Science & Technology

President Barack Obama held the first annual White House Science Fair on Oct. 19 in recognition of several teams of high school and college students. UC Davis graduate student Wilson To was one of the finalists recognized as a member of the Mobilife Team, which worked on smartphone software. To’s software design project could help diagnose vascular diseases in third-world countries.

On Nov. 2, Californians will vote on Proposition 19. The proposition will legalize the recreational use of marijuana and give state government the power to regulate and collect taxes on marijuana-related activities. Rumors about the physical effects of marijuana persist. But how many of those rumors have actually been supported by scientific research? The reported […]

We nod our heads and promise to be healthy and safe but on the inside, we laugh at the silliness of the advice the doctor is reciting to us off his little clipboard. Exiting the cold, sterile world of the doctor’s office and re-entering the world of stressful academics, fast food, fist bumps and keg stands is a sure way to wipe any memory of the advice that boring doctor gave you.

A few years ago, science writer Jonah Lehrer stood in a grocery store cereal aisle, paralyzed. There were too many options: honey-nut Cheerios, regular Cheerios, multigrain Cheerios. The decision-making process was overwhelming – so Lehrer wrote a book about it.

New research from UC Davis shows that particle size is much more important to chemical reactivity than previously thought. Understanding the differences between how large and small particles behave will have a wide array of applications, from cleaning up environmental pollutants and crumbling infrastructure to the biology of bacteria and the origins of life.

They might be only 140 characters long, but the mood swings captured in those tiny “tweets” can predict the movement of the stock market, says a new study. Measuring Twitter’s “calmness score” can predict how the Dow Jones Industrial Average will change three days later – with 86.7 percent accuracy.

Why is it that people face such problems with weight loss diets? While the motivation to lose the extra weight is often there for these weight loss dieters, correct strategies and goals are often not.

A new study by Stephen Kowalczykowski, a professor of microbiology at UC Davis, shows how DNA is separated like a magician’s trick with interlocking rings. On a daily basis radiation, chemicals and normal cellular processes constantly damage DNA. When chromosomes repair themselves they become interlocked.

A study released Sept. 29 found positive results for “wonder drug” tanezumab[ta-NEZ-oo-mab], Pfizer’s new medication for osteoarthritic pain.

101021_sc_Yellowstone_tempHeadline: Radio-equipped sensors advance volcano researchLayercake: New data-loggers at Yellowstone provide 24-hour temperature infoBy CAMMIE ROLLEAggie Science Writer To confirm a theory, you must have data. But, often, vital information lies high in the mountain ranges, in the Kenyan desert or in some cases, Yellowstone National Park. Over the last eight years, Yellowstone’s temperature sensors […]

Given the average man’s stoicism concerning his own health, it’s no surprise that men suffer from higher disease rates and a shorter life span than women. Luckily, a new program in the UC Davis Health System aims to raise men’s awareness of health problems early on and hopefully close the longevity gap between men and women.

When most people think of pigs, they may think of the movie Babe, just a cute little animal or a barbecue, but when scientists and undergraduate students at UC Davis get involved, they think of nematodes.