Science
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A simple survey yields a cosmic conundrum
A survey of galaxies observed along the sightlines to quasars and gamma-ray bursts–both extremely luminous, distant objects–has revealed a puzzling inconsistency. Galaxies appear to be four times more common in the direction of gamma-ray bursts than in the direction of quasars. Quasars are thought to be powered by accretion of material onto supermassive black holes…
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Atomic-resolution structure of a ribozyme yields insights into RNA catalysis and the origins of life
Which came first, nucleic acids or proteins? This question is molecular biology’s version of the “chicken-or-the-egg” riddle. Genes made of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) contain the instructions for making proteins, but enzymes made of proteins are needed to replicate genes. For those who try to understand how life originated, this once seemed an intractable…
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UCSC physicists explore a boundary of their discipline in new book, Quantum Enigma
Quantum mechanics, one of the most successful theories in all of science, says some strange things about the fundamental nature of the world. For all practical purposes, physicists can and do ignore the bizarre implications of the theory and use the equations of quantum mechanics to understand atoms and stars and to create the marvels…
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UCSC scientists to discuss life on Earth in conjunction with world premiere of Frans Lanting’s Life: A Journey through Time
A scientific forum exploring advances in the understanding of life on Earth will take place on Monday, July 31, at 7 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. The forum is being held in conjunction with Life: A Journey through Time, a multimedia presentation by photographer Frans Lanting, which has its world premiere this month…
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UCSC researchers use new technology to study Cape fur seals in South Africa
Sophisticated electronic tagging technology developed as part of the Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) program is now being deployed to study Cape fur seals in South Africa. Daniel Costa, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is currently in South Africa working with an international team of investigators to…
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Increased flow of groundwater after earthquakes suggests oil extraction applications
The most obvious manifestation of an earthquake is the shaking from seismic waves that knocks down buildings and rattles people. Now researchers have established a more subtle effect of this shaking–it increases the permeability of rock to groundwater and other fluids. The enhanced permeability caused by seismic shaking could potentially be harnessed to help extract…
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Astronomer Sandra Faber awarded Harvard Centennial Medal
Sandra Faber, University Professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been awarded the Centennial Medal of the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). The Centennial Medal, first awarded in 1989 on the 100th anniversary of the GSAS, honors alumni for contributions to society that have emerged…
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Study shows earthquake shaking triggers aftershocks
A new analysis of earthquake data indicates that aftershocks are triggered by the shaking associated with the mainshock, rather than by the added stress on nearby faults resulting from rearrangement of the Earth’s crust. The triggering of aftershocks by shaking may seem obvious, but is in fact a surprising result, said Emily Brodsky, assistant professor…
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Long Marine Lab’s annual Whale of an Auction set for Friday, June 23
The Friends of Long Marine Lab will hold the 21st annual “Whale of an Auction,” the group’s popular annual fundraiser, on Friday, June 23. The event will take place at Porter College on the UC Santa Cruz campus, starting at 6 p.m. A social and gastronomic occasion as well as an auction, the evening includes…
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Saturn’s moon Enceladus may have rolled over to put a hot spot at the pole
Enceladus, a small icy moon of Saturn, may have dramatically reoriented relative to its axis of rotation, rolling over to put an area of low density at the moon’s south pole. According to a new study, this reorientation process could explain the polar location of a region where NASA’s Cassini spacecraft recently observed icy jets…