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  • Sign language study reveals key finding about short-term memory

    For decades, researchers have misunderstood a key aspect of short-term memory because of shortcomings in the way they compare the memory capacity of deaf people who use American Sign Language (ASL) and hearing people, according to a new study by a psychology professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previous studies suggested that ASL…

  • UCSC collaborating in interdisciplinary center to study marine microbes

    The University of California, Santa Cruz, is one of six partner institutions in a new interdisciplinary science and technology center that will focus on the microbial inhabitants of the sea. Funded by a five-year, $19 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Center for Microbial Oceanography Research and Education (C-MORE) is based at…

  • A simple survey yields a cosmic conundrum

    A survey of galaxies observed along the sightlines to quasars and gamma-ray bursts–both extremely luminous, distant objects–has revealed a puzzling inconsistency. Galaxies appear to be four times more common in the direction of gamma-ray bursts than in the direction of quasars. Quasars are thought to be powered by accretion of material onto supermassive black holes…

  • Atomic-resolution structure of a ribozyme yields insights into RNA catalysis and the origins of life

    Which came first, nucleic acids or proteins? This question is molecular biology’s version of the “chicken-or-the-egg” riddle. Genes made of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) contain the instructions for making proteins, but enzymes made of proteins are needed to replicate genes. For those who try to understand how life originated, this once seemed an intractable…

  • Alison Galloway named vice provost of academic affairs at UC Santa Cruz

    Alison Galloway, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been named vice provost of academic affairs at the Santa Cruz campus. Her appointment, approved by the UC Board of Regents in closed session on Wednesday, July 19, is effective immediately. Alison Galloway In the post, which Galloway has held on…

  • UCSC physicists explore a boundary of their discipline in new book, Quantum Enigma

    Quantum mechanics, one of the most successful theories in all of science, says some strange things about the fundamental nature of the world. For all practical purposes, physicists can and do ignore the bizarre implications of the theory and use the equations of quantum mechanics to understand atoms and stars and to create the marvels…

  • Lessons of Japan’s economic downturn offered in new book

    The stagnation that plagued the Japanese economy throughout the 1990s lasted twice as long as it should have, according to the coeditor of a new book that says Japan was hobbled by weak monetary policy and its own dysfunctional financial institutions. Michael Hutchison, a leading authority on international finance and the Japanese economy, coedited Japan’s…

  • UC President Appoints George Blumenthal Acting Chancellor of UC Santa Cruz

    OAKLAND, CA.–University of California President Robert C. Dynes announced today (July 14) the appointment of George Blumenthal as acting chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, effective immediately. Blumenthal, a UCSC professor of astronomy and astrophysics and a former chair of the UC systemwide Academic Senate, will assume on an interim basis the responsibilities of Chancellor Denice…

  • UCSC scientists to discuss life on Earth in conjunction with world premiere of Frans Lanting’s Life: A Journey through Time

    A scientific forum exploring advances in the understanding of life on Earth will take place on Monday, July 31, at 7 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. The forum is being held in conjunction with Life: A Journey through Time, a multimedia presentation by photographer Frans Lanting, which has its world premiere this month…

  • UCSC researchers use new technology to study Cape fur seals in South Africa

    Sophisticated electronic tagging technology developed as part of the Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) program is now being deployed to study Cape fur seals in South Africa. Daniel Costa, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is currently in South Africa working with an international team of investigators to…

  • UCSC creates new major in computer game design

    The University of California, Santa Cruz, has approved a new major in computer game design, the first of its kind in the UC system. The new major, leading to a B.S. degree, provides students with a rigorous background in the technical, artistic, and narrative elements of creating interactive computer games. “We are pleased to be…

  • Mix of age groups, nationalities drawn to summer programs at UC Santa Cruz

    Summer is the season for nontraditional students at UC Santa Cruz. Fulbright scholars and professionals from around the world are being introduced to the United States-and English-in University Town Center downtown; youngsters on campus are perfecting their cheers and honing their computer skills; and the campus is playing host to a variety of academic conferences.…

Last modified: Mar 18, 2025