Christopher Nolan gave new life to the Caped Crusader franchise with his 2005 adaptation Batman Begins. His second film about the comic book icon smashes all expectations of the much-hyped The Dark Knight. Serving endless climatic scenes and twisting the imagination with his unsettling use of darkness in the film, Nolan reminds the audience about the stuff heroes are made of.

This column will continue my goal of talking about current events, although this week I’ll be delving into the wide world of sports.

As increasing numbers of people turn to alternative fuel vehicles, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is funding a $900,000 research project at UC Davis to study the effects of alternative fuel emissions on the changing climate. Michael Kleeman, the project’s lead researcher and professor of civil and environmental engineering, will measure how particles emitted from vehicles powered by gas, ethanol, diesel and bio-diesel change in response to changes in the climate.

WEDNESDAY Davis Farmers Market 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Central Park Buy local produce and more at the farmers market. For more information, visit davisfarmersmarket.org.

Thursday’s article, “Housing crisis may extend to Davis,” stated that Sarah Mohler is the economic development director for the city of Davis. The article should have referred to Sarah Worley, the city’s economic development coordinator. The Aggie regrets the error.

There may be a new restaurant in the works downtown, but not without the approval of the Davis City Council. With Togo’s leaving its current location in the Anderson Bank Building on Second Street, co-owner and building manager Jim Kidd is hoping a new restaurant will find a home in his building.

The eighth studio release from the 38-year-old legend is as much a Beck album as any of its predecessors, meaning that you can’t really expect anything in particular. In this case, producer DJ Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton’s funky, electronic beats contrast with Beck’s grave lyrics and themes, creating a dichotomy that is simultaneously danceable and somberly beautiful.

Woodland Community College has come into its own. The college, 10 miles north of UC Davis, received full accreditation on July 1, making it the 110th community college in California and the second college in the Yuba Community College District.

The University of California is in the process of planning for the implementation of a degree-granting School of Global Health, which is expected to receive funding and begin recruiting faculty in May of 2009.

Despite preventative efforts by the University of California and the Public Employment Relations Board, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 service workers began a statewide strike Monday.

Members of the Sacramento community will have the chance to receive free health screenings this Saturday from the UC Davis School of Medicine’s student-run clinics at the 10th annual Ulezi Family Health Fair, part of the Oak Park Summer concert series.

It’s understandable, but it’s stifling – Davis tends to house students throughout their college careers, but never for much longer. It’s terrible for bands, in particular, which dissolve not long after their inceptions.