Researchers: Give Worms Drank, Give Them Life
While conducting research on a protein-repair enzyme, a team of UCLA scientists discovered that small amounts of ethanol can increase the life expectancy of certain worms. During an exploration of the effects of cholesterol on larvae lifespan, UCLA chemistry and biochemistry professor Steven Clarke and his team discovered that trace amounts of ethanol — the […]
UC Web Series Sheds Light on School News
The University of California is collaborating with YouTube to launch UCTV Prime, a weekly 15-minute show that highlights research and developments throughout UC campuses. The new YouTube channel will launch on March 1 and broadcast documentaries, lectures, interviews and performances from each of the 10 UC campuses. The station’s debut will feature the first installment […]
Local Eco-Friendly Program Certifies Campus Cafeterias
The Green Business Program of Santa Barbara awarded all four UCSB Dining Commons certifications last week for meeting the organization’s eco-friendly standards. The recognition highlights the dining halls’ ability to run a business with minimal environmental impact and its status as a model of sustainability. The Green Business Program, founded in 1994 to help local […]
UCSB Wins ESPN BracketBuster
Led by its two senior captains, the UCSB men’s basketball team beat Utah State on the road Saturday night 72-64 in a nationally televised ESPNU BracketBuster matchup. Forward James Nunnally posted a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds and guard Orlando Johnson added 22 points as the Gauchos handed the Aggies a rare home […]
UCSB Physicist Receives $360,000 Air Force Grant to Study Ultracold Atoms
UCSB assistant professor of physics David Weld has received a $360,000 grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) to continue his work with ultracold atoms. Weld is one of only 48 scientists and engineers — selected from a field of 220 applicants — to win grants, totaling $18 million. According to Weld, […]
170-Year-Old Stellar Outburst Provides Unique Research Opportunity
Astrophysicists affiliated with UCSB and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network have recently begun researching 170-year-old Eta Carinae, a behemoth double-star system that erupted over a century ago. Frederica Bianco, a postdoctoral researcher at UCSB, and Andy Howell, a staff scientist at LCOGT, used the LCOGT’s Faulkes Telescope South in Siding, Australia to record […]
It’s All About Choices: Use Your Power Wisely
Decisions. We all have to make them, and we shouldn’t be embarrassed about it. And, as time will cruelly prove, we never know if these are the right choices until after we’ve already acted. In order to make decisions, we weigh the predicted possible positive outcomes with the predicted possible negative outcomes. And therein lies […]
Legalization Could Help Put End to Rampant Overdose
After Whitney Houston’s sudden death last Saturday, Tony Bennett didn’t hesitate to publicly make the link to drugs that many suspected. At a Grammy pre-party, the 85-year-old addict in recovery stated: “First it was Michael Jackson, then it was Amy Winehouse and now the magnificent Whitney Houston. I’d like to have every gentleman and lady […]
Right Said: President’s Budget Propels U.S. Toward Fiscal Ruin
Mobs in the streets, Molotov cocktails being thrown at policemen, numerous businesses being plundered by lawless hooligans, an inept government unwilling to make the choices necessary to prevent destruction; a state of absolute anarchy. Sound impossible? Across the Atlantic, this exact scene is playing out in the Hellenic Republic (Greece). Just a couple of weeks […]
Left Said: Governmental Investment Paves Road to Recovery
President Obama faces a strangely familiar problem in proposing a federal budget this year: fostering a sound economy while appealing to a political climate that detests many of the measures necessary to encourage economic growth. The voters demand deficit reduction, but also economic recovery. The main problem is that austerity measures (drastic spending cuts) decrease […]