Author: Tim Stephens
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Seismologists publish detailed analysis of the great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake
The great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of December 26, 2004, was an event of stunning proportions, both in its human dimensions–nearly 300,000 lives lost–and as a geological phenomenon. The sudden rupture of a huge fault beneath the Indian Ocean unleashed a devastating tsunami. It was the largest earthquake in the past 40 years and was followed by…
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UC Santa Cruz dedicates new Laboratory for Adaptive Optics facilities
Scientists in the Laboratory for Adaptive Optics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are developing extraordinarily precise optical systems that will enable astronomers to capture images of planets far beyond our solar system and build the next generation of giant telescopes. On Tuesday, May 17, campus officials and distinguished visitors are dedicating new facilities…
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Astronomical Society of the Pacific awards highest honor to UC Santa Cruz astronomer Robert Kraft
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has awarded the 2005 Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal to Robert P. Kraft, professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and former director of the UC Observatories/Lick Observatory (UCO/Lick). Kraft is the sixth astronomer associated with the Lick Observatory to receive this award,…
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MEDIA ADVISORY: Dedication of the Laboratory for Adaptive Optics at UCSC on May 17
A dedication and celebration of the Laboratory for Adaptive Optics, a new facility for developing innovative instrumentation for adaptive optics applications in astronomy, will take place on Tuesday, May 17, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Where: Thimann Courtyard, UC Santa Cruz Who: Speakers at the dedication will include the following: Denice D. Denton, UCSC Chancellor…
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Music and stargazing entice summer visitors to Mt. Hamilton’s Lick Observatory
The University of California’s Lick Observatory offers its 25th season of evening programs for music lovers and astronomy buffs this summer, featuring concerts, lectures, and opportunities to view the night sky through the observatory’s history-making telescopes atop Mt. Hamilton. Music of the Spheres is a benefit summer concert series whose proceeds support the UC Observatories/Lick…
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Lacking a decent meal, killer whales reach for the popcorn
A study comparing the nutritional demands of killer whales with the caloric content of their prey has startling implications for the potential impact of these large predators on populations of other marine mammals. The study also raises issues relevant to the establishment of marine reserves and efforts to reintroduce large predators into terrestrial ecosystems, said…
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Are Santa Cruz beaches destined to shrink?
Wide sand beaches are a prized feature of Santa Cruz and other communities along the northern coast of Monterey Bay. But are they just a temporary aberration, destined to shrink in the years to come? That is the hypothesis championed by Gerald Weber, lecturer emeritus in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of…
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Computer scientist Darrell Long appointed to the Kumar Malavalli Endowed Chair in Storage Systems
The University of California, Santa Cruz, has appointed Darrell Long, professor of computer science, to the Kumar Malavalli Endowed Chair in Storage Systems. Long is the first faculty member to hold the endowed chair, established in 2004 with a $1 million gift from Kumar Malavalli, cofounder of Brocade Communications and cofounder and CEO of InMage…
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Biologist Melissa Jurica earns prestigious grant from Searle Scholars Program
The Searle Scholars Program has awarded Melissa Jurica, assistant professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a three-year, $240,000 grant to support her research. Jurica, who studies the complex system by which human cells process genetic information, is one of just 15 young scientists awarded the prestigious grants…
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UCSC Arboretum has something for every garden at the annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, April 16
The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum will hold its annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, April 16, from noon to 4 p.m. Spring is always a great time to visit the Arboretum, now celebrating its 40th anniversary, and pick out some favorite plants while the gardens are in full bloom. The plant sale will take place…
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UCSC to lead ambitious multidisciplinary research project on wireless communication networks
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are leading a major collaborative effort to develop the technology for complex wireless communication networks that can be set up in rapidly changing environments such as battlefields and emergency situations. Faculty in UCSC’s Baskin School of Engineering will head a multidisciplinary team of scientists at seven major…
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Study shows introduced foxes transformed vegetation on Aleutian Islands from lush grassland to tundra
Huge colonies of seabirds accustomed to nesting on islands free of predators began disappearing when fur traders started introducing foxes onto islands in the Aleutian archipelago in the 18th century. The ground-nesting birds made easy meals for the foxes. A study published this week in the journal Science now shows that the effects of the…