Science & Tech

Simply Stated: What is an El Niño year?

January 18, 2024 by

If you are like me, you may have heard the explanation, “because it’s an El Niño year” as a response to any questions about why it has been raining so much or why it has been so warm all of a s...
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Data sheds light on what COVID-19 is like for inmates at CDCR institutions

January 18, 2024 by , and

Due to the recent continuous drop in COVID-19 cases in CDCR institutions and the high vaccination rates among the population throughout the state’s prisons, their reopening guidelines have loosened.
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UCSB’s iCTF security competition celebrates 20 years

December 31, 2023 by

UC Santa Barbara’s International Capture the Flag (iCTF) hacking competition celebrated its 20th anniversary from Dec. 2-8. UCSB’s Department of Computer Science has hosted the event since 2003 an...
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Closing the Loop: UCSB’s A.S. Department of Public Worms’ sustainable solution to food waste

December 28, 2023 by

For most people, the moment their scraps fall and join the leftovers at the bottom of the dining commons’ green compost bins marks what they believe to be the end of the line for that food. In reali...
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Simply Stated: Why do holiday lights make us happy?

December 23, 2023 by

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

December 18, 2023 by and

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?

December 4, 2023 by

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?

November 30, 2023 by and

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?

November 22, 2023 by

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

November 20, 2023 by

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

November 16, 2023 by

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?

November 16, 2023 by and

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

November 9, 2023 by

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

November 9, 2023 by

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

November 2, 2023 by and

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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