Science & Technology

UC Davis hosts International Olive Oil Conference to discuss efficacy of olive oil in reducing risk of major diseases For the first time since 2001, the International Olive Oil Institute met to present research on the health benefits of olive oil at the UC Davis Olive Center. Located at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine […]

UC Davis students learn how fictional universe mirrors our own For over 50 years, the science fiction franchise “Star Trek” has captivated millions of fans worldwide. And at UC Davis, you don’t have to travel across the universe to take a ride aboard the USS Enterprise. There’s a class for that. Anthropology professor James Smith, […]

Bear bones are cleaned in UC Davis’ Zooarchaeology Lab. Aside from cleaning your clothes, it turns out laundry detergent is useful in cleaning bear bones. This idea seems strange, but it is just another ordinary day in the zooarchaeology lab. The lab’s current project is cleaning a bear skeleton that was donated by Girl Scouts […]

The deals we make with software Recently, Apple came under fire for information that leaked about its handling of older phones. Apple blamed battery deterioration for its intentional slowing down of older models of hardware, citing old phones’ inability to keep up with increasingly demanding software updates. This modification of phones came about secretly and […]

More diverse transplants can help marine restoration projects succeed An experiment performed by UC Davis and Hasanuddin University scientists in the Indonesian Coral Triangle demonstrated one method of improving restoration outcomes. The results, published in the journal PNAS in November 2017, indicate that multiple seagrass species grown together are more successful and survive longer. The […]

Creating their own air conditioning may help local species resist climate change Even on hot summer days, forest temperatures are much cooler. According to Laura Jurgens, plants and animals can change the temperature of their environments. Jurgen’s focus is dissertation research of the temperatures of mussel and seaweed beds over the course of a year. […]

UC Davis mathematicians find different explanation for cosmic acceleration The universe is quickly expanding through a phenomenon called cosmic acceleration. The theory of general relativity, written by Albert Einstein, contains a cosmological constant. This constant balances gravitational force, the force of attraction between all masses in the universe, and was put in by Einstein to […]

Satellite technology allows anyone with a computer to aid archeologists in unearthing new discoveries about ancient civilizations Satellite technology has given rise to what is known as space archeology — using high-resolution imagery to detect unknown objects hidden beneath the Earth’s surface. Sarah Parcak is a pioneer of this field, and she wants us all […]

Microbiologists analyzed swabs taken by astronauts, found similar microbes to houses on Earth Microbiologists from Project MERCCURI, a collaboration between SciStarter, Science Cheerleader and UC Davis, among other groups, sent swabs up to the International Space Station for astronauts to collect samples. The goal to increase public awareness of microbiology and research on the ISS […]

UC Davis Poultry Farm supplements chickens’ diets with black soldier fly larvae to boost nutrition, make farm more sustainable Since the world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, food production will be a major challenge in the upcoming decades. Ongoing research at UC Davis is examining whether larvae can replace corn and […]

UC Davis primatologists study primates and predator interactions in a new way It is often very difficult for researchers to study animals without influencing their behavior. Lynne Isbell, a professor in the UC Davis anthropology department and Laura Bidner, a postdoctorate working with Isbell, came up with a simple solution to study predator and prey interaction: remove […]

Universal vaccine under development Every winter, healthcare providers and vulnerable populations are encouraged to receive a yearly vaccine for the flu, a disease caused by an influenza virus. The flu is highly contagious, spread through the air in droplets from sneezes and coughs or by direct contact with infected people. Previous pandemics have killed millions […]