Hunting Venus 2.0: Scientists sharpen their sights

With the first paper compiling all known information about planets like Venus beyond our solar system, scientists are the closest they’ve ever been to finding an analog of Earth’s “twin.”

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Capturing heavier rains in an era of drought

UC Riverside public policy professor Kurt Schwabe was just awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Chair Fellowship to collaborate with Australian scientists to better capture and store runoff water as the planet warms.

By David Danelski | | Science / Technology

Humans bite back by deactivating mosquito sperm

New UC Riverside research makes it likely that proteins responsible for activating mosquito sperm can be shut down, preventing them from swimming to or fertilizing eggs.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

UCR environmental engineers to referee California’s big rig truck emission regulation

They won’t be wearing vivid black and white striped shirts, but they could. University of California, Riverside, environmental engineers will soon serve as referees in California’s drive for big rig trucks to meet the state’s tailpipe emission standards. The referee program will provide testing services for vehicles potentially operating with...

The planet that could end life on Earth

A terrestrial planet hovering between Mars and Jupiter would be able to push Earth out of the solar system and wipe out life on this planet, according to a UC Riverside experiment.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Breathing is going to get tougher

When global temperatures increase by 4 degrees Celsius, harmful plant emissions and dust will also increase by as much as 14 percent, according to new UC Riverside research.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Does Bing's angsty chatbot foretell the future?

Several weeks ago, UCR News published a faculty Q&A about the text-generating capabilities of ChatGPT, and its potential impact on academic essay writing and education. In the ensuing weeks, concerns have been raised about an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot created by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, that has been incorporated on...

By J.D. Warren | | Science / Technology

UCR-led analysis seeks online advertising protocols for data transparency, consumer privacy, and brand safety

Several Internet business experts see a technology that has made cryptocurrencies possible as a panacea to today’s online advertising accountability woes that stem from ad-tech giants hoarding the ad engagement data in their walled gardens. These experts now call for “Blockchain” technology to provide transparency to level the playing field...

By David Danelski | | Business, Science / Technology

Fungi and bacteria are binging on burned soil

UC Riverside researchers have identified tiny organisms that not only survive but thrive during the first year after a wildfire. The findings could help bring land back to life after fires that are increasing in both size and severity.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

California will inevitably shake like Turkey

Many in California have questions about the conditions that caused the Turkish earthquake, and wonder whether the western U.S. is likely to suffer a similar fate. UC Riverside seismologist David Oglesby weighs in with answers.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Soil tainted by air pollution expels carbon

New UC Riverside research suggests nitrogen released by gas-powered machines causes dry soil to let go of carbon and release it back into the atmosphere, where it can contribute to climate change.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Prof pours cold water on coffee pod controversy

New research from the University of Quebec declares coffee pods are “better for the planet than filtered brew.” Here to weigh in on the matter is UCR's Andrew Gray, who studies the movement of plastic pollutants through the environment.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Is ChatGPT a threat to education?

UC Riverside experts share thoughts on the AI-powered language model that understands and responds to natural language

By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology

Gas stoves: Suddenly, the pariah du jour

One-third of U.S. households — more than 40 million homes — cook with gas. There has been much consternation about the danger of gas stoves in the news lately and talk of banning them since a Consumer Product Safety commissioner recently suggested the move. Environmental Protection Agency data show gas...

By J.D. Warren | | Science / Technology, Health

Landscaping for drought: we’re doing it wrong

Many Southern Californians plant trees prized for drought tolerance, but a new UC Riverside-led study shows that these trees lose this tolerance once they’re watered.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Who'll stop the rain? California's got nowhere to put it

After several weeks of rain, Southern California remains under advisories for flooding, high winds, and high surf. Early this week, 90% of California was under a flood watch. L.A. County — which has received 2 to 6 inches of rain along the coast and in coastal valleys and about 8...

By J.D. Warren | | Science / Technology

Studies identify new strategies for insect control

Mosquitoes spread several diseases, such as malaria and dengue. In 2020 about 241 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide, with a few more million cases occurring in 2021. Nearly half the world’s population lives in regions where contracting dengue virus is a risk. Insects also destroy a third of agriculture...

By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology

Turning plastic waste into a valuable soil additive

University of California, Riverside, scientists have moved a step closer to finding a use for the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste produced every year that often winds up clogging streams and rivers and polluting our oceans. In a recent study, Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz, a UCR assistant professor...

By David Danelski | | Science / Technology

How the brain stores remote fear memory

UC Riverside mouse study could lead to novel therapies for people living with PTSD

By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology

Decoding the secret language of photosynthesis

For decades, scientists have been stumped by the signals plants send themselves to initiate photosynthesis, the process of turning sunlight into sugars. UC Riverside researchers have now decoded those previously opaque signals.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology