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Atmospheric Rivers: California Rainmakers
“If we went straight up from here to space, took every water vapor molecule, and condensed it into liquid, anybody hazard to guess how deep it might be?” So queried Marty Ralph, atmospheric scientist and director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes early on in his fascinating exploration of the newest understanding […]
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You’ve been invaded – by your Microbiome!
“If you like science fiction, I’m going to open with this,” begins David Granet. “You have been invaded. And the invaders are 10 times more than the number of cells in your body. They affect your health, they affect much about what your life does, and about who you are, and what you look like. […]
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The Mind and Methods of V.S. Ramachandran
“A lot of the time when you think the patient is crazy, it means you’re not smart enough to figure it out.” – V.S. Ramachandran Seeing numbers as colors. Feeling the pain from a phantom limb. Sensing shadowy figures around your bed. V.S. Ramachandran, PhD studies these seeming anomalies of the mind to discover the […]
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How did language evolve? New CARTA series explores the evolution of language.
Language. In all its forms. We use it everyday, all the time, without thinking, as innately (we might think) as a bird sings… But the acquisition of this human capacity is a long and complex process, aided by neuro- and physiological specialization born out of the forge of evolution. So when you stop and think […]
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Critical Thinking and Imagination in Science, with Ryan Shenvi
“…how do you know that you know?” With this, The Scripps Research Institute’s Ryan Shenvi delivers a captivating exposition of why the most important function of science is not to provide answers, but to ask more and better questions in order to advance our knowledge – and what is critical to this process. From CS […]
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Irwin Jacobs: Research Universities, Industry and Innovation
Irwin Jacobs – hotel magnate? Had he listened to a high school counselor who said there was no future in science and that he should pursue the hotel business at Cornell, Irwin Jacobs’ career could have taken a whole other track. Fortunately for the world of technology, Jacobs was drawn back to engineering. In this […]
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Saturday Science at The Scripps Research Institute
Saturday Science at Scripps Research brings the excitement of research and the passion of The Scripps Research Institutes’ scientists and researchers to middle and high school students in Southern California. Every lecture highlights the cutting-edge research occurring at The Scripps Research Institute and provides a window into the life of a scientist. In the first […]
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Understanding and Protecting the Planet, Enriching Human Life and Society — UC San Diego Founders Symposium 2014
This annual celebration of UC San Diego’s founding in 1960 highlights guest speakers showcasing the knowledge and innovation originating on this dynamic campus. Areas of research cover various topics, from air quality and the environment, economics of energy costs and climate change, to personalized cancer treatment and big data. The 2014 Founders Symposium features top […]
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Profiles in Discovery: Nick Spitzer – The Ever-Changing Brain: From Embryo To Adult
Early neurological dogma was that a brain’s neurons were hardwired to be only one type of signaling molecule and nothing else. Turns out, this belief was wrong. Nick Spitzer, UC San Diego professor and director of the UCSD Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, proved that neurons could change from one type of transmitter to […]
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The Domestication of Animals and Human Evolution
What can the changes that made cuddly pets from steely predators tell us about ourselves? What do differences such as pointy ears or floppy ears, a long snout or a short one, a protruding jaw or a child-like face, or the timing and pace of brain development tell us? These are just a few of […]