Want to see more Latinos in books? Start by reading these

LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano includes UC Riverside English professor Richard T. Rodríguez’s book in his list of must reads.
The Los Angeles Times | November 25, 2022

Remains of a Spider Monkey Traded by Ancient Maya Elites Found in Mexico

UCR archaeologist Nawa Sugiyama led a team that made a surprising discovery in an ancient Maya capital: the remains of a 1,700-year-old spider monkey, which they suspect was once a state gift between elites.
Yahoo News | November 23, 2022

‘Hyper-Partisanship’ Is Making It A Lot Harder To Run Public Schools, New UC Research Finds

School of Education Professor Joseph Kahne co-authored a study of 682 high school principals across the U.S., and found extreme political views on both side of the spectrum are taking a toll on public schools students as well as educators.
LAist | November 23, 2022

Earth may be enduring its seventh mass extinction, not sixth

Scientists have long argued that Earth is currently in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event, losing thousands of plant and animal species each year. However, according to a new study led by the UCR's Mary Droser and her former graduate student Scott Evans now at Virginia Tech, we might in fact be facing the seventh mass extinction. 
Earth.com | November 23, 2022

When diplomacy fails: After gifts, Teotihuacan turned on Maya cities

ArsTechnica interviews Nawa Sugiyama, UC Riverside anthropological archaeologist in this article, “When diplomacy fails: After gifts, Teotihuacan turned on Maya cities.”
ArsTechnica | November 22, 2022

Earth's earliest mass extinction uncovered in fossil record

Researchers at UC Riverside and Virginia Tech have found evidence of a mass extinction event that took place about 100 million years earlier than scientists previously realized.
New Atlas | November 22, 2022

¿Viva Hate? Mexican fans ‘Negotiate Morrissey the person and Morrissey the music.’

Gustavo Arellano interviews Richard T. Rodríguez, professor of English and media and cultural studies. Rodríguez explains why Latinos love Morrissey’s music, despite not being fans of his stance on borders and immigration.
Alta | November 17, 2022

Here's why the cost of lettuce is skyrocketing in California

Bruce Babcock, UCR agricultural economist, says the Salinas Valley is the primary source for lettuce, the Salinas Valley, is having a terrible year.  Lettuce there has been infected with a virus, and causing yields to be down 75%. The virus, INSV, is getting worse and there are few ways to treat it.
ABC 7 News | November 15, 2022

Symptoms of Cute Aggression: Why Do I Want To Murder Adorable Things?

Katherine Stavropoulos, UCR associate professor of psychology, explains the desire to crush something adorable isn't the same as the desire to cause real harm. 
IFL Science! | November 14, 2022

Want kids but afraid of climate change? So are these people

UC Riverside Gender Studies Professor Jade Sasser explains that the U.S. birthrate is the lowest it has ever been in part due to climate change. Some factors include lower infant mortality rates and economic uncertainty. However, she explains that younger people increasingly feel it is not ethical to bring a person into a planet in crisis.
KCRW | November 14, 2022

Broccoli in Space? What a Revolting Thought

UCR planetary scientists Eddie Schwieterman and Michaela Leung have discovered that the methyl bromide gases emitted by broccoli—one of the most repellent foods known to mankind—could be pivotal in discovering whether life exists on other planets.
The Wall Street Journal | November 10, 2022

If You Live Here, Watch Out for These Venomous Spiders That Cause Disfiguring Bites

Rick Vetter, a retired UCR entomologist, says venomous brown recluses can be found through in Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as parts of Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio,  and Tennessee. While it's possible for one of these spiders to be found outside these states, it is not likely. 
Yahoo Life | November 10, 2022

A plan to tax the rich to fund electric defeated by California voters

Bruce Babcock, UCR professor of public policy, tells CNN that the law might not have given electric car sales the boost backers were looking for. Counterintuitively, a dedicated funding source might have resulted in less state incentive funding for electric vehicles.
CNN Business | November 9, 2022

In some tight House races, Asian-American voters could determine the winner

Orange County has been a Republican stronghold for nearly a century, but has veered left in recent decades. One force behind that shift is the county's growing share of Asian American voters. Karthick Ramakrishnan, public policy professor, discusses this movement of Asian American voters away from the Republican Party.
NPR | November 2, 2022

Review: Christina Fernandez’s photographs, on view in Riverside, are a major pivot in Chicano art

Los Angeles Times reviews UCR ARTS’ exhibition, “Christina Fernandez: Multiple Exposures,” curated by Joanna Szupinska, senior curator at UCR ARTS.
The Los Angeles Times | October 31, 2022

The hunt for habitable planets may have just gotten far more narrow, new study finds

A planet orbiting the most common star type in the universe, an M dwarf, is not able to hold onto an atmosphere. The findings don’t bode well for other types of planets orbiting M dwarfs, said  Michelle Hill, a UCR planetary scientist and co-author of a study describing the no-atmosphere planet.
CNN | October 26, 2022

The vibes were off during the pandemic

Kalina Michalska, assistant professor of psychology at UC Riverside and director of the Kind Lab discusses research showing a person’s ability to socialize worsened during the pandemic. In the case of young adults, the pandemic had a profound effect on their maturation process. 
KPCC Air Talk | October 25, 2022

There’s New Data on How Antibiotics Affect Your Workout

UCR's Monica McNamara and Theodore Garland conducted a study showing that mice bred for running are deeply affected by antibiotics.
Outside | October 14, 2022

Thirdhand smoke can trigger skin diseases, study warns

Smoke dust may lead to initiation of inflammation-induced skin diseases like contact dermatitis and psoriasis, according to research led by a team of scientists at UCR.
The Independent UK | October 12, 2022

'Broccoli Gas' Could Be a Clue to Life on Distant Planets

Astrophysicists Michaela Leung and Eddie Schwieterman led a study indicating a type of gas produced by broccoli and other plants on Earth could indicate life on distant planets as well.
CNET | October 11, 2022