MSN NEWS - A team of US astrophysicists has produced one of the most precise measurements ever made of the total amount of matter in the Universe, a longtime mystery of the cosmos. The answer, published in The Astrophysical Journal on Monday, is that matter accounts for 31.5 percent -- give or take 1.3 percent...
FORBES - In the dark? That’s not how we normally think of plants being grown. But it’s a method that could be used to grow algae as a renewable fuel source, with even better results than regular ol’ sunlight. The researchers working on this are from University of California, Riverside (UCR) and it’s part of...
CA AG TODAY - The University of California, Riverside recently won a $10 million grant to develop artificial intelligence to improve environmental and economic stability throughout the western U.S. Elia Scudiero is a Research Agronomist at UC Riverside. “This will bring together university personnel and Ag-Tech companies that will provide training that will serve the...
CNET - Scientists have spotted something unexpected in the cloud decks of Venus, our nearest planetary neighbor. While no one is saying it's aliens just yet, some sort of alien microorganism is on the list of potential explanations for why a chemical that shouldn't be floating around above the planet has been observed there for...
SLATE - You know things have gone off the rails if people are arguing about whether it looks like Mars or Venus where they live. In case you missed it, fires are burning across the Western U.S., and thick wildfire smoke has enveloped regions of California and Oregon. As a result, residents of Salem and...
KESQ - A Cathedral City student is sounding the alarm about climate change and potentially devastating effects on tourism in the Coachella Valley. Cindy Yañez is a graduate student researcher in earth system science. In a new climate change study for UC Riverside, she predicts increasing temperature could shorten the snowbird season by several months...
UCR NEWS - Robert Allen, assistant professor of climatology. Allen uses climate models in his research and can talk to reporters about how such models can improve our understanding of climate change. “Several observational studies have shown the frequency of occurrence of extreme warm temperatures has increased,” he says. rjallen@ucr.edu Cameron Barrows: Research ecologist at...
THE NEW YORK TIMES - Some of the nation’s leading public health experts are raising a new concern in the endless debate over coronavirus testing in the United States: The standard tests are diagnosing huge numbers of people who may be carrying relatively insignificant amounts of the virus. Any test with a cycle threshold above...
CA AG TODAY - The Argentine Ant is a problem in citrus orchards and vineyards mostly because it protects sap-sucking pests from natural predators. Entomologist Dr. Mark Hoddle and his team at UC Riverside have created a tool to help farmers more effectively manage these ants based on the fact that the like to move...
AGNET WEST - An important research project looking at Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is set to begin early next year. Extension Specialist at UC Riverside, Monique Rivera said they were recently notified that their new research project has been approved for funding support. The project is going to take a closer look at the phenology...
CANADIAN LIGHT SOURCE - Manganese isn’t considered a major water contaminant in America, but a new study is taking a closer look at whether it should be. A naturally occurring metal, manganese can be found in water supplies throughout the world. Over time, excessive ingestion of manganese can produce cognitive disabilities in children and symptoms...
WALL STREET JOURNAL - It's too hot to bake yet another peach pie and too late in the season to start a victory garden, but it is a prime time to ponder the night sky. More than 60 places around the country have been designated as exemplary stargazing sites by the International Dark-Sky Association, which...
UNIVERSE TODAY - In recent decades, over 4,000 extrasolar planets have been confirmed beyond our Solar System. With so many planets available for study, astronomers have learned a great deal about the types of planets that exist out there and what kind of conditions are prevalent. For instance, they have been able to get a...
ENTOMOLOGY TODAY - Insects have important roles as both heroes and villains, as well as neutral house guests either feared or ignored, and their ubiquity makes them accessible to both civilians and scientists. Entomology outreach is an essential part of inviting the public to learn about these characters. Frequently, graduate students are at the forefront...
WINE-SEARCHER - An end might be in sight to the long-running war between vineyard owners and their greatest enemy – phylloxera. The genome of the phylloxera, an insect that caused plagues that devastated European vines in the 19th Century and has remained a potent threat ever since has been mapped by an international team involving...
FOX 11 - People around the country have been receiving mysterious packets of seeds in the mail. UCR Plant physiologist Milt McGiffen explains (view video) why it's a bad idea to put these seeds in the ground. Agriculture departments across the country are investigating after mysterious unsolicited packages of seeds reportedly sent from China have...
AZOROBOTICS - With the help of machine learning, two scientists from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have effectively interpreted the smell of chemicals—a breakthrough study that could prove useful in the fragrance and food flavor sectors. "We now can use artificial intelligence to predict how any chemical is going to smell to humans. Chemicals...
NPR - There's some good news in the long-running battle against a disease that's devastated Florida's signature crop, oranges. Researchers are developing tools to help control citrus greening, a disease that has killed thousands of acres of orange and grapefruit trees. One of the most promising treatments was recently developed in a fruit most people...
ENTOMOLOGY TODAY - How long and how fast an invasive insect travels are important questions to determine the insect’s impact on plant (or animal) hosts. A new study by University of California, Riverside, researchers shows that Rhynchophorous palmarum, also known as the American or black palm weevil, can fly much further and faster than expected...
LOS ANGELES TIMES - Attention home gardeners: Our beloved citrus trees may yet be saved from the incurable huanglongbing, a.k.a. HLB or citrus greening disease, thanks to natural immunities found in a rare and flavorful relative known as the Australian finger lime. After five years of study, a team of UC Riverside researchers led by...