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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…
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Michael Pollan: “Don’t buy any cereal that changes the color of the milk.”
This year, renowned journalist, author, and food intellectual Michael Pollan received the 2014 Nierenberg Award for Science in the Public Interest. “Michael Pollan has shown that an English major can do great service to science in the public interest,” said Walter Tschinkel, one of many who introduced Pollan. “Science very much needs writers like Michael…
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What Part Neanderthal Are You?
Turns out, there’s a little Neanderthal in all of us. • In 2010, Svante Pääbo and his colleagues unveiled the Neanderthal genome. • Pääbo is a biologist and evolutionary anthropologist. He is also the director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. • His research shows that Humans and Neanderthals interbred in the prehistoric…
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Eight (Really) Big Ideas in Science
Eight UC Berkeley Lab scientists present eight game-changing concepts in eight minutes each. You can watch one at a time, but once you get started, you might not want to stop. Inspired by the problems of our time and the mysteries of the universe, these scientists are working to answer questions we may have never…
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That’s One Smart Puppy!
Hey! Do you want to know what causes magnetism, have a real sense of how small atoms are, or see that sometimes physics allows things that, well, seem like magic? Or, do you just want to watch cute puppies and kitties? Well, now you can have both! Smart Puppy and Friends is a new series…
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Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code
Have you ever wondered where your eye color comes from, or why a certain disease runs in your family? As DNA sequencing becomes more common, you may soon have the opportunity to learn how your genomic makeup contributes to your traits and to your health. New discoveries in genomic medicine are being made every day.…
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How Does an El Niño Affect California?
Mola-Mola in Valdez Alaska? Striped Marlin off Oregon? On one hand, an El Niño event may bring torrential rains, flooding, mudslides, huge pacific storms and coastal erosion. On the other, it warms the ocean, generates big surf, saves on heating costs, and increases surplus water supplies. Is it all bad? Renowned El Niño prediction expert…