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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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IMPACT

UCDelivers... The Impact of the College of Letters and Science

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GEOSCIENCE

Earth’s Warming/Cooling Cycle and Its Extraterrestrial Influence

Alan Balch holding a light blue hexagonal orb

UC Davis Chemist Alan Balch Reflects on 55 Years of Discovery and Mentorship  

by Greg Watry

Much has changed about UC Davis in the 55 years since Alan Balch’s appointment to the Department of Chemistry. But two things remain constant: his innovative passion for scientific discovery and his continuous commitment to mentorship.

 

A radio telescope is shrouded in mist and surrounded by mountains.

SPACE

Astronomers Find Mystery Dark Object in Distant Universe

Using a global network of telescopes, astronomers have detected the lowest-mass dark object yet found in the universe.

High resolution imaging of outer space

ASTRONOMY

What Are Gravitational Lenses?

Learn how gravitational lenses bend light, magnify distant galaxies, and help researchers uncover the origins of our cosmos.

Two people in bright yellow safety vests measure a seagrass meadow

VIDEO

Seagrasses: Our Planet's Secret Climate Hero

Explore the global importance of seagrasses, their role along the California coast, and how National Marine Sanctuaries help protect and restore these essential habitats. 

Rendered graphic of human DNA chain in flesh tones with a blue background

MATHEMATICS

The Code that Watches the Code

New study combines language theory and computation to predict DNA structures that impact gene expression and genetic disease.

Stories you may have missed

aerial photo of a white building on the ocean coast in Bodega Bay

Protecting the Ocean We Have

  • by Greg Watry
  • November 07, 2025
  • Science & Technology
Every year, the Bodega Marine Laboratory hosts summer sessions for undergraduate students interested in coastal systems and marine science. During the roughly five-week program, students take classes in topics like coastal oceanography, marine environmental issues and biological oceanography. They conduct fieldwork and go on field trips to nearby sites like the Hog Island Oyster Company. Students can even live at the lab’s on-site dormitory during the session.
A mouse mother lays with her pups in a fluffy nest.

Psilocybin May Present Unique Risks During the Postpartum Period

  • by Greg Watry
  • September 30, 2025
  • Science & Technology
  • News & Noteworthy
In a first-of-its-kind study appearing in Nature Communications, an interdisciplinary team from the university’s Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics (IPN) dosed mouse mothers with psilocybin and found that the drug amplified anxiety and depressive-like symptoms associated with perinatal mood disorders — mental health conditions that can arise during or after pregnancy.
depth primary

Pulling the E-Brake on Methane Emissions

  • by Kat Kerlin
  • September 26, 2025
  • Science & Technology
UC Davis Professor Tessa Hill spoke about the benefits that can come from fast action on methane with the hosts of We Don’t Have Time during this year’s Climate Week NYC, held Sept 21-28. She was joined by Fatima Denton, director of the United Nations University-Institute for Natural Resources in Africa.
A rocky asteroid is pictured as it hurtles through black space.

Hayabusa-2 Sample Return Mission Suggests Protracted Wetter Asteroids

  • by Andy Fell
  • September 16, 2025
  • Science & Technology
New results from the Hayabusa-2 space probe show that asteroids formed at the very beginnings of our Solar System retained substantial amounts of water for hundreds of millions of years, potentially delivering water to Earth and other planets for much longer than previously thought.
A group of people pose for a photo in a computer lab. The woman in the center wearing a white lab coat holds a rainbow-colored ball.

Untangling DNA Knots with Math and Biology at UC Davis

  • by Greg Watry
  • September 15, 2025
  • Science & Technology
Knots are a part of nature. From pocketed headphones to carelessly packed garden hoses, they find ways to manifest in strings and loops. This isn’t just a truth of mathematics; it’s a truth of biology. In fact, DNA molecules can also get tied into knots.

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