Science
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Original seismographic record of 1906 San Francisco earthquake found and put on display at UC’s Lick Observatory
On April 18, 1906, the seismographic station at the University of California’s Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton obtained the only good record of local strong ground motion from the great earthquake that devastated San Francisco that day. Astronomers at Lick Observatory recently discovered what appears to be the original tracing of the 1906 earthquake from…
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Insects that produce males from unfertilized eggs reveal a surprising cellular feat
Scientists have long known that the social insects in the order Hymenoptera–which includes ants, bees, and wasps–have an unusual mechanism for sex determination: Unfertilized eggs develop into males, while fertilized eggs become females. But the development of an unfertilized egg into an adult (called parthenogenesis) remains a mysterious process. One mystery has been the origin…
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Seymour Center unveils new exhibit on fisheries research
What is an otolith? How long do rockfish live? What affects salmon populations? The number of people who can answer these questions is about to increase dramatically, thanks to a new exhibit on fisheries research at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz. The exhibit will be officially “unveiled” on Friday, April 21, with…
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UCSC physicist Michael Dine awarded Guggenheim Fellowship
Michael Dine, professor of physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been awarded a 2006 Guggenheim Fellowship. Dine plans to use the $32,000 fellowship to support his work during the 2006-07 academic year, when he will be on sabbatical leave. Guggenheim Fellows are appointed on the basis of distinguished achievement in the past…
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UCSC receives funding for training grants from stem cell institute
The University of California, Santa Cruz, has received $375,000 from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to fund the first year of a new training program in stem cell research. CIRM announced today that it has distributed $12.1 million in grants to 16 California institutions as part of the CIRM Training Program. At UCSC,…
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Peregrine falcons educate and entertain their fans in San Francisco, on the web, and at UCSC’s Long Marine Lab
A pair of endangered peregrine falcons, named George and Gracie by their legions of fans, have returned to nest in downtown San Francisco. Last year, they used a nest box on the PG&E building, where a webcam installed by PG&E and scientists from the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group (SCPBRG) enabled scientists and…
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Albatross study shows regional differences in ocean contamination
As long-lived predators at the top of the marine food chain, albatrosses accumulate toxic contaminants such as PCBs, DDT, and mercury in their bodies. A new study has found dramatic differences in contaminant levels between two closely related albatross species that forage in different areas of the North Pacific. Researchers also found that levels of…
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UCSC researchers receive $1.6 million grant for biosensor project
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have received major funding from the National Institutes of Health to develop new sensor technology for biomedical applications. The project builds on earlier advances by UCSC researchers in optical and electrical sensing technologies and involves a broad interdisciplinary group of collaborators at UCSC and Brigham Young University.…
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UCSC to host a public lecture and discussion on the ethics of stem cell research on Monday, April 17
The ethical issues involved in stem cell research will be addressed in a free public lecture and discussion on Monday, April 17, at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Laurie Zoloth, professor of medical ethics and humanities and of religion at Northwestern University, will give a talk entitled “May We Make the World? Bioethics, Stem…
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UCSC chemist explores the membranous origins of the first living cell
Blowing bubbles is child’s play, showing how easily soap molecules can assemble into a sheet and curl around to form a bubble. To David Deamer, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and acting chair of biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the formation of a soap bubble is no mere curiosity–it illustrates an…
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April lecture series marks centennial of 1906 San Francisco earthquake
With 1,100 miles of geologically active coastline and most of its 36 million people living near the coast, California is at risk from both earthquakes and tsunamis. In a series of lectures in Santa Cruz on April 19 and 20, titled “Quaking ‘n’ Breaking: Earthquakes to Tsunamis: Then and There, Here and Now,” experts will…