Scientists make astonishing discovery about plants at the molecular level — here's how it could help solve major problems in the medical field

Katie Dehesh, UCR molecular biochemist, recently discovered a chemical that plants produce that could help prevent infections in medical patients. Biofilm is a slimy bacterial layer that clings to surfaces. Dehesh's team discovered a compound produced by plants that prevents biofilm formation
MSN / The Cool Down | February 16, 2025

Americans may have had bird flu and not even know it, new study suggests

Elizabeth Jacobs, internal medicine physician and chair of the internal medicine department at the University of California, Riverside Health, on concerns about the virus spreading in humans undetected.
USA Today | February 13, 2025

NIH funding cuts could threaten valuable research, Southern California institutions say

Drs. Meera Nair and Declan McCole discuss how NIH cuts could impact their work.
The Press Enterprise | February 11, 2025

Understanding the environmental impact of AI

Shaolei Ren, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCR, discusses the challenges of dealing with AI's vast and growing energy footprint and water usage, as well as ways that artificial intelligence can be used to benefit the environment.
Iowa Public Radio | February 7, 2025

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

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.
Fast Company | January 29, 2025

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

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. 
LAist / KPCC 89.3 FM | January 26, 2025

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

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"?
The New York Times | January 17, 2025

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

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.
MSN / Mashable | January 10, 2025

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

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.
The Hill | January 9, 2025

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

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. 
Mother Jones | December 31, 2024

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

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. 
Yahoo News via The Independent UK | December 26, 2024

How the Poinsettia Became a Symbol of Christmas

UCR Emeritus Professor Norm Ellstrand and his son, San Diego State research fellow Nathan Ellstrand, discuss how the poinsettia became a symbol of Christmas.
Time | December 23, 2024

Studies address what constitutes patience, and impatience, and the factors that determine them

UC Riverside psychology researcher Kate Sweeny concludes from three studies of 1,200 people, that impaticnece is the emotion people feel when they face a delay that seems unfair, unreasonable, or inappropriate and patience, then, is how we cope with those feelings of impatience.
MSN / Medical Xpress | December 20, 2024

8.5 Hours Of Daily Sitting Linked To Higher BMI And Cholesterol

Ryan Bruellman, PhD candidate in genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics at UCR, joins Science Friday to discuss his research showing how excessive sitting harms even young, active people.
Science Friday | December 18, 2024

New method aids in predicting where next big quake will start

UC Riverside geologist Nic Barth led a team in the discovery of a new method for studying faults that could improve earthquake forecasts. Their methods shed light on where quakes start, how they spread, and where the biggest impacts might be.
MSN / Phys.org | December 13, 2024

Sitting a lot is bad even for young, active people

Ryan Bruellman, a doctoral candidate in UC Riverside’s genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics department, led a new study that reveals prolonged sitting significantly harms even young, active adults, increasing the risk of heart disease and obesity. It also found current federal exercise guidelines are insufficient to offset sitting's negative effects. 
Futurity | December 5, 2024

UCR’s African Student Program Center Receives the 2024 Center of the Year Award by the ABCC

This year the University of California, Riverside’s African Student Program Center (ASP) was awarded Center of the Year. ASP Director Jamal Myrick, Ed.D, shared that this marks the first time UCR’s ASP  has received the award since the organization was established in 1972.
Black Voice News | December 3, 2024

How your skin tone could affect your meds

Sophie Zaaijer, scientific consultant and researcher at UCR, explores how our skin tone could affect the medications we take.
The Academic Minute | December 3, 2024

Studying the molecular mechanisms important for the parasite that causes malaria

Karine Le Roch discusses the internship that shaped her path to a career in science and discovering a new drug that targets malaria-causing parasites in this podcast.

A Native American perspective of Thanksgiving

Gerald Clarke, Jr., UCR ethnic studies professor and member of the Cahuilla Band of Indians talks about Thanksgiving, native history, and the incoming US president.
KQED | November 28, 2024