As humanity experiences an epic upheaval with the Novel Coronavirus pandemic, we are painfully admonished of how throughout existence, infectious diseases have had profound influences on the evolution of their host populations. In the case of humans, the host species has also shaped pathogen dynamics and virulence via a multitude of factors. Some ancient factors…

The United States is facing a potentially staggering expansion of dangerous heat over the coming decades. Kristina Dahl, Senior Climate Scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, explains off-the-charts deadly heat, just how bad it could get, and what we can do to avert the worst-case scenario. She explores a recently released report that shows…

Our border with Mexico is the catalyst for an impassioned and often vituperous debate about immigration, citizenship, and related issues. In the midst of this furor opportunities for mutually-beneficial fellowship are often scorned when not overlooked altogether, but a growing network of artists and musicians on both sides of the divide are working to transcend…

Will there even be an election in 2020? A panel of UC Berkeley experts in politics, public policy, cybersecurity and law, say yes. The constitution is clear about that. Can we predict the effect of the pandemic on results? Not yet. We can look at traditional indicators, the economy and the president’s approval rating, but…

Science is all around us. Our science producer picked twelve programs that reflect the impact of science on both our daily lives and on complex global issues. We rely on facts, data and past results to inform decisions big and small. Enjoy! A Deep Look into COVID-19: Vaccines, Drugs and the Evolutionary Arms Race As…

Infectious diseases are global challenges that need global solutions. The state of US-China relations are so hostile at the political level and increasingly at the public level, that the kind of pragmatic cooperation needed is lacking to deal with COVID-19. Many programs started under President Bush and continued under President Obama to increase on-the-ground knowledge…

In general, animal song is thought to have several specific characteristics including being restricted to males, having a territorial purpose, and being used to attract a mate. But things might be different in the deep dark world that whales inhabit. Join marine acoustics expert John Hildebrand to learn how the singing characteristics in some whale…

As the entirety of humanity grapples with the most serious global challenge in over a century nations and societies have responded, or not, by leveraging the only tool we have – the understanding that science gives us about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, its spread and the COVID-19 disease which it causes. The only path to managing…

Gun control has been one of the most contentious issues in American life for the past forty years, and the debate raging shows no sign of abating. Polls consistently show a majority of Americans support stricter gun laws, yet gun control advocates are no match for the powerful pro-Second Amendment lobbies led by the National…

There is an extremely high rates of added sugar overconsumption in the American public. It causes obesity which is at the root of silent epidemics such as type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Laura Schmidt, PhD, Professor of Health Policy at UCSF, argues that this is not an individual problem but rather it…