The Search for More Sustainable Biofuels
By Molly Michelson Ok, so what’s the scoop with biofuels—are they good, bad or ugly solutions to move away from fossil fuels? Well, as with many things, it depends. Depends on the plant material, how...
View ArticleUN Climate Summit Round Up
By Molly Michelson Who or what will save the climate? Will it fall on the shoulders of politicians? Business leaders? Cities? Money? Forests? Protestors? Celebrities? A poet? I think the answer is all...
View ArticleTransformations
By Molly Michelson It’s all in the wrist How did arms become wings during the evolutionary transition from dinosaurs to birds? Especially the short little useless arms of Tyrannosaurus rex? A new study...
View ArticleDrought – More to Come?
By Molly Michelson The current California drought—one of the worst in the state’s history, may be a sign of things to come in the future, Stanford researchers report this week. And the reason is...
View ArticleMonarch Genome
By Molly Michelson What’s orange and black and travels long distances in October? No, not the San Francisco Giants during the 2014 playoffs, but rather monarch butterflies! And a new genomic study,...
View ArticleThe Shrimp That Moves the Seas
By Molly Michelson Brine shrimp are one of the many species of zooplankton that make up the bulk of oceanic biomass. They’re also known as sea monkeys, those popular aquarium pets whose ads used to...
View ArticleSocial Sharks, Solar Clams, and Crazy Beetles
By Molly Michelson Super-cool animal studies that may surprise you… Sharks with personality! Can sharks be shy? Gregarious? Well, just as with people, it depends on the shark, according to a new study...
View ArticleThe Timing of Vines
Academy researchers are studying the affects of climate change on California’s grapes and wine industry.
View ArticleFickle Female Fruit Flies
By Molly Michelson How do female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) choose their mate? Is it the redness of the males’ eyes? The song he plays by vibrating his wings? His scent? According to a new...
View ArticleSouthern California Pumas
By Molly Michelson Despite our large human population, California is home to amazing wildlife, including large predators like mountain lions, also called pumas and cougars. As we mentioned in this...
View ArticleBotany of Beer
By Molly Michelson Humans and beer go back a long way. More than 6,000 years, in fact. Over this extended period of time, humans and beer have co-evolved, with humans selecting for better and better...
View ArticleOcean Warming
By Molly Michelson As we warm the globe, 90% of the heat is absorbed by the oceans, giving us an accurate way to measure it. Two studies published earlier this week in Nature Climate Change have done...
View ArticleTales from Under the Sea
By Molly Michelson Lost your head? Not a problem. The BBC reported last week about a species of Hydractinia that can regrow its head if decapitated. That’s a neat trick, yes? The teeny...
View ArticlePartial Solar Eclipse
A partial solar eclipse will be seen from most of North America on Oct. 23.
View ArticleEarthquake Preparedness: The Kit
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake this week, we’re offering up some quick tips for earthquake preparedness. For the rest of the week, we’ll give you some easy ways to...
View ArticleEarthquake Preparedness: Kit Storage
We’re marking the 25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake this week by offering up some quick tips for earthquake preparedness. Today, we want to give you some ideas about where to put your...
View ArticleEarthquake Preparedness: Redecorate!
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake this week, we’re offering up quick tips for earthquake preparedness. Here are some easy ways to prepare yourself and your family for the...
View ArticleEarthquake Preparedness: Make a Plan
The Loma Prieta earthquake occurred 25 years ago today. This week, we’ve offered up some quick tips for earthquake preparedness to get you ready for the next big one. Today’s final post is about making...
View ArticleA Few Seconds to Prepare
By Molly Michelson We know another big earthquake like Loma Prieta (which struck 25 years ago today) will occur in the Bay Area, but we don’t know when. However, UC Berkeley researchers are working to...
View ArticleLemurs’ Social Network
By Molly Michelson Some scientists have all the luck—research in beautiful locations with exciting results. And then there are Iris Dröscher and Peter Kappeler from the German Primate Center. While...
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