Science & Tech

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...

October 11, 2011

Kepler Mission Finds First Known Planet with Two Suns

By Kyle Naughton

Previously only imaged in “Star Wars”, UCSB astrophysicist Avi Shroprer recently aided in the discovery of a small planet — Kepler-16 — orbiting two suns in our own Milky Way. The research findings, published las...

October 11, 2011

UCSB Anticipates Green Conference

By Andrea Weinstein

On Oct. 13, UCSB will be hosting the first annual Sustainability Summit at the Loma Pelona Center, bringing together UCSB representatives and community businesses to discuss environmental issues regarding energy, transpo...

October 4, 2011

Study Uncovers Fat in “Lean Gene” Myth

By Kiyan Rajabi

Glance at any magazine rack at the grocery store checkout and you will likely encounter countless perfectly defined celebrity bodies. If you’re like me, you stare at these hard bodies in open-mouthed awe as the conveye...

October 4, 2011

UCSB’s Center for the Study of Macular Degeneration Welcomes New Director

By David Wallace

Renowned research scientist Dr. Pete Coffey plans to join UCSB’s Neuroscience Research Institute beginning in November as part of a collaborative initiative to study the potential of stem cells in blindness prevention....

September 27, 2011

Study Substantiates Relationship Between Diet, Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

By Kiyan Rajabi

With a growing statistic of approximately 26 million diabetics in America and 350 million diabetics worldwide, diabetes prevention continues to be a primary concern for many medical practitioners. Although doctors have l...

September 27, 2011

Snails Hitch a Ride With Migratory Birds

By David Wallace

Ryan Hechinger, a research biologist with the Marine Science Institute at UCSB, recently discovered an unlikely creature has been utilizing air travel for millennia. Along with his colleagues, Hechinger found that horn s...

August 3, 2011

Eat Omega-3 to Maintain Memory

By Kiyan Rajabi

For most students, college is a memorable time, chockfull of unforgettable experiences. However, the ability to remember the important moments in life is a luxury most of us unknowingly take for granted — as many patie...

June 22, 2011

Cloud Technology Increases in Popularity, Reaches Consumers

By Yishian Yao

Cloud computing has been the topic of much debate in the technological world over the past few months, particularly with the announcement of the Apple iCloud service’s release to the general public in the fall.