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

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

El gas de la risa podría ser la clave para descubrir vida extraterrestre, según estudio

UCR astrophysicist Eddie Schwieterman finds in a new study that laughing gas could be found in the atmosphere of another planet, and if it is found, would likely indicate the presence of a living thing.
La Opinion | October 9, 2022

To find alien life, scientists suggest searching space for this party drug

Astrophysicist Eddie Schwieterman suggests in a new paper that the same stuff college students huff for a quick high could also be a new indicator for whether or not a planet is habitable.
Futurism | October 9, 2022

How did we forget about the first Koreatown in America, right here in Riverside County?

Edward T. Chang, professor of ethnic studies and founding director of the Young Oak Kim Center for Korean American Studies, co-authored this piece about Pachappa Camp. The camp, a self-governed California community made for and by Korean Americans, was a mecca for the Korean independence movement and a bulwark against anti-Asian racism in America.
Desert Sun | October 8, 2022

Riverside entomologist fights to protect iconic palm trees from invasive bug

The South American palm weevil poses the biggest threat to the famous coastal palms in Los Angeles, but UCR entomologist Mark Hoddle is doing research to develop methods he hopes will keep the pests at bay.
Spectrum News | October 7, 2022

Looking for life beyond our solar system? Laughing gas could be a sign, new study suggests

There’s been a lot of thought put into oxygen and methane as substances that could be signs of life on distant planets. Fewer researchers have seriously considered nitrous oxide as one of those substances, but a team led by UCR astrobiologist Eddie Schwieterman thinks that may be a mistake.
USA Today | October 5, 2022

How a hobby farm taught me to set priorities in academia

Professor of Medicine Brandon Brown and his family sold their home during the pandemic and purchased a smaller one with significantly more land, hundreds of fruit trees and plants, a flock of chickens, and a group of farm cats. Tending them helped him learn to balance his academic career with other pursuits. 
Nature | October 5, 2022

Laughing Gas Could Be a Sign of Life on Distant Planets

A team of astrobiologists led by UCR's Edward Schwieterman has proposed looking for nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, as a possible indication of life on distant worlds.
CNET | October 4, 2022

Just 1 in 10 Inland Empire Latinos has a bachelor’s degree or higher

Compiled by UCR’s Center for Social Innovation, a new study found that Latinos, with 2.37 million people, now make up 51.5% of the Inland population. However, uust 11% of Inland Latinos had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2020 and Inland Latinos were four times as likely as White residents to lack a high school diploma.
The Press Enterprise | October 2, 2022

UC Riverside gets $201 million in bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom

UC Riverside will get $201 million in new state funding after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an Inland lawmaker’s bill. AB 2046 includes money to “increase enrollment, tackle climate change and create health equity in the Central Valley and Inland Empire,” according to a news release from Assembly Member Jose Medina, D-Riverside.
The Press Enterprise | September 28, 2022

Inside the Race to Recycle Millions of Dead Electric-Vehicle Batteries

It would be ideal if the U.S could reduce the need for mining by extracting lithium from recycled electric vehicle batteries.  However, Michael McKibben, UCR geologist, explained that the recycling process is a complicated proposition in the short run.
Slate | September 28, 2022

Asian Americans, tell us how you talk about mental health with your family and friends

Andrew Subica, a health disparities researcher and an associate professor at the School of Medicine, explains that Asian Americans often understand the relationship between mind, body and spirit, offering another way to talk about mental health.
The Los Angeles Times | September 28, 2022