Science & Tech

January 31, 2012

Similarity Computing: The New Frontier

By Daniel Czech

With most queries turning up millions of results, how does a site like Google deliver the most relevant and accurate data as top results? Most people do not give much thought to the intricate workings of the search engin...

January 31, 2012

UCSB Scientists Warn Against Invasive Species

By Kyle Naughton

A recent study led by scientists at UC Santa Barbara’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis demonstrated how globalization and the demand for drought-resistant plant species threaten to overcome native...

January 24, 2012

UCSB Earth Science Department Receives Grant to Study Underwater Geography and Fault Lines

By Evan Crook

UCSB’s Dept. of Earth Science has received a $553,000 grant from Seismic Micro-Technology Inc. to fund research in 3-D visualization, mapping and modeling of seismic data. So far, scientists involved in the project hav...

January 24, 2012

New Study Substantiates Old Herd Mentality Theory

By Kiyan Rajabi

Would you jump off a cliff if everyone else was doing it? Well, according to new findings, chances are you just might take the plunge. Herd mentality is a commonly cited and studied human behavior. Its applications are p...

January 17, 2012

UCSB Researchers Continue Study of Deepwater Oil Spill

By David Wallace

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, recently published a study describing how underwater topography and currents affected the disappearance of methane plumes in the Gulf of Mexico following the Ap...

January 10, 2012

Yoga Has Your Back: Study Demonstrates How This Healthy Habit May Ease Chronic Pain

By Kiyan Rajabi

Since we are now transitioning back to the reality of all-nighters and weekly “midterms,” it is more important than ever to hold on to that jolly disposition that a month of too much family, food and fun inspires. Fr...

January 10, 2012

Wireless Internet Connections in Data Centers

By Andrea Weinstein

Researchers at UCSB have helped create a new method to increase wireless transmission speeds in data centers by up to 30 percent. Scientists discovered that metal plates placed on the ceiling of data centers better trans...

November 22, 2011

Why It Pays To Be Social: How Companies Profit From Your Facebooking

By Daniel Czech

Once a website targeting mostly college students, Facebook’s popularity has exploded in recent years, a testament to its universal appeal. However, the numerous benefits of online social networking make it easy to over...

November 22, 2011

UCSB Researchers Grow Understanding of Plant Evolution Through Flower Petal Cells

By David Wallace

Along with a group of researchers from Harvard University, Scott Hodges, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at UCSB, recently discovered a mechanism of flower petal evolution that contra...

November 15, 2011

UCSB Researchers Break New Ground in Quantum Mechanics

By Kyle Naughton

In a recent study, UCSB physicists were the first to successfully demonstrate how defects in silicon carbide can be controlled quantum mechanically at room temperature. The physicists’ achievement is particularly impor...

November 15, 2011

The Sweeter Side of Honey: Another Way to Bee-come Healthier

By Kiyan Rajabi

Though honey is a common natural sweetener used for generations, scientific evidence suggests that honey has and could be used for many unconventional purposes, in addition to satisfying your sweet tooth. The latest rese...

November 1, 2011

UCSB Researchers Study Oil-Consuming Bacteria in Wake of Recent Horizon Spill

By Kyle Naughton

Using DNA to track the bacteria’s unusual diet, UCSB scientists recently discovered bacteria feeding on natural gas leaking from the ocean floor at unusually cold temperatures at the site of the Deepwater Horizons oil ...

November 1, 2011

Research Legitimizes Best Hangover Helpers

By Kiyan Rajabi

Although Halloween serves as a fine celebration for many, the weekend can take its toll. So let’s get down to business — the word “hangover” comes from the medical term veisalgia. The first part, kveis, is a Norw...

October 25, 2011

Dow Chemical Institute To Fund UCSB Research

By David Wallace

UCSB recently received a grant for $15 million from the Dow Chemical Company to develop new technology through advanced scientific research. Specifically, the grant will provide the means to establish a Dow Materials Ins...

October 18, 2011

Grant Finances Web Access in Rural Africa

By Evan Crook

UCSB professors Elizabeth Belding and Lisa Parks recently received $1.2 million in grant money from the National Science Foundation as part of a project to improve Internet access in Macha, Zambia, a rural town in sub-Sa...

October 18, 2011

How to Start Sleeping Your Way to the Top: Studies Uncover the Power of Power Napping

By Kiyan Rajabi

As a kid, my day was not complete without that standard afternoon nap. Now, though, I still get tired and often nod off during class. I am disappointed to find that napping will not be socially acceptable again until I r...