Science
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Greenbeards have blue throats in a breakthrough study of the evolution of altruistic behavior
A new study of side-blotched lizards in California has revealed the genetic underpinnings of altruistic behavior in this common lizard species, providing new insights into the long-standing puzzle of how cooperation and altruism can evolve. The study, led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, offers the first evidence in vertebrates of an…
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Two UCSC faculty members elected to National Academy of Sciences
Two faculty members at the University of California, Santa Cruz, were elected to the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. David Haussler, professor of biomolecular engineering, and Stan Woosley, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, are among 72 new members of the academy elected this…
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Three UCSC professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Three faculty members at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are among the newly elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. They are Harry Berger, Jr., professor emeritus of English literature and history of art and visual culture; David Haussler, professor of biomolecular engineering; and Harold Widom, professor emeritus of mathematics. The…
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Global warming expert to speak at UCSC on Wednesday, May 10
Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, will give a lecture on global climate change on Wednesday, May 10, at UC Santa Cruz. His talk–“Global Climate Change: Past and Future”–will take place at 7 p.m. at the Seymour Center at UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory. The event is free and…
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Stem cell expert Irving Weissman to speak at UCSC on Thursday, May 11
Irving Weissman, director of the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University, will give the 2006 Sinsheimer Lecture in Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, on Thursday, May 11. “Stem Cells: Units in Regeneration, Cancer, and Natural Selection” is the title of Weissman’s talk, which will take place at…
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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…