Science
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Celestial heights and oceanic depths
Two of UC Santa Cruz’s most prominent trailblazers in science, astronomer Sandra Faber and alumna and former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan, spoke of risks, discoveries, and sexism in candid “fireside chat” during a Science and Engineering Library floor-naming event.
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Low-temperature supercapacitors could power missions to moon and Mars
UCSC researchers developed 3D-printed porous carbon aerogels for electrodes in ultralow-temperature supercapacitors, which could reduce heating needs for future space and polar missions.
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A little squid and its glowing bacteria yield new clues to symbiotic relationships
A small molecule produced by bioluminescent bacteria as they colonize the light organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid may play a key role in establishing the symbiosis.
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Sea otters maintain remnants of healthy kelp forest amid sea urchin barrens
While kelp forests have declined dramatically along the California coast, sea otters in Monterey Bay are maintaining patches of healthy kelp forest, according to a new study.
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Return to Rat Island: Conservation strategy leads to ecosystem rebound
Hawadax Island’s birds and seashore ecosystem have returned to a natural balance after the removal of invasive rodents.
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The collapse of Northern California kelp forests will be hard to reverse
Most of Northern California’s kelp forest ecosystem is gone, replaced by widespread ‘urchin barrens’ that may persist long into the future, according to a new study.
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UCSC leads multicampus initiative on coastal resilience and climate adaptation
A UC-funded initiative will bring together researchers at the Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and San Diego campuses to address pressing issues for California’s coastal communities.
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Yuan Ping wins OpenEye award for outstanding junior faculty
The award from the American Chemical Society identifies junior stars in the area of computational chemistry.
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Scientists describe ‘hidden biodiversity crisis’ as variation within species is lost
Many of the benefits people receive from nature depend on diversity within species, but this intraspecific variation is poorly understood and declining rapidly.
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Sandra Faber and Kathryn Sullivan to discuss their trailblazing careers in fireside chat
Two of UC Santa Cruz’s most prominent trailblazers in science, astronomer Sandra Faber and alumna and former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan, will discuss their careers in a virtual “fireside chat” on Monday, March 8.
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COVID and the road ahead
UC Santa Cruz infectious disease expert A. Marm Kilpatrick looked toward the future during his immersive Kraw Lecture about COVID vaccines, variants and the road ahead.
