Science & Tech

November 13, 2020

The Scientists’ Declassified Guide to Talking About Climate Change

By Michelle J. Lee

Through these conversations you — better than any scientist — have the opportunity to find and address misinformation, misunderstanding and fear.

November 13, 2020

In Search of Effective Conservation Strategies, Researchers Studying Amphibian Disease Look to Natural Resistance

By Katherine Sheng

“When management supports these natural mechanisms, it will lead to more successful management outcomes and fewer failures,” Brannelly said.

November 8, 2020

Mosquitoes in Santa Barbara Test Positive for West Nile Virus

By Devanshi Tomar

Carrier mosquitoes have the potential to pass the virus on to humans — but it isn’t a reason for panic.

November 3, 2020

UCSB Professor Investigates Cognitive and Neurocognitive Effects of Being an Interpreter

By Gracie Shi

Whether or not there is a cognitive advantage due to the bilingual experiences of interpreters is still in debate.

November 2, 2020

A Closer Look At California’s Iconic Oaks in Sedgwick Reserve

By Sean Crommelin

At Sedgwick, Davis and his collaborators have been studying oak regeneration on the decadal scale.

October 28, 2020

UCLA Professor Speaks on Research Into Synaptic Reorganization in BMSE/MCDB Seminar

By Sean Crommelin

Donlea discussed his experimental studies into the role which sleep plays in injury and synaptic reorganization in fruit flies.

October 25, 2020

Tango of the Valkyries: What Makes Music Sound Different or the Same?

By Sean Crommelin

“What my lab and I asked was: ‘How would listeners categorize music if we used tasks from relational category experiments?’” 

October 21, 2020

UCSB Researchers Investigate Mortality Among Amphibians Besieged by Endemic Parasites

By Sean Crommelin

The researchers had earlier developed a flexible statistical model, specifically looking at patterns of aggregation in parasite abundance. These patterns informed host mortality.  

October 18, 2020

Rivers in Madagascar Offer a Window Into the Inner Workings of Abrupt Channel Shifts

By Sean Crommelin

Brooke and his collaborators are among the first attempting to map out where avulsions occur in order to test existing hypotheses regarding the factors and conditions leading to these events.

October 13, 2020

Invasive Mosquito Species, Aedes aegypti, Detected in Santa Barbara County

By Devanshi Tomar

The mosquito was first spotted at a home in Santa Barbara near the intersection of North La Cumbre Road and Foothill Road, and was later identified as Aedes aegypti.

October 11, 2020

Ethics in the University Setting: An Interview With Doug Thrower

By Serhat Suzer

What safeguards are put in place to prevent the university from engaging in unethical research practices? To find out, Serhat Suzer spoke to Dr. Doug Thrower.

October 11, 2020

Science and Ethics in History, the Ivory Tower and Beyond

By Serhat Suzer

Public confidence in science is important. In order to preserve this confidence, we must recognize its shortcomings.

October 4, 2020

UCSB Anthropologists Identify Common Misconceptions About Child Marriage Among Americans

By Leon Liu

The questionnaire was designed to ascertain the participants’ understanding of the legality of child marriage.

September 28, 2020

Over Land and Sea, UCSB Researchers Put a Number on Fast-Growing Microfiber Emissions

By Sean Crommelin

The amount of microfibers currently being released into the natural environment has drawn alarm from scientists, environmentalists and policymakers across the world.

September 24, 2020

The Balancing Act: “Using and Refusing the Law”

By Sean Crommelin

There is a struggle, as Hale describes, between “using” the law to advance one’s interests and “refusing” the tenets of it which invalidate one’s way of life.

September 16, 2020

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! How the “Ecology of Fear” Can Be Instrumental To Achieving Wildlife Conservation Goals

By Joshua Pham

“Research on the ecology of fear tries to understand the role that risk perception plays in driving not just animal behavior, but broader species interactions,” Gaynor said.