Science & Tech

Simply Stated: Is gossiping a nasty habit or human nature?

January 16, 2025 by

While gossiping is often portrayed as a malicious activity, science shows that “spilling the tea” has significant roots in both evolutionary biology and social psychology.
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This May Help: Maintaining agency and preserving mental well-being amidst political uncertainty

January 16, 2025 by

For professor Erin Khuê Ninh, this collective emotional response to political inequities was heightened by the recent election and became the decisive catalyst for launching This May Help.
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Simply Stated: What is 3D printing and how is it being used on campus?

December 19, 2024 by

If you have ever taken a peek inside the UC Santa Barbara Makerspace before, you might have seen a cluster of identical machines lined up against a wall, quietly at work creating parts of all shapes a...
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Simply Stated: How is randomness in nature plotted to form a simple bell curve?

November 21, 2024 by

Nature’s design can seem random upon first glance; however, a closer look reveals a common pattern that ties it all together, from the growth of a tree bark to the toss of a coin — the bell curve....
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UCSB student selected for prestigious Land Trust Alliance and USDA Conservation Scholars Program

November 21, 2024 by

Lena Rose Ouse Hicks, a fourth-year environmental studies major with a minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies at UC Santa Barbara, has been awarded the prestigious 2024–25 Scholars for Cons...
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Simply Stated: Are electronic forms of note-taking really superior?

November 14, 2024 by

After a day spent cramming material for a class you know you went to but cannot seem to recall anything from, you may be left wondering: are electronic forms of note-taking really the most effective w...
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Letter from the editors: What does a second Trump presidency mean for the fate of science?

November 14, 2024 by and

In light of last Tuesday’s election, we are faced with an urgent question: what will a second Trump presidency mean for public trust in the integrity of science? 
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Simply Stated: Can AI predict politics? Investigating the mathematics of election forecasting

November 5, 2024 by

Despite the overwhelming surplus of election predictions, many voters remain skeptical about whether it’s even possible to interpret the current political landscape through a scientific perspective....
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The gruesome, real-life experiments that inspired Frankenstein and their scientific possibility

October 31, 2024 by

An enduring symbol of Halloween, Frankenstein has become an iconic figure of horror since its origins in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel — a story of a scientist who brings a creature to life from cadav...
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Simply Stated: Why do some people lucid dream and others don’t?

October 31, 2024 by

Imagine being immersed in a dream, aware that you're dreaming and able to shape and traverse the world around you with no limitations. This phenomenon is called lucid dreaming and is characterized by ...
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Research in Review: Cosmic impacts, shark tracking and cognition-boosting exercise

October 24, 2024 by

New UCSB research in cosmic impacts, shark tracking and cognition-boosting exercise.
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Simply Stated: Are ghosts real, or can science explain the supernatural?

October 24, 2024 by

From folklore to horror movies, the paranormal and its mysteries have been ingrained in society, but the scientific community largely remains skeptical about the existence of ghosts. So, what does sci...
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New UCSB study conducts first-ever mapping of the human brain across pregnancy

October 17, 2024 by

While we have long understood the profound changes that the human body undergoes during pregnancy, the transformation of the maternal brain has for the most part remained a mystery —  until now. Re...
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Simply Stated: The mind game of fantasy football

October 10, 2024 by

Fantasy sports are on an upward trend of popularity, but what are the psychological motivations and effects of this new form of gambling that is now becoming an American pastime? 
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Building futures: a conversation with the co-chair of Los Ingenieros

October 10, 2024 by

Fourth-year chemical engineering student Jessy Gonzalez, co-chair of Los Ingenieros, reflected on his experience being part of a community that uplifts minorities in S.T.E.M.
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