https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from University of California - Santa Cruz Recent data showing an increase in lead exposure and deaths among critically endangered California condors seems to fly in the face of decades of conservation measures, including bans on lead bullets and public-education campaigns about the plight of this once-vanishing raptor. But new research by an environmental toxicologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz and her team shows that the unfortunate rise is despite the clear efficacy of the lead bans and outreach efforts. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-california-ammo-condor-ranges-undercut.html Plants & Animals Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:40:05 EDT news693057001 For decades, ecologists have known that how a species looks or eats affects its environment. But a new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, shows that social behavior related to mating can be an equally powerful ecological force. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-fish-sexual-behavior-ecosystems.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:30:04 EDT news692463782 For the first time, scientists have used DNA preserved in ancient sediments to examine how a major natural disaster affected animal populations. A new study of a catastrophic volcanic eruption during the Ice Age has found that mammoths, bison, and other large grazers in the region were remarkably resilient and thrived even after their entire world had been covered in a thick layer of ash. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ancient-dna-reveals-ice-age.html Ecology Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:40:03 EDT news692442062 While companies developing drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease have spent decades and many billions of dollars targeting amyloid beta due to its role in clogging patients' brains with harmful deposits, a biochemist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, says the peptide has a smaller, overlooked "cousin" that could also be neurotoxic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-harmless-peptide-linked-alzheimer-disease.html Neuroscience Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:20:01 EST news691669280 Imagine balancing a ruler vertically in the palm of your hand: you have to constantly pay attention to the angle of the ruler and make many small adjustments to make sure it doesn't fall over. It takes practice to get good at this. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-brain-organoids-goal-task.html Neuroscience Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:00:11 EST news690626101 The Lamat Institute at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is a cohort-based research program designed to advance astronomy and planetary sciences by mobilizing the talents of students from marginalized backgrounds through holistic mentoring, culturally responsive training, and intensive scientific inquiry. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-eighteen-years-mobilizing-marginalized-students.html Education Wed, 18 Feb 2026 20:00:01 EST news690641129 New research on avian malaria, which has decimated Hawaii's beloved birds, explains how non-native birds play a key role in transmission and contribute to the widespread distribution of the disease. This disease threatens many native species that are integral to Hawaii's identity and its unique and fragile ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-hawaii-birds-contribute-avian-malaria.html Ecology Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:12:30 EST news689958722 A team of biochemists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has developed a faster way to identify molecules in the lab that could lead to more effective pharmaceuticals. The discovery advances the rapidly growing field of biocatalysis, which depends on generating large, genetically diverse libraries of enzymes, and then screening those variants to find ones that perform a desired chemical task best. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-faster-enzyme-screening-biocatalysis-bottlenecks.html Biochemistry Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:24:21 EST news689531042 A new study by cell biologists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, suggests that an early first pregnancy may protect against breast cancer decades later by preventing age-related changes in breast cells that are linked to tumor formation. Using a mouse model designed to mimic human aging and reproductive history, researchers found that pregnancy fundamentally alters how mammary tissue ages—reducing the buildup of abnormal cells that have the ability to change their identity in a way that could seed cancer in later life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-early-pregnancy-impacts-aging-implications.html Oncology & Cancer Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:09:37 EST news689249342 Much of the public conversation about generative AI and work focuses narrowly on job loss or productivity gains. But research by Professor of Sociology Chris Benner draws on lessons from past technological transitions and current work on AI to inform how innovation can improve our work now and in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-equitable-technological-transitions-ai-workforce.html Economics & Business Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:03:51 EST news688737781 As a self-driving car cruises down a street, it uses cameras and sensors to perceive its environment, taking in information on pedestrians, traffic lights, and street signs. Artificial intelligence (AI) then processes that visual information so the car can navigate safely. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-text-physical-world-hijack-ai.html Security Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:00:01 EST news688229852 Mounting evidence from research on nematodes to mice indicate that a father's environment, such as what he eats or if he is exposed to stress or toxicants, can lead to metabolic and behavioral disorders in his offspring. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tiny-rna-molecules-sperm-big.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:32:55 EST news687526272 Astronomers have long puzzled over how some massive galaxies stop forming stars and remain dormant for billions of years—even when they still contain gas that could, in principle, fuel new stars. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quiet-galaxies-stay-cool-gas.html Astronomy Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:30:02 EST news687172867 Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have already leveraged the vast troves of geolocation data from vessel-tracking systems to pinpoint where whales and other large marine species are endangered by ship traffic and industrial fishing. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-fishing-fleet-tracking-reveal-shifts.html Plants & Animals Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:00:03 EST news685359002 From offsetting higher temperatures as cities heat up and cultivating healthier communities, to contributing to local economies and delivering other critical services, the range of benefits of trees in urban settings are detailed in a new report co-authored by scientist Heather Tallis at UC Santa Cruz's Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR). https://phys.org/news/2025-12-urban-areas-feasibility-explored.html Environment Mon, 22 Dec 2025 09:50:14 EST news685619402 An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has published a new study using transaction data provided by Zillow to show that homebuyers price in the natural-defense value of mangrove after heavy storm seasons. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-analysis-home-sales-economic-case.html Economics & Business Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:58:37 EST news684421081 Remember Animal Crossing: New Horizons? During the height of its popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the game, built for the Nintendo Switch console, was averaging 1 million copies sold per day. Now, almost six years since the start of the pandemic, University of California, Santa Cruz Professor of Computational Media Noah Wardrip-Fruin published a book titled "Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Can a Game Take Care of Us?" https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-game-animal-horizons-comfort-community.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:32:06 EST news683976662 Humans have long wondered when and how we begin to form thoughts. Are we born with a pre-configured brain, or do thought patterns only begin to emerge in response to our sensory experiences of the world around us? Now, science is getting closer to answering the questions philosophers have pondered for centuries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-human-brains-preconfigured-world-evidence.html Neuroscience Mon, 24 Nov 2025 05:00:13 EST news682947361 Across North America, mountain lions, bears and gray wolves have made a remarkable comeback over the last 50 years. Once nearly exterminated, these animals have been recovering their populations and returning to the landscapes they historically roamed, thanks to protections like the Endangered Species Act, hunting limits, and reintroduction programs. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-ecosystems-iconic-predators-complicated.html Ecology Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:44:05 EST news682163042 A recent analysis of national higher-education data by a researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz, found that the United States exceeded the goal of producing one million more graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) over the course of a decade. That goal, set in a 2012 report by then-President Barack Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), was one of several national objectives created to maintain America's scientific leadership position in an increasingly competitive global landscape. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-nation-topped-goal-million-stem.html Education Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:06:05 EST news681570361 Human astroviruses are a leading viral cause of the stomach bug—think vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. It often impacts young children and older adults, leading to vicious cycles of sickness and malnutrition, particularly for those in low and middle income countries. It's very commonly found in wastewater studies, meaning it's frequently circulating in communities. As of now, there are no vaccines for this virus. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-human-astrovirus-exploits-cell-receptor.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 03 Nov 2025 13:50:06 EST news681399629 A trio of biomedical scientists at the University of California and University of Massachusetts have written a research-backed defense of DEI programs that was published in Nature Cell Biology. They assert that such programs broaden participation in and democratize science—ultimately producing more effective and supportive training environments for all scientists. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-defense-dei.html Education Fri, 24 Oct 2025 13:23:28 EDT news680531004 Three years ago, a fire broke out at the Biblioteca Amazónica in Iquitos, Peru, imperiling one of the world's most important collections of primary sources on Amazonian history, culture, and politics. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-amazon-digital-lifeline-biblioteca-amaznica.html Other Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:12:04 EDT news680451122 Living in paradise comes with a cost. For the second consecutive year, Santa Cruz has been named the most expensive county in California by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. As the housing crisis continues to burden the entire Bay Area, many families who work in the region are being forced to move further away from their jobs—trading longer commutes for more affordable housing. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-smarter-combining-technology-policy-pleasant.html Computer Sciences Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:50:05 EDT news680431802 A new study led by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and East Carolina University (ECU) has found that mangroves significantly reduced storm surges and property damages during Hurricanes Irma in 2017 and Ian in 2022. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-highlights-benefits-mangroves-property-hurricanes.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:30:07 EDT news679742900 The Gulf of Mexico, a regional ocean, is hugged by the southeastern United States and a large stretch of the Mexican coast, making it very important for both countries. The area helps bring goods to local and global markets, produces power for the country with off-shore oil rigs, and hosts a myriad of vacation-worthy beaches—so modeling and predicting its dynamics is a critical task. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-regional-ocean-dynamics-emulated-ai.html Earth Sciences Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:19:05 EDT news679144741 Coastal communities around the world have long faced challenges related to flood risks. But as sea levels continue to rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, the need for more effective response strategies is greater than ever. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-coastal-bay-area-illuminates-strategies.html Earth Sciences Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:50:05 EDT news678970202 The bite of a black widow spider can initially feel like a sharp stabbing pain, or it can be deceptively subtle, barely registering notice. But as the spider's potent neurotoxin courses through the bloodstream, some unlucky human victims begin to develop severe symptoms. Within about an hour, the venom can cause widespread body pain, stiffness and muscle spasms, or trouble breathing. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-lessons-historic-quest-spider-neglected.html Plants & Animals Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:17:05 EDT news678961022 In the world around us, many things exist in the context of time: a bird's path through the sky is understood as different positions over a period of time, and conversations as a series of words occurring one after another. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-ai-wide-range-fields.html Computer Sciences Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:35:05 EDT news678551701 As a wound heals, it goes through several stages: clotting to stop bleeding, immune system response, scabbing, and scarring. A wearable device called "a-Heal," designed by engineers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, aims to optimize each stage of the process. The system uses a tiny camera and AI to detect the stage of healing and deliver a treatment in the form of medication or an electric field. The system responds to the unique healing process of the patient, offering personalized treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-smart-device-ai-bioelectronics-wound.html Health informatics Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:44:04 EDT news677864641