Latest Blog Posts

The Conversation: Why Does Red Wine Cause Headaches?

Karen Michele Nikos — December 18, 2024

Medical accounts of red wine headaches go back to Roman times, but the experience is likely as old as winemaking – something like 10,000 years. As chemists specializing in winemaking, we wanted to try to figure out the source of these headaches.

How to relax while you wait for admission decisions

Isabella E Beristain — December 18, 2024

Dear students,

Congratulations! You submitted your college applications. This marks a major milestone in your academic journey. Feel proud of the effort, time and dedication you put in over the last couple of months. Now comes the dreaded waiting period — a time filled with both anticipation and nerves.

This holiday season I want to share some advice to help you navigate this time with a sense of calm and balance.

Solving the Moving Sofa Problem

Andy Fell — December 13, 2024

Korean mathematician Jineon Baek may have come up with a proof for a long-standing problem: What is the largest object that can fit around a corner of a certain size?

Weekender: A Last Look at Exhibits; Film Screening

Jamie Sara Gelfond — December 12, 2024

Get 'Last Look' at fall quarter exhibits at Manetti Shrem; check out art, gifts at Gorman

In addition to regular hours through Dec. 22, special hours are Saturday, Dec. 28 and Sunday, Dec. 29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, 254 Old Davis Road

Gorman Museum of Native American Art: exhibition and gift shop hours until Dec. 22, 181 Old Davis Road

Weekender: A White Christmas Performance, ��о�� Alum Exhibit, and More!

Jamie Sara Gelfond — December 05, 2024

She Kills Monsters’ final performances are this week

Thursday, Dec. 5 and Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., Main Theatre at Wright Hall, ��о��

Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m., Main Theatre at Wright Hall, ��о��

The Arts Blog Gift Guide 2024 Offers Gifts for the Art Lover

Jamie Sara Gelfond — December 02, 2024

Eye, Robot: Researchers Give Machines a New Perspective with Active Vision

Andy Fell — November 26, 2024

When Iman Soltani worked in the automotive industry, he studied assembly floors and noticed that each automated task had its specific robotic design.

He also noticed that while a robot would need multiple cameras affixed to several locations for the best possible sightline, an operator on the assembly floor would move their head and neck to get the best view as they manipulated components.

Animal and Veterinary Innovation Center Established at ��о��

Andy Fell — November 22, 2024

��о�� is one of four institutions nationwide selected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to establish Animal and Veterinary Innovation centers to help spur innovation and advance regulatory decisions.

The ��о�� Intentional Genomic Alteration Innovation Center will focus on genome editing of livestock like pigs, sheep and cattle to support science-based regulations that demonstrate the safety of the technology and pave the way for human consumption of edited animals.

Is the '27 Club' Real? Researcher Looks at Myths That Endure

Karen Michele Nikos — November 21, 2024

The 27 Club isn’t true, but it is real − a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality

Weekender: Open Studios, Musics of the World, Photography Contest, and More

Jamie Sara Gelfond — November 21, 2024

Theatre and dance presents original dramatic comedy She Kills Monsters

Running from Thursday, Nov. 21 through Saturday, Dec. 7, Main Theatre at Wright Hall, ��о��

Performances are Nov. 21, 22, 23 and Dec. 5 and 6 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 23 and Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.

Overcoming the Casimir Force, a Fundamental Limitation in Quantum Tech

Andy Fell — November 21, 2024

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jeremy Munday and his lab have demonstrated a method for controlling the Casimir force, a quantum mechanical effect that draws small objects toward each other. The force can be so strong as to tear components inside a device apart.

��о�� Lecturer Spotlights Overshadowed Women; New Biography Highlights Sanora Babb

Karen Michele Nikos — November 15, 2024

Born in 1907, Sanora Babb was a writer and editor.

Weekender: Art Jam, Comedy, Book Reading, and More

Jamie Sara Gelfond — November 14, 2024

Watch a historical, if disturbing, movie; meet the filmmakers, and go to after-hours Art Jam. All free....Many other no or low-cost options.

The Week Ahead: Two Films, A Memoir and More

Jamie Sara Gelfond — November 12, 2024

‘Unexpected Legends’ premieres on KVIE television

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.

Write Personal Insight Question responses that reflect you

Isabella E Beristain — November 12, 2024

A ��о�� admissions director provides step-by-step advice on how to write a great PIQ, the UC version of a college essay. His main tip? Be authentic.

��о�� Historian Wins Award for ‘Suicide by Proxy’ Book Made into Film

Karen Michele Nikos — November 07, 2024

��о�� Professor Kathy Stuart, author of Suicide by Proxy in Early Modern Germany: Crime, Sin and Salvation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) has won the 2024 Natalie Zemon Davis Prize in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

“What to do about women (and sometimes, men) who gruesomely murdered children because of their own ‘weariness with life?’ This was a dilemma faced by elites in German-speaking lands during the 17th and 18th centuries,’ reads the description of Stuart’s book by award givers.

Weekender: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, String Trio, and More

Jamie Sara Gelfond — November 07, 2024

Youn Sun Nah brings jazz to Davis

From Thursday, Nov. 7 through Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Vanderhoef Studio at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, run time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission

Youn Sun Nah first heard Nina Simone in high school. From that moment on, she decided to pursue jazz.

The Sheepmowers Cut the Grass — and Feed the Lawn and Soul

Jamie Sara Gelfond — November 06, 2024

Sheepmovers made their return to the ��о�� campus on Wellman Hall’s lawn Friday, Nov. 1. About 25 sheep of multiple varieties grazed the lawn, helping to mow, fertilize and improve the lawn’s ecosystem. But not only do these sheep help to keep our planet in order, they also provide students with an artistic outlet to enjoy during a stressful week.

Can Corals Be Saved?

Andy Fell — November 04, 2024

It takes a strong constitution to be a coral researcher these days. These vibrant underwater ecosystems are beset by all manner of challenges in the 21st century, from bleaching events and pollution to storm surges and overfishing. But there’s good news on the way for coral conservation.

Weekender: Halloween, Sheepmowers, Jazz, and More!

Jamie Sara Gelfond — October 31, 2024

Walks, talks, treats and sheep. And check out ongoing arts exhibitions. All yours this weekend.