Researchers found that replacing coal with renewable energy sources like nuclear power and wind/solar energy would be the least expensive way to meet greenhouse gas emissions goals. The study suggests a moderate increase in consumer cost of electric power, at most 20 percent.
A study by University of California, Berkeley chemists links increased fertilizer use to nitrous oxide rise, a major greenhouse gas contributing to global climate change. The study uses nitrogen isotope data to identify the fingerprint of fertilizer use in archived air samples from Antarctica and Tasmania.
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a new iron-based material that can separate saturated hydrocarbons from unsaturated gases at high temperatures, eliminating the need for chilling. This breakthrough could lead to significant energy savings in the chemical industry, particularly in the production of plastics and fuels.
ChronoZoom is a web-based software that enables users to visualize history and discover new connections. The project uses Microsoft Azure and HTML5 to allow for easy updates and expansion of content.
Researchers reveal a crucial key to understanding neutrino transformations, shedding light on the universe's matter-antimatter asymmetry. The new discovery enables future experiments to explore why our universe is filled mostly with matter.
Neuroscientists at UC Berkeley and Portugal's Champalimaud Center have demonstrated that the brain can be trained to perform tasks it normally doesn't, using plasticity to master purely mental tasks. This breakthrough advances work on brain-machine interfaces, potentially leading to prosthetic devices that feel like natural movement.
A recent study from UC Berkeley found that individuals from the upper class are more likely to exhibit unethical behavior, including cutting off others on the road and deceiving job candidates. The researchers attribute this tendency to a positive attitude towards greed, which primes participants to engage in self-serving behaviors.
Chemists at UC Berkeley have developed a new, edge-based catalyst that can efficiently produce hydrogen from water. The breakthrough could lead to more affordable and efficient fuel cell technology, reducing emissions and increasing the use of clean-burning fuels.
A new study reveals a significant decline in the genetic diversity of alpine chipmunks in Yosemite National Park due to climate change. The species' geographic range has shifted to higher elevations over the past 90 years, resulting in fragmented and genetically impoverished populations.
Researchers at UC Berkeley successfully decoded electrical activity in the brain's temporal lobe while listening to conversation, predicting words heard solely from temporal lobe activity. This breakthrough could enable reconstruction of imagined conversations for severely disabled individuals.
A new analysis of 124 wetland studies reveals that restored wetlands rarely reach the quality of their natural counterparts. After 50-100 years, they are still 23% less in terms of carbon resources and have a 26% lower variety of native plants.
A new study reveals that people with no symptoms of Alzheimer's who engaged in cognitively stimulating activities throughout their lives had fewer deposits of beta-amyloid, a destructive protein that is the hallmark of the disease. Lifelong cognitive engagement may affect a primary pathological process in the disease, suggesting potent...
UC Berkeley researchers found that gossip can have positive outcomes, such as helping people police bad behavior and prevent exploitation. Gossiping also made volunteers feel better when they were able to pass on information to alert others.
Researchers have confirmed that Type Ia supernovae are produced by the explosion of carbon-oxygen white dwarf stars. By analyzing a fluke observation of SN2011fe four hours after its explosion, scientists set stricter limits on the size of the progenitor star, ruling out other possibilities.
Scientists found that a lizard's tail is crucial in preventing forward pitch during leaping. By adding a tail to a robotic car called Tailbot, researchers discovered that it can stabilize its body and remain upright even after stumbling.
Researchers found that prior immune response to one serotype can influence interaction with virus subtypes in a subsequent infection, increasing risk of severe disease. The study provides new insights into the complex interplay between viral genetics and immune system response.
Researchers found that people in lower socio-economic classes are more physiologically attuned to suffering and quicker to express compassion than their more affluent counterparts. This challenges previous studies that characterized lower-class individuals as prone to anxiety and hostility. The study suggests a culture of compassion am...
Researchers used Hubble Space Telescope data to rule out some proposed progenitor systems for Type Ia supernovae. The study suggests that the companion star was likely a normal star like our sun, a subgiant, or possibly a white dwarf.
Astronomers are observing a unique opportunity to study how a black hole gulps gas, dust, and stars as it grows bigger. The gas cloud is currently 550 Kelvin or 280 degrees Celsius and will be ripped apart by the tidal forces around the black hole.
A new study published in Journal of Arid Environments found that climate change is causing widespread tree mortality and species loss in the Sahel region of Africa, with one in six trees dying between 1954 and 2002.
Researchers have identified a genetic trigger that promotes the differentiation of olfactory stem cells into sensory neurons in the nose epithelia. This discovery provides potential therapeutic strategies for treating anosmia and other age-related declines in sense of smell.
Astronomers have discovered the largest black holes to date, two monsters with masses equivalent to 10 billion suns threatening to consume anything within a region five times the size of our solar system. These black holes are located in giant elliptical galaxies more than 300 million light years from Earth.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded $6 million to three West Coast universities to create a prototype earthquake early warning system. The goal is to provide seconds to several minutes of warning before the ground shakes, saving thousands of lives and millions of dollars in the event of an earthquake.
Researchers at UC Berkeley found that dream sleep helps process emotional experiences, removing the edge from painful memories. During REM sleep, stress neurochemicals are suppressed, allowing the brain to connect and integrate memories in a more rational state.
A study by UC Berkeley researchers found that bushmeat consumption had a positive effect on children's nutrition, raising concerns about the impact of conservation efforts on local communities. The study estimated that a loss of access to wildlife as a food source would lead to a 29% increase in child anemia.
A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, found that complete strangers can pick up on who is trustworthy and kind in just 20 seconds based on facial expressions and body language. People with a specific variation of the oxytocin receptor gene, known as the GG genotype, displayed more trustworthy behaviors.
Researchers at UC Berkeley have discovered that ionized plasmas can kill bacteria in water for up to a week, making it a potential cheap and effective sterilizer for developing countries. The plasma-generated molecules create a cocktail of highly reactive chemicals that attack and destroy microbes.
Two new studies find a dramatic reduction in severe pneumonia diagnoses among children with smoke-reducing chimneys on their cookstoves. Exposure to woodsmoke during pregnancy also linked to poorer performance in IQ markers for school-aged children.
Researchers identified the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex as key players in impaired decision making, leading to addictive and compulsive behavior. The study's findings may pave the way for more targeted treatments for substance abuse and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
A new study reveals that adult stem cells can reshape organs in response to changes, with implications for diabetes and obesity. Intestinal stem cells respond to increased food intake by producing more cells, expanding the gut's size.
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a self-templating material assembly process using a harmless virus to mimic the formation of complex structures from helical macromolecules like collagen. The technique allows for control over the type of pattern formed, enabling the creation of materials with diverse functions.
A robotic bug named DASH+Wings was tested for its ability to fly and run. The results showed that the extra boost from flapping wings improved the robot's speed and stability, but did not provide enough thrust to launch it from the ground.
Researchers at UC Berkeley found that ending the hybrid car program in California's carpool lanes slowed traffic for all drivers, not just hybrids. The study showed that moving hybrids out of carpool lanes increased congestion in adjacent lanes and reduced overall traffic speed.
A new survey suggests that many Type Ia supernovae result from the merger of two white dwarf stars, challenging previous theories about their origins. The study, which analyzed data from distant exploding stars, found that these events may be more common than previously thought and could provide insights into the history of the universe.
A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that embarrassment can be a positive trait, fostering trust and cooperation in everyday life. Subjects who were more easily embarrassed reported higher levels of monogamy and generosity, indicating a stronger tendency to affiliate with others.
UC Berkeley researchers successfully decoded and reconstructed people's dynamic visual experiences by watching Hollywood movie trailers. The breakthrough technology can eventually be used to understand what goes on in the minds of stroke victims or coma patients, as well as enable brain-machine interfaces for people with cerebral palsy.
Bioengineers at UC Berkeley have successfully reprogrammed mature muscle tissue, a major breakthrough in combating muscle degeneration. The researchers used small molecule inhibitors to de-differentiate mature muscle cells, allowing them to revert back to an earlier stem cell stage.
Researchers at UC Berkeley have demonstrated negative capacitance in ferroelectric materials, a phenomenon that can amplify charge for a given voltage. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize computing by enabling the creation of low-power transistors without compromising performance.
Neuroscientists at UC Berkeley have discovered a new approach to treating tinnitus by retraining the brain, targeting areas that have lost input from the ear. The study also found that drugs can boost inhibitors to reduce spontaneous firing of idle neurons in the auditory cortex.
A study published in Phytopathology identifies California as the source of the devastating tree-killing fungus Seiridium cardinale. The pathogen has infected and killed up to 95% of native trees worldwide, including junipers and cedars.
A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health found that exposure to flame retardants during pregnancy is associated with lower birth weight. The study, led by Kim Harley, found a significant correlation between PBDE levels in mothers' blood and baby weights, with a 115-gram decrease ...
The project, called VertNet, aims to make online storage of vertebrate collections from around the world more accessible. This will enable academic researchers and citizen scientists to search and explore the vast collections more easily.
A new study suggests that aggressive tree-killing fungi, relatives of modern plant pathogens, played a key role in the demise of ancient conifer forests. The researchers propose that these fungi were triggered by global climate change and contributed to widespread tree mortality during the end-Permian crisis.
A recent study found that exotic grasses are better equipped to adapt to warmer temperatures than native grasses in California. This could lead to the expansion of invasive species into new areas, potentially threatening biodiversity and ecosystems.
Cancer researcher Peter Duesberg suggests that cancer is a form of speciation, where tumors are new species that operate independently and can grow without host control. This theory could lead to new insights into cancer growth and metastasis, as well as new approaches to therapy.
Two NASA probes, part of the THEMIS mission, will map the lunar surface and its magnetic field. The ARTEMIS mission aims to acquire a full 3D view of the moon's magnetic fields and surrounding environment.
A study suggests gray whales thrived during glacial periods with diverse food sources, supporting higher population estimates than today. Researchers analyzed California gray whale responses to climate change over 120,000 years.
Researchers found a microbe in a Nevada hot spring that can digest cellulose at temperatures near boiling point, producing a record-breaking hyperthermophilic cellulase. The enzyme is the most heat-tolerant found in any cellulose-digesting microbe, with applications for biofuels production and industrial processes.
Researchers have developed a magnetic logic circuit and memory that theoretically approach the Landauer limit, dissipating only 18 millielectron volts of energy per operation. This represents a huge reduction in energy consumption for electronics, potentially revolutionizing computing.
A study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that two-parent families, regardless of gender or marital status, are crucial to children's social and academic success. The researchers found that couples who participated in a 16-week program reported higher satisfaction in their marriages and kids were doing better in school.