Science & Tech

Rooted in place: How traditional ecological knowledge is transforming environmental studies at UCSB

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is defined by the Indigenous Climate Hub as the “cumulative body of knowledge, practices, and beliefs about the relationship between living beings and their en...
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Simply Stated: 4 psychologist-approved methods to savor your summer

Summer is a season of competing priorities: a narrow window to rest, recharge, and hustle, resulting in feelings of perpetual business and "time pressure" that make the months feel even faster. But by...
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Research in Review: Dead Sea Fluid Mechanics, Digital Equity, and River Channel Patterns

New UCSB research on the dead sea, how device type influences digital access and equity, and river channel patterns
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Simply Stated: Do brain organoids show signs of human consciousness?

Scientists have discovered that organoids possess both the molecular and cellular characteristics of a developing brain. These experiments pose questions about what it means to be aware, feel and exis...
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Simply Stated: The health implications of soaking up the summer sun

Outdoor activities in the sun paired with longer days, less protective clothing and an increase in the ultraviolet index can all contribute to greater amounts of sun exposure, causing both costs and b...
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Recent studies of the Cosmos field

Dr. Caitlin Casey, an observational astronomer, has recently joined the physics department at UC Santa Barbara. She co-leads the C.O.S.M.O.S. collaboration — a project distinguished by its deep expl...
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Simply Stated: Green growth vs. degrowth?

Can our economies grow even as natural resources dwindle? Or will we need to reimagine prosperity itself by prioritizing life over profits? These questions have laid the foundation for a debate on po...
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Matter of Opinion: My visit to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Located in Mission Canyon, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is the perfect way to spend a day outside with yourself, friends or anyone else who might want to tag along. The best part of the whole deal...
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Best of Scientific Breakthroughs

A look back on notable scientific happenings and achievements at UCSB during the 2024-25 school year. 
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Conscience computer science: UCSB launches first Embedded Ethics Lab

Maryam Majedi, an assistant teaching professor in the Computer Science Department at UCSB, is launching the university’s first Embedded Ethics Lab, a project designed to integrate ethical reflection...
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OPINION: RFK’s “cure” for autism is an attack on privacy and pluralism

By analyzing private health records, Kennedy aims to find a “cure” for what he calls the “autism epidemic” by September — an objective that has sparked controversy among autistic individuals...
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Tree rings: Reshaping climate change measurements and unnatural contributions

On May 5, the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management continued its Bren Seminar series with Postdoctoral Researcher Julie Edwards. Edwards’ lecture “Climate Change Detection and Attribu...
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From strawberry fields to the stars: UCSB alum Jose Hernández’s story

On Tuesday, April 29th, UCSB alum Jose Fernandez spoke about his long journey from the Central Valley to becoming a NASA astronaut in Campbell Hall.
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OPINION: The glamorization and commodification of space travel

On April 14, 2025, Jeff Bezos sent Katy Perry and a team of five other women beyond Earth’s atmosphere. But what exactly does Mr. Bezos know about spaceflight, and why is the aerospace industry shif...
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Simply Stated: Do you need high-protein everything?

The International Food Information Council’s 2024 Food & Health Survey suggests that the hunger for protein has become even more pronounced in recent years, perhaps due to American adults’ extensi...
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