All news
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Stephen Thorsett named dean of physical and biological sciences at UCSC
The University of California, Santa Cruz, has appointed Stephen Thorsett to serve as dean of the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences. The UC Board of Regents approved the appointment today, effective July 1. Stephen Thorsett Photo by Andrea Michels…
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Seismologists detect a sunken slab of ocean floor deep in the Earth
Halfway to the center of the Earth, at the boundary between the core and the mantle, lies a massive folded slab of rock that once formed the ocean floor and sank beneath North America some 50 million years ago. A…
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Chancellor Denton wins the 2006 Maria Mitchell Women in Science Award
Denice D. Denton, chancellor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has won the 2006 Maria Mitchell Women in Science Award, a prestigious national recognition of exceptional work that advances opportunities for women and girls in the sciences. A jury…
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Hubble surveys find gamma-ray bursts and supernovae in different environments
Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are associated with the deaths of only the most massive stars and occur relatively rarely in spiral galaxies such as our own Milky Way, according to research published online in Nature this week. That’s good news,…
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New capture scenario explains origin of Neptune’s oddball moon Triton
Neptune’s large moon Triton may have abandoned an earlier partner to arrive in its unusual orbit around Neptune. Triton is unique among all the large moons in the solar system because it orbits Neptune in a direction opposite to the…
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Renowned author and ethicist Peter Singer to speak at UCSC on May 11
The Philosophy Department and Stevenson College at UC Santa Cruz will present a lecture by renowned Australian philosopher and ethicist Peter Singer on Thursday, May 11, at 4 p.m. in UCSC’s Quarry Amphitheater. Singer will speak about his new book:…
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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…
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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,…
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UC Santa Cruz to present Digital Arts and New Media Festival, May 4-7
UCSC’s Digital Arts and New Media program (DANM) will present “DANM Festival 2006,” a four-day series of events that includes exhibitions, performances, symposia, and film screenings from May 4-7. It will include work by national and international artists, expert speakers,…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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UCSC to hold 16th annual Alumni Vintners Wine Tasting on Saturday, April 22
The UCSC Alumni Association’s popular annual Alumni Vintners Wine Tasting will be held this Saturday, April 22, and the public is invited. The evening event, showcasing select wines, gourmet food, and music by UCSC chefs, vintners, and musicians, will be…
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UCSC students, community members plan ‘clean up day’ on Earth Day
UCSC students are teaming up with community leaders to celebrate Earth Day with a cleanup day in the Lower Ocean Neighborhood. Sponsored by UCSC’s Good Neighbor Initiative and the Neighbors of Lower Ocean, the April 22 cleanup will include trash…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…