Science & Tech

Simply Stated: Why do holiday lights make us happy?

A walk around Isla Vista during the month of December reveals the community glowing under holiday lights and decorations. From the shining Christmas tree on Embarcadero del Norte and Pardall Road to t...
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UC Santa Barbara faculty take part in United Nations Plastics Treaty negotiation

UC Santa Barbara’s Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory recently joined the United Nations in making historic progress toward a plastic-free world. Over 175 countries around the globe convened in Nairob...
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Simply Stated: Which genre reigns supreme for your perfect study soundtrack?

As final exams creep closer, are you finding yourself wondering about how to improve the effectiveness of your study habits?
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Simply Stated: Do we really have free will?

When you decided to read the Science & Tech section of the Daily Nexus today, was it really a choice? Or is this action, and every action you have ever taken, predetermined? Hard determinists woul...
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Simply Stated: Do “guilt-free” prebiotic drinks actually make you healthier?

Have you found yourself grabbing a Poppi or Olipop prebiotic drink from the Arbor before class, reassured with the prebiotic labeling, or adding that free “gut health” supplement into your Blender...
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A conversation with SB Channelkeeper on the legal battle against nitrate pollution

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, an organization with the mission of protecting and restoring local water resources, has joined a broad coalition of environmentalists, fishing organizations and Latinx and...
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UCSB Decarbonization Study Project Committee launches clean energy master plan

In a virtual kickoff meeting, UC Santa Barbara’s Decarbonization Study Project Committee launched its official campus Clean Energy Master Plan.  The initiative is a joint effort of both UCSB offici...
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A warming ocean: What’s happening below the surface with the Hofmann Lab?

With marine heatwaves facing our oceans as a climate stressor, UC Santa Barbara’s Hofmann Lab draws attention to just how drastically marine organisms may change in response.  As a relatively recen...
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“River Undammed”: Largest dam removal in history underway, researchers optimistic

Decades of hard-fought activism of the Yurok and Karuk tribes have borne fruit in the beginnings of the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. Hopes are high for the future of the Klamath River ...
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UCSB Lab Studies Emergence and Disease Risk of Mosquito-Borne Viruses

Diseases like dengue are becoming much more common due to the expansion of the range of the mosquito species that transmit it. Andrew MacDonald, an assistant professor at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren Sch...
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“The Future of the Amazon”: UCSB’s Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies hosts international conference

Dozens of scholars, researchers, activists and policymakers from institutions across the globe arrived at UC Santa Barbara for a three-day international conference from Oct. 25-27, aimed at discussing...
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Simply Stated: Why do we love true crime?

It starts with a murder. It always starts with a murder (or something along the same lines). Then come the police and detectives and interviews of witnesses, friends, family. And then the ultimate rev...
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2023 annular solar eclipse visible from UCSB

The stars aligned over Goleta’s Camino Real Marketplace on Oct. 14, putting on a celestial performance that captivated both astronomy enthusiasts and curious onlookers.  The Santa Barbara Astronomi...
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“The Heat Will Kill You First”: Writer Jeff Goodell warns against extreme heat, says we are not doomed

You probably heard it on the radio, read it in the newspaper or saw a post on Instagram at some point over the past few months: 2023 was the hottest summer ever recorded in human history. According to...
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Simply Stated: What’s the tea on caffeine?

Whether it is grabbing a Guayakí Yerba Mate from the Arbor before hitting the library or downing a cup of coffee in an attempt to stay awake for an 8 a.m. class, many UC Santa Barbara students rely o...
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