Science & Tech

October 31, 2024

The gruesome, real-life experiments that inspired Frankenstein and their scientific possibility

By Kaitlin Lee

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 cadaver body parts and el...

October 31, 2024

Simply Stated: Why do some people lucid dream and others don’t?

By Zoey Contos

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 the sudden realizati...

October 24, 2024

Research in Review: Cosmic impacts, shark tracking and cognition-boosting exercise

By Kaitlin Lee

New UCSB research in cosmic impacts, shark tracking and cognition-boosting exercise.

October 24, 2024

Simply Stated: Are ghosts real, or can science explain the supernatural?

By Saanvi Tiwary

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 science have to say abo...

October 17, 2024

New UCSB study conducts first-ever mapping of the human brain across pregnancy

By Kaitlin Lee

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. Researchers at UC Sant...

October 10, 2024

Simply Stated: The mind game of fantasy football

By Katharine Chi

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? 

October 10, 2024

Building futures: a conversation with the co-chair of Los Ingenieros

By Olivia Lohrer

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.

October 3, 2024

Simply Stated: What’s the science behind cuteness?

By John Cho

Moo Deng, a baby female pygmy hippopotamus living in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, has recently pervaded all corners of the internet. Animals like Moo Deng with particular physical characteristics are categorized ...

October 3, 2024

Research in Review: Immune cell appetizers, infrared-detecting mosquitoes and complex computing

By Kaitlin Lee

New research in immune cell appetizers, infrared-detecting mosquitoes and complex computing.

September 23, 2024

UCSB secures $22 million NSF grant to explore unusual microbes

By Qien Feng

The BioFoundry for Extreme & Exceptional Fungi, Archaea and Bacteria was one of five facilities awarded a $22 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

August 29, 2024

Simply Stated: What are the effects of performance-enhancing drugs on an athlete’s body?

By John Cho

Like virtually all of its kind that precede it, the 2024 Summer Olympics has been rife with doping scandals. Chinese Olympic swimmer Pan Zhanle was the subject of doping accusations after he secured his team a gold medal...

August 29, 2024

Simply Stated: What’s the science behind the mental strength of Olympic athletes?

By Saanvi Tiwary

The mind of an Olympic athlete is a finely tuned instrument where focus, resilience and neurological efficiency converge to produce peak performance. While Olympians’ physical prowess is the result of years of rigorous...

August 5, 2024

UCSB’s MCDB department introduces new major

By Tanvi Ladha

Embracing the dynamic landscape of biology, UC Santa Barbara introduces a new major, molecular and cellular biology (MCB), offering students the flexibility to forge their own learning path. As the expectations and desir...

July 31, 2024

The CrowdStrike crisis

By Katharine Chi

On July 18, 2024, a CrowdStrike update caused the major I.T. outage whose effects were widely felt on the following day, impacting every Microsoft Windows operating system that had the CrowdStrike application installed a...

July 13, 2024

OPINION: My journey through topical steroid withdrawal, a failure of the medical community

By Kaitlin Lee

I am struggling with a condition called topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), a diagnosis that has yet to be officially recognized by the National Health Service. This debilitating condition was caused by the very medication...

June 11, 2024

Simply Stated: Is pulling an all-nighter for an exam worth it?

By Kaitlin Lee

We’ve all been there — it’s the night before your 8 a.m. final and the library announces that late-night study is moving to the first and second floors. The question is: Do you get a good night’s sleep or do you ...