UCSB chemistry and biochemistry professor Norbert Reich and his team of researchers have recently discovered a molecular pathway that may explain the way acute myeloid leukemia develops. AML is a cancer that occurs inside the bone marrow and destroys healthy blood cells. Eventually, patients become more susceptible to infections and prone to bleeding due to [...]
An international group of scientists led by UCSB researchers demonstrated the effects of carbon dioxide on the acidity of the ocean’s surface. The study’s results indicate that human greenhouse gas emissions play a critical role in ocean pH levels and, consequently, marine habitats. The findings of the study were recently published in PloS ONE in [...]
Scientists from UC Santa Barbara’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis recently published a paper in collaboration with Eric Davidson of Woods Hole Research Center and several Brazilian scientists, revealing how human activity and land use have begun to affect water and energy cycles in the Amazon Basin. The research team’s primary goal was [...]
With most queries turning up millions of results, how does a site like Google deliver the most relevant and accurate data as top results? Most people do not give much thought to the intricate workings of the search engine that they use daily. Computer science professor Tao Yang, a former chief scientist of Ask.com has [...]
A recent study led by scientists at UC Santa Barbara’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis demonstrated how globalization and the demand for drought-resistant plant species threaten to overcome native plants in the United States. Based on these findings, the scientists proposed that bio-imports be screened before entering the U.S. The paper, co-authored by [...]
UCSB’s Dept. of Earth Science has received a $553,000 grant from Seismic Micro-Technology Inc. to fund research in 3-D visualization, mapping and modeling of seismic data. So far, scientists involved in the project have used this software, “KINGDOM,” to study a range of relevant topics. According to Craig Nicholson, a researcher at UCSB’s Marine Science [...]
Would you jump off a cliff if everyone else was doing it? Well, according to new findings, chances are you just might take the plunge. Herd mentality is a commonly cited and studied human behavior. Its applications are prevalent in a variety of settings, ranging from investor confidence in the stock market to fashion trends. [...]
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, recently published a study describing how underwater topography and currents affected the disappearance of methane plumes in the Gulf of Mexico following the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences follows up on oil spill researcher [...]
Since we are now transitioning back to the reality of all-nighters and weekly “midterms,” it is more important than ever to hold on to that jolly disposition that a month of too much family, food and fun inspires. Fretting away the quarter will not improve your performance in any arena, especially academics. Furthermore, stress can [...]
Researchers at UCSB have helped create a new method to increase wireless transmission speeds in data centers by up to 30 percent. Scientists discovered that metal plates placed on the ceiling of data centers better transmit signals from directional antennas, thereby increasing the efficiency and speed of wireless communication. Although wireless connections are not novel, [...]
Once a website targeting mostly college students, Facebook’s popularity has exploded in recent years, a testament to its universal appeal. However, the numerous benefits of online social networking make it easy to overlook the risks associated with sharing private information on Facebook. Boasting membership numbering into the several hundred millions, Facebook seems a ubiquitous part [...]
Along with a group of researchers from Harvard University, Scott Hodges, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at UCSB, recently discovered a mechanism of flower petal evolution that contradicts previous scientific theories that have been widely accepted for the past 60 years. Using Columbine flowers, also known as Aquilegia, the team [...]
In a recent study, UCSB physicists were the first to successfully demonstrate how defects in silicon carbide can be controlled quantum mechanically at room temperature. The physicists’ achievement is particularly important since the ability to control electrons at a fundamental level is the key to developing quantum computers and ultra sensitive nanoscale detectors. Lead researcher [...]
Though honey is a common natural sweetener used for generations, scientific evidence suggests that honey has and could be used for many unconventional purposes, in addition to satisfying your sweet tooth. The latest research indicates that humans’ use of honey can be traced back more than 10,000 years. A standard sweet of many ancient cultures, [...]
Using DNA to track the bacteria’s unusual diet, UCSB scientists recently discovered bacteria feeding on natural gas leaking from the ocean floor at unusually cold temperatures at the site of the Deepwater Horizons oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier this month, [...]