Science
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Can a species ‘de-evolve’? Wild tomatoes in the Galápagos may provide compelling evidence
Beth Shapiro, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at University of California, Santa Cruz, said she finds the term to be a great way to engage more people in the concept of evolution.
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Alien worlds may be able to make their own water
“They can basically be their own water engines,” says Quentin Williams, an experimental geochemist at the University of California Santa Cruz who was not involved with the new work.
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Whale and Dolphin Migrations are Being Disrupted by Climate Change
Ari Friedlaender, an ecologist and professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who monitors whale migrations, said it could be that changing ocean conditions may be pushing the whales’ prey closer to shore.
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A research-backed defense of DEI programs
A trio of biomedical scientists at the University of California and University of Massachusetts have written a research-backed defense of DEI programs that was published in Nature Cell Biology. They assert that such programs broaden participation in and democratize science—ultimately producing more effective and supportive training environments for all scientists.
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From Prince Harry to Steve Bannon, unlikely coalition calls for ban on superintelligent AI
The statement is a product of the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit group that works on large-scale risks such as nuclear weapons, biotechnology and AI. Its executive director, Anthony Aguirre, a physicist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said AI developments are happening faster than the public can understand what’s happening or what’s next.
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Cruise ships are flocking to Alaska to chase ice. But receding glaciers are leaving a new threat behind
Rocks expand and contract when they heat and cool, said Noah Finnegan, a geomorphologist and professor at the University of California Santa Cruz. Rocks that have been covered in a layer of ice for 1,000 years have been at a consistent temperature.
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Volcano Worlds Might Be the First Exomoons Found by Astronomers
Co-author on the new study, postdoctoral researcher Athira Unni of the University of California, Santa Cruz, released measurements of the movement of sodium around WASP-49b, citing the rapid velocity around the system as a clue toward the origin being a volcanic satellite rather than stellar eruptions or other astrophysical sources.
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An Earthling’s guide to planet hunting
Earth’s turbulent atmosphere makes it hard to detect new planets from the ground. UC Santa Cruz astronomer Rebecca Jensen-Clem is working out how to find them anyway.
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DNA from rum-soaked fishes chronicles century of environmental change
By comparing DNA in historic specimens with that in modern fish populations, researchers discovered that fishes grew scarcer and their genetic diversity declined. That’s worrisome, says Malin Pinsky of the University of California, Santa Cruz, because “genetic diversity provides the raw material for adaptation to novel conditions. Less genetic diversity means less ability to adapt…
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Gary Griggs, Our Ocean Backyard | Trump’s climate change denial continues
Distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Gary Griggs wrote an opinion article about the impacts of Trump Administration policies related to climate change and renewable energy.
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As Federal Government Retreats, A Private Fund to Save Sea Otters Steps in
“Adding sea otters completely changes the configuration of the food web and that has profound consequences for the structure of the nearshore ecosystem,” says Tim Tinker, an independent sea otter scientist who does research for the University of California at Santa Cruz. The Sea Otter Fund is financing Tinker’s work, recruiting him to model restoration…
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California may be at high risk of ‘supershear’ earthquakes. Scientists fear we’re not ready
Past large supershear earthquakes have occurred on shearing faults that are long, straight and shallow, said Thorne Lay, a distinguished professor of earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz. The San Andreas fits this description.