Matter & Energy

January 30, 2026

Upside Down physics – The science behind “Stranger Things”

By Aria Khaitan

Foundations in science and physics exist at the very core of the Netflix's hit show “Stranger Things," demonstrating to audiences for over a decade that our universe may be "stranger" than we care to admit. That is, if...

July 6, 2025

Recent studies of the Cosmos field

By Rebecca Raymond

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 exploration of the C.O.S...

May 30, 2024

AAPI Faculty Highlight: UCSB professor Thuc-Quyen Nguyen’s path to pioneering chemistry

By Nandini Kuppa, Qien Feng

Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, an award-winning researcher at UC Santa Barbara and Director of Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, has made significant contributions to modern organic electronic devices as a means of improving g...

October 26, 2023

2023 annular solar eclipse visible from UCSB

By Saanvi Tiwary

The stars aligned over Goleta’s Camino Real Marketplace on Oct. 14, putting on a celestial performance that captivated both astronomy enthusiasts and curious onlookers. The Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit hosted a so...

September 6, 2023

UCSB alum oversees program achieving fusion ignition breakthrough

By Kaitlin Lee

In December 2022, the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved a historic breakthrough in science by facilitating a successful fusion ignition — a game changer for the future of nuc...

March 9, 2023

Europa: A new hope

By Zelinda Strell

NASA observes Europa, the smallest of Jupiter's four Galilean moons, and its great potential to harbor life beneath its surface.

March 9, 2023

New UCSB Data Science Program Provides Support for Students Underrepresented in Field

By Hannah Walker

As the technology within our society advances, the demand for data scientists continues to grow. Although this field is clearly advancing technologically, much growth is necessary in terms of societal advancements. Like ...

February 28, 2023

Ainissa Ramirez highlights African American contributions to science during Campbell Hall Talk

By Olivia Gil de Bernabe

Award-winning materials scientist, science communicator and self-proclaimed “science evangelist,” Ainissa Ramirez spoke at Campbell Hall on Feb. 23, where she shared her journey to becoming a scientist, uncovered hid...

October 6, 2022

Firefly’s Alpha rocket reaches orbit on second attempt

By Mark Alfred

The Texas-based rocket company Firefly Aerospace successfully reached orbit last Saturday, Oct. 1, in its sophomore launch attempt out of Santa Barbara County’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.

May 2, 2022

Weld Lab Makes Waves, Detects Quantum Boomerang Effect

By Seamus O'Hara

The Weld Group at the UC Santa Barbara Department of Physics has recently published their results demonstrating the first observation of the “quantum boomerang” effect.

April 14, 2022

Las Cumbres Observatory Searches for Supernovae

By Seamus O'Hara, Anaya Khan

The Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO), located in Goleta, California, is one of the many worldwide observatories where robotic telescopes are designed to collect astronomical data. There are many ongoing research projects at...

February 9, 2022

UCSB’s Young Lab Pioneers New Method of Inducing Superconducting State

By Seamus O'Hara

For the UCSB researchers, having a superconducting ground state allowed them to subject the sample to a battery of experimental conditions without destroying the sample.

November 14, 2021

UCSB Physics Professor Proposes New Planetary Defense System

By Maddie Dewhirst

The project proposes a way to break up incoming cosmic objects, instead of just deflecting them as past efforts have sought to do.

May 20, 2021

Every Last Sun Drop: UCSB Researchers Increase Solar Cell Efficiency With Perovskite Crystals

By Devanshi Tomar

“It may not be long before people are putting hybrid-perovskite-based solar cells on their roofs."

April 23, 2021

The Physics Circus Travels To Cyberspace, a Detour Brought on by COVID-19

By Devanshi Tomar

In response to the pandemic, the team had to rethink their methods of outreach to disseminate learning in a safer, yet still exciting and effective way.