Latest Blog Posts

Weekender: Hum a Gershwin Tune; Listen to Grammy-award Winning Violinist; Visit Gorman Museum

Karen Michele Nikos — May 20, 2025

Trio Magnoliana. (Eunah Cho/courtesy)

Weekender: Wearable Design; Spring Music; Next Season Mondavi Tickets Go on Sale

Karen Michele Nikos — May 15, 2025

Digital Stealth Gods by Dylan Mulder at World of Wearable Art 2016 (Courtesy photo) Industrial designer Dylan Mulder brings wearable technology

California Risks Billions in Economic Losses Without Water Supply Action

Katherine E Kerlin — May 14, 2025

A new economic analysis by UC professors shows the high cost of inaction on California’s perpetual water supply challenges. It estimates that the state could lose enough water each year to supply up to 9 million households — with economic losses totaling between $3.4 and $14.5 billion per year, depending on the severity of the scenario.

How One Word Could Strip the Endangered Species Act

Katherine E Kerlin — May 13, 2025

A rule change proposed by the Trump administration could green-light the destruction of protected species' habitats and gut the Endangered Species Act, write an ecologist and law professor.

Did Economic Predictions of COVID-19 Pan Out?

Karen Michele Nikos — May 09, 2025

How economists prepared for COVID, and how that looks now

How Can Teachers Avoid Burnout?

Karen Michele Nikos — May 08, 2025

New research reveals issues teachers face in K-12 schools.

Weekender: Art, Lectures, Film Explore Structures and Movie Magic

Jamie Sara Gelfond — May 07, 2025

Julia Keefe sings in Indigenous Big Bands

Thursday, May 8, 7:30 p.m., Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Continuing a little-known but rich history of big bands that formed on reservations during the early 20th century, the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band brings charisma, passionand purpose to every stage.

The Conversation: Are Trump's Deportation Cases about Foreign Policy or Something Else?

Karen Michele Nikos — May 07, 2025

Trump administration officials have repeatedly claimed that judges who order the administration to take action to bring deported Venezuelans back from the El Salvador prison where the U.S. sent them are meddling in the conduct of foreign policy.

Weekender: Student-Created, Curated Art Takes On Davis in Performances, Exhibitions

Jamie Sara Gelfond — May 01, 2025

Grammy Award Winner Howard Levy merges the harmonica with unexpected genres

Thursday, May 1, 12:05 p.m., Recital Hall at Ann E. Pitzer Center

Support makes all the difference

Isabella E Beristain — May 01, 2025

Gain valuable advice from a student on how to find community, connect with instructors and advisors, and find work-life balance in your first year of college.

Build the community you need

Isabella E Beristain — May 01, 2025

Want to find friends at any university? Third-year student Ociano Lazo will walk you through two main strategies to meet new people and find your community.

Ongoing Art at 51�Թϱ��: Spring 2025

Jamie Sara Gelfond — April 30, 2025

Selections from the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art

On display until June 22 at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art

Arctic Plants React Unexpectedly to Climate Change

Katherine E Kerlin — April 30, 2025

Rapid climate change is upending established plant diversity and growth patterns in the Arctic, with species blooming in some areas and declining in others, suggests a study published today in the journal Nature.

The decades-long study of more than 2,000 plant communities across 45 areas in the Arctic tundra found that many locations saw vegetation change in type, abundance and growth, between 1981 and 2022.

New Two-photon Microscopy System Aims to See Into 'Impossible' Spaces

Andy Fell — April 28, 2025

Researchers at 51�Թϱ�� have developed a fast and cost-effective two-photon microscopy system capable of imaging depths previously impossible to reach in scattering tissues, such as bone and the brain.

Combining Signals Could Make for Better Control of Prosthetics

Andy Fell — April 23, 2025

Combining two different kinds of signals could help engineers build prosthetic limbs that better reproduce natural movements, according to a new study from the 51�Թϱ��, Davis. The work, published April 10 in PLOS One, shows that a combination of electromyography and force myography is more accurate at predicting hand movements than either method by itself.

What Is Science Outreach and Why Is It Important?

Anila Mary Lijo — April 22, 2025

How are 51�Թϱ�� scientists educating the public about the important research conducted on their campus? And how can outreach improve science?

51�Թϱ�� is a premier research institution where cutting-edge science is conducted daily by dedicated faculty, staff and students. One of the most important aspects of science is sharing knowledge gained from experiments and research studies.

Weekender: Music, New Book, Puppet Master and More

Jamie Sara Gelfond — April 17, 2025

This "weekender" covers two weeks of events while the Arts Blog is on hiatus next week.Jacqueline Cordova-Arrington plays flute concert

Thursday, April 17, 12:05 p.m., Recital Hall, Ann E. Pitzer Center

Avian Influenza Major Setback for Patagonian Seals

Katherine E Kerlin — April 16, 2025

It may take 100 years for the southern elephant seal colony of Península Valdés in Argentine Patagonia to look like it did in 2022. A study published in Marine Mammal Science projected population trajectories after the 2023 epidemic of the High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza H5N1 virus, which killed almost all newborn pups and an unknown number of adults.

What Do Butterflies Have to Do with ADHD?

Jamie Sara Gelfond — April 15, 2025

In the garden, butterflies flutter all around and in all directions. The task is to catch them with a virtual net, but only the blue ones. The red ones are a distraction. Sometimes they end up in the net by accident.

Bridge cultures to build networks

Isabella E Beristain — April 15, 2025

Learn two tips from 51�Թϱ�� student Ferdinand Kuanda on how international students can build community through mentorship and student organizations.