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UCR in the News

How scientists rushed to make L.A.’s actual air quality available on your phone

Fast Company |
Roya Bahreini, atmospheric science professor, is co-PI of a project making detailed, real-time air measurements free and available to the public. This kind of data is not available through typical air quality monitors people have on their phones.
UCR in the News

The good, bad and ugly truths about LA tumbleweeds and their role in fires

LAist / KPCC 89.3 FM |
UCR invasive species expert Mark Hoddle comments on the proliferation of invasive Russian thistle plants in California, better known as tumbleweeds. When the plants dry out and blow across the landscape they can increase the severity of wildfires. 
UCR in the News

‘Severance,’ ‘The Substance’ and our increasingly splintered selves

The New York Times |
UCR philosophy professor Eric Schwitzgebel weighs in on the question posed by two pop culture phenomena of the moment: the TV series "Severance," and the movie "The Substance." What makes you "you"?
UCR in the News

ChatGPT isn't responsible for the Los Angeles fires, but it does use a crazy amount of water

MSN / Mashable |
Article quotes a recent study by The Washington Post and UCR that found a 100-word email generated by ChatGPT requires roughly the equivalent of a bottle of water, or 519 milliliters. Additionally, the article cites a 2023 UCR study estimating AI could consume between 4.2 and 6.6 billion cubic meters of water in 2027, which is more than the annual water withdrawal of half of the UK.
UCR in the News

California wildfires: Water supply becomes flashpoint in Trump-Newsom fight

The Hill |
School of Public Policy's Kurt Schwabe counters President-Elect Donald Trump's false claim that LA fire hydrants went dry because of California's protection of the delta smelt.
UCR in the News

Blob-headed fish, meat-eating squirrels, and other fascinating science stories from 2024

Mother Jones |
Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UCR PhD student Phillip Sternes photographed for the first time what appears to be a baby great white shark off the coast of California last year. 
UCR in the News

Air pollution caused by AI tech could lead to 1,300 U.S. deaths annually by 2030, researchers say

Yahoo News via The Independent UK |
Shaolei Ren, is a UCR associate professor and co-author of a report showing that pollution from AI data centers could cost lives each year. He says this is an urgent public health issue that needs to be addressed. 
UCR in the News

How the Poinsettia Became a Symbol of Christmas

Time |
UCR Emeritus Professor Norm Ellstrand and his son, San Diego State research fellow Nathan Ellstrand, discuss how the poinsettia became a symbol of Christmas.