map Lineages of Chytrid Fungus Affecting Sierra Nevada Frogs

Not unlike the plot of a B-list horror movie, a fatal disease in frogs, chytridiomycosis, has spread all across the world on a pandemic scale in mere decades.
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UCSB Professor To Study Public Perception of NSF Synthetic Cells Projects

With ambitious goals to build synthetic neurons and lipid-free cells, many questions can emerge, including the societal significance of synthetic cells as well as the potential benefits, risks and pos...
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Convergent Evolution in Deep-Sea Fish

Last week, the Oakley lab invited Matt Davis from St. Cloud State University to speak about his research on the evolution of ray-finned fishes in the deep sea.
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Exploring the Cognitive Science of Supernatural Concepts

The class discusses the research and theory behind why beliefs of supernatural concepts have pervaded across numerous cultures and why our brains are susceptible to such notions.
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How to Improve Running Efficiency

Running is the most energy-costly mode of locomotion for humans, according to Hawkes’ study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
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Turning the Tide: Researchers Conduct Study of Climate Change Effects on Mexican Fisheries

UCSB researchers aimed to devise a method to evaluate climate change-driven impacts on fisheries with limited data, as well as appropriate ways to respond to anticipated changes.
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