Science

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have produced a detailed picture of how California’s climate is likely to change within the next 50 to 100 years as a result of global warming. Their study, complete with temperature and precipitation data for different parts of the state, goes far beyond the usual speculation about…

All mammals produce a version of the prion protein, but scientists don’t know what it normally does. In an altered form, the prion protein becomes an infectious agent that causes “mad cow disease” and its counterparts in other animals, including humans. Researchers now suspect the normal prion protein plays a role in the transport or…

The Friends of Long Marine Lab will hold a “Whale of an Auction,” the group’s popular annual fundraiser, on Friday, June 14. The event will take place in the Porter College Dining Hall on the UC Santa Cruz campus, starting at 6 p.m. A social and gastronomic occasion as well as an auction, the evening…

For over 25 years, John Pearse taught students at the University of California, Santa Cruz, about marine life along the shore of the Central Coast through hands-on activities. Now the UCSC professor emeritus of biology is bringing his expertise and love of science to high school students through the Seymour Intertidal Monitoring Program (SIMP), an…

The California Energy Commission has awarded a $1 million grant to the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group (SCPBRG) to help solve the problem of bird deaths caused by power lines and other structures used for electricity transmission. Thousands of hawks, eagles, owls, and other birds die each year from electrocution and collisions with power…

People usually think of genetic mutations as negative, causing birth defects or leading to diseases like cancer. But mutations can also be beneficial. In fact, they are at the core of evolution, helping organisms to adapt to changes in their surroundings by creating proteins that work slightly differently. This process of molecular evolution will be…

About 40 percent of the U.S. population is infected with a bacterium that can cause stomach inflammation and ulcers and increases the risk of stomach cancer. Although the bacterium, called Helicobacter pylori, was discovered in the 1980s, scientists are just now beginning to understand how it causes infections in the stomach lining. Karen Ottemann, assistant…

Graham Pearson, retired director general of the United Kingdom Chemical and Biological Defense Establishment, will visit the University of California, Santa Cruz, this month and next as a Regents’ Lecturer. During his visit, from April 29 to May 10, Pearson will give a public lecture on biosecurity, meet with UCSC faculty and students, and take…

What: “Illustrating Nature,” an exhibit of science and nature illustrations When: May 4 through June 9, 2002 Where: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, 1305 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Details: “Illustrating Nature” is an annual exhibit of detailed science and nature illustrations by students in…

For centuries scientists have used physical characteristics like size and color to separate one species from another. But new genetic studies show that these traits can be misleading, at least in certain kinds of fish. Giacomo Bernardi, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his colleagues…

Cuddly animals such as pandas and sea otters usually steal the limelight in conservation programs. But a new PBS documentary series spotlights fish as animals in desperate need of protection. Two UC Santa Cruz researchers are featured in the two-part series, which explores problems associated with fishing and fish farming. Part one of the series,…

The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society on Saturday, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will take place at the Arboretum Eucalyptus Grove on High Street near the intersection with Western Drive. The sale will feature plants that…