Science & Technology

When asked to name some of the people who changed the world, there are a few obvious names that come to mind: Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Shakespeare, Darwin, Newton, Mozart, Einstein, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs … the list goes on ad infinitum. Why do we remember these people though? Although there are […]

As nations grow and the supply of fossil fuels diminishes, demands for alternative fuel sources rise. The miniscule blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, provide a means of producing alternative fuels and other commercial products. In UC Davis, Shota Atsumi, assistant professor of chemistry, and his research group have developed a method to enable cyanobacteria to produce […]

When American scientist Carl Woese passed away Dec. 30, 2012 at the age of 84, he left behind an outsized legacy built on the study of the world’s smallest living things. In the past several years, this field has provided dramatic new insights into the pervasive influence of microorganisms on human health, global climate and […]

Since March 2010, necropsies have revealed raccoons with a significant similarity. These specimens, studied by the scientists at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and UC Davis-led California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS), all had tumors. Raccoons, with their short lives, are not known for getting tumors so it was rare to […]

I want to talk about something today, and I hope that it does not result in my office getting burned down. But I work in a basement, so I guess its not that much of an issue. Genetically modified crops — devil incarnate or world savior? Solution to the hunger problem, or a capitalist venture? […]

As a species, humans have historically held a unique relationship with fermented grapes. The ancient Greeks devoted an entire god’s worth of worship to them, Dionysus. For the past few millennia, the French have held the tradition of producing wine very dearly. Even wealthy Northern Californians have a longstanding history of growing, strategically smashing and, […]

With the New Year comes resolutions to eat better, make a career change or to just be a better friend. With a high volume of birthdays approaching in the coming months, the thought of getting something for your roommate or distant friend may cross your mind, especially since you are subliminally expecting something from them. […]

If someone asked you right now where the closest fire extinguisher was, would you be able to answer correctly? Or answer at all? Safety is a major issue and is emphasized with safety training. Safety preparations are all around us, from fire alarms to flight attendants’ preflight speeches, from flashing exit signs, to street lights. […]

Lets face it — gun control is useless. Woah woah, hold your horses, you say. We need gun control laws to prevent all of the recent gun-related tragedies of late from happening again. Well, I agree with half of that statement, but the individuals who are proposing more stringent gun laws are forgetting the most […]

The tragedy of Newtown, Connecticut has been pervasive in recent media, and Adam Lanza is becoming a household name. In all the coverage, there seems to be one question on everyone’s lips: Why? News reporters seem to have scrambled for answers, featuring experts and using eyewitness testimonies of “warning signs.” Even more people are asking […]

For over four centuries, the rains came regularly and plentifully, nourishing the growth of one of history’s great civilizations. Rising from the jungle floor of parts of present-day Mexico and Central America, ancient Mayan cities bustled with activity, sustained by abundant cropland and governed by a complex social and political order. And then, the skies […]

Unraveling the complex pathway that carbon takes on its endless migration from atmosphere to soil and back to atmosphere has been one of the outstanding challenges of earth science, made all the more complicated by human activities such as agriculture. A recent study by researchers from Belgium and the U.S. has provided new measurements of […]