LAIST.COM - California wildflower blooms aren’t expected to be as big this year, but there’s an easy action you could take to help other native plants grow around you. A new study from researchers at UC Riverside found that raking away thatch — a tan layer of dead plant debris produced by invasive plants like...
EARTH.COM - Honeybees have been indispensable to agriculture for centuries. Their role in pollination supports food production, contributing to the growth of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and coffee. Without bees and proper hive health, many crops would struggle, leading to food shortages. But bee populations are shrinking due to bad weather, chemicals, and pests. This harms...
VENTURA COUNTY STAR - California scientists discovered a new species of manzanita, believed to grow only in places along the state’s south-central coast. And unlike its sister shrubs, its bark is gray instead of red, its discoverers said. As far as researchers know, the new species of native California shrub grows only near the Santa...
INTERESTING ENGINEERING - In light of the diminishing number of honeybees, a computer science team from UC Riverside has developed the technology to improve beehive health in commercial settings. “Over the last year, the U.S. lost over 55% of its honeybee colonies,” Boris Baer , UCR professor of entomology, told UC Riverside News. “We are...
INSIDE HIGHER ED - A pilot study at the University of California, Riverside, found that more regular testing, as opposed to high-stakes exams, can improve student outcomes in a general chemistry course and close equity gaps for historically disadvantaged learners. Assessment is a key element in higher education courses to track student learning, but some...
ASU NEWS - As wildfires increasingly threaten arid regions, a new conceptual framework developed by a team of researchers offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between fire, water quality and ecosystem recovery. Led by Tamara Harms , ASU School of Life Sciences alumna and associate professor at the University of California, Riverside, a collaborative...
EARTH.COM - Strange as it sounds, some scientists think the earliest life forms on Earth may have painted our planet in shades of purple rather than the green we see today. This idea, known as the Purple Earth hypothesis, suggests that single-celled organisms depended on a less complex molecule than chlorophyll to harness sunlight. NASA-supported...
STUDYFINDS - In the ongoing battle against aggressive breast cancer, light might become an unexpected ally. Scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of California, Riverside have engineered a remarkable new treatment that combines two unlikely partners, a specialized salt and near-infrared light, to target and destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue...
THE COOL DOWN - Scientists at the University of California-Riverside recently discovered a chemical that plants produce that could help prevent infections in medical patients. Science Daily reported on the findings, explaining that biofilm is a slimy bacterial layer that clings to surfaces. In a medical setting, this film can make it harder to treat...
THE WEEK - Spiders are some of the most diverse creatures on Earth. While they can be frightening, most of them are harmless and skittish. However, some spiders are dangerous — or deadly. Several species have venom that is toxic to humans and can have long-lasting, even fatal, consequences. Here are some of the scariest...
POPULAR SCIENCE - Following a 7,000-mile-long rescue mission for conservation, 33 tiny Southern Darwin’s frogs (Rhinoderma darwinii) were born at London Zoo. This species is particularly susceptible to the deadly chytrid fungus, currently impacting their native habitat in the forests and glades of Argentina and Chile. In October 2024, conservationists from the Zoological Society of...
FAST COMPANY - As fires burned tens of thousands of acres across Los Angeles County, officials were warning residents that the air was a “toxic soup” of pollution—fueled by the fact that not only vegetation but cars, buildings, homes, and all the plastics and electronics inside them were going up in flames. But to some...
LAIST.COM - It was Jan. 11 — the first Saturday after the two huge L.A. fires broke out. The city was thick with haze and smoke; ash was twirling in the air, and somehow, despite it all, our myth-making sunset still shone through. I was heading home to El Sereno that afternoon, made a turn...
PEST CONTROL TECHNOLOGY - At PestWorld in Denver, Colo., Dong-Hwan Choe , professor, department of entomology, University of California Riverside, presented on "Wild Wild Western Drywood Termites,” reviewing geographical hotspots for drywood termites, biology of termites and research updates and findings Choe conducted in his labs at UC Riverside. Watch the Video Interview
MSN - One of the most extensively studied stellar streams within the galactic halo of the Milky Way is the GD-1 stellar stream. It is known for its long, thin structure and distinctive features. It exhibits spur and gap features that have puzzled scientists for many years. A team of researchers led by Hai-Bo Yu...
SPACE.COM - A perplexing "break" in a stream of stars around the Milky Way could be the result of dark matter — that is, if the mysterious cosmic stuff interacts with itself. The feature in question is in the GD-1 stellar stream, a thin group of stars moving together on a shared trajectory through the...
NEUROSCIENCE NEWS - The gene neuropilin2 encodes a receptor involved in cell-cell interactions in the brain and plays a key role in regulating the development of neural circuits. Neuropilin2 controls migration of inhibitory neurons as well as the formation and maintenance of synaptic connections in excitatory neurons — two crucial components of brain activity. A...
THE DEBRIEF - On New Year’s Eve 2023, amid appearances by Joss Stone and Rod Steward on Jools Holland’s holiday ‘Musical Hootenanny’, a major 2024 revelation was alluded to: soon, we might learn that we aren’t alone in the universe. The insinuations that the discovery of alien life could be imminent all followed news from...
FORBES - Mars remains a true puzzle, but not for the reasons most people would think. Sure, there's debate over whether it ever had surface water, oceans and life. But Mars’ small mass relative to earth and Venus have been a major conundrum that has plagued planetary scientists for decades. Because the red planet’s mass...
THE NAKED SCIENTISTS - Mice are genuinely fearful of cats; and when they encounter the aroma of a feline, they freeze and then scarper. This happens thanks to an accessory smell system called the vomeronasal organ, or VNO. One of its roles is to detect pheromones, and its wiring into the limbic system enables it...