Science & Technology

Rebecca Skloot, journalist and author, will be speaking and signing copies of her new book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” on Friday at 4 p.m. Held in the Activities and Recreation Center Ballroom, her bestselling book discusses the life of Henrietta Lacks, a Southern tobacco farmer who died more than 50 years ago, and how cells taken from her body proved to be the first human cells grown in a culture to be “immortal.”

Researchers at UC Davis are developing new ways to aid those that are disabled. New studies are bringing forth revelations that could potentially make transportation and social independence much easier for both disabled children and adults. These studies could prove vital in convenience, reliability and affordability for the disabled. If successfully implemented, researchers Sanjay Joshi and Anthony Wexler feel that it could drastically help the severely disabled – generally quadriplegics – operate wheelchairs, be more independent and allow for them to be more comfortable with their required machinery.

UC Davis researchers have affirmed an essential hypothesis in a 26-year-old DNA repair model – new evidence paving the way for further study into the molecular mechanisms that can affect cancer predisposition and developmental defects. Before this work, the 1983 double-strand-break repair model’s key hypothesis had not been physically demonstrated in cells, said Wolf-Dietrich Heyer, professor of microbiology. “This research is a really big step,” Heyer said.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano ash causes more airline uncertainty A new cloud of ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland is continuing to add air traffic issues to parts of Europe, particularly to the United Kingdom.

A recent discovery at the United States Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York has physicists excited.

New research at UC Davis is revealing new ways to extend both plant and fruit life.

Hormones related to diabetes may also be related to fertility: The hormones leptin and insulin appear to work together to not only regulate blood sugar levels but also, surprisingly to researchers, regulate female fertility, a new study in the journal Cell Metabolism suggests.

Early ecologists thought plants were wimps. Sure, some plants have toxins or thorns, but most just sit there like wild salad bars. Plant passivity is the dark side of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In a conflict between plant and herbivore, the caterpillar gets fat and the plant gets dead. Researchers at UC Davis, however, are studying plant responses to enemies like viruses and insects. It turns out plants are far from defenseless. They can fight off disease and even call in reinforcements. In the struggle for survival, every leaf is a battlefield.

A group of American and Russian scientists has discovered a new element that is a missing link to developing some of the heaviest bits of atomic mass ever produced. The element, still nameless, was produced by smashing together an isotope of calcium with the radioactive element berkelium in a particle accelerator near Moscow. Published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the data supports the theory that as elements become heavier, they also become more stable and live longer than other atomic structures produced before. In order for the element to gain an official name, the discovery has to be confirmed at another location. Once confirmed, the element will take its place on the periodic table.

The recent release of recommendations for computer configurations from UC Davis’s Information and Education Technology department outlines what specifications students should have to achieve maximum functionality. The list, the Recommended Computer Configurations for 2010-2011, has key changes from previous versions. It orients students to have more RAM (random-access memory), bigger hard-drives and a new operating system (for both Macs and PCs). Outdated computers run the risk of not meeting campus cyber security policy, and not achieving desirable functionality both on and off campus.

Life’s rough if you’re a male sage grouse. First, you have to live in Montana, where there’s no In-N-Out Burger. Second, you will probably never get laid. Spring is mating season for the sage grouse of the Great Plains. It’s a time for migration, vocalization and twitter-pation[cq], but not a lot of action.

Slug: 100331_sc_PlantsNotes: There are [CQ]s in this article! Watch out!Headline: New haploid breeding methods for plants discoveredLayercake: UC Davis researchers stumble upon procedure accidentallyBy MEGAN MURPHYAggie News Writer A discovery made by sheer chance may bring major changes to the future of plant reproduction. Two UC Davis researchers accidentally uncovered a method for breeding plants […]