Egghead Content

First Images Revealed From Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Andy Fell — June 23, 2025 - 10:47am

The results of two decades of scientific and technological innovation were unveiled today with the reveal of the first imagery captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a facility jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

What Do Your Teeth Reveal About Your Diet?

Andy Fell — June 16, 2025 - 2:41pm

Teeth chronicle the past. Much like trees, they grow in rings and these rings, or growth marks, act like a record of development.

"Teeth retain the chemical signatures at the time when they were grown, starting at birth and ending in your late teens,” said Diana Malarchik, a Ph.D. candidate in the �鶹��ý Department of Anthropology. “Based on this anatomy, I can sample these growth rings and get nitrogen signatures and create a dietary timeline.”

Tackling Nuclear Waste Challenges One Atom at a Time

Andy Fell — June 09, 2025 - 3:29pm

Nuclear energy is having a bit of a moment, with recent interest from big tech companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta, which are pursuing nuclear energy as a sustainable and reliable source of power for their growing data centers.

Spring-fed Rivers, Cold Waters and Trout

Andy Fell — June 09, 2025 - 1:55pm

In an age of climate whiplash, cold streams and creeks fed by aquifers in volcanic rock could be a refuge for the survival of native species, especially salmon and trout which breed in cold mountain streams.

One source of cold stream water is of course snowmelt, but that can vary greatly from year to year. Another, more stable source comes from springs drawing on water stored in porous volcanic rocks. These volcanic aquifers can feed cold water into creeks and streams year-round, potentially supporting rainbow trout, steelhead, Coho and Chinook salmon.

The Singular Mathematics of Daily Life

Andy Fell — June 02, 2025 - 3:56pm

On a Sunday morning in September 2023, �鶹��ý mathematician Roger Casals Gutiérrez was entranced by a beautiful pattern of intersecting lines, curves and points thrown on the kitchen wall by sunlight filtered through the window.

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

Andy Fell — April 28, 2025 - 3:20pm

Researchers at �鶹��ý 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 - 2:17pm

Combining two different kinds of signals could help engineers build prosthetic limbs that better reproduce natural movements, according to a new study from the University of California, 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.

Map of Genetic Regulation in Chickens Could Help Fight Against Bird Flu

Andy Fell — April 09, 2025 - 10:38am

An international team of researchers led by Professor Huaijun Zhou from the �鶹��ý Department of Animal Science has created the first-ever detailed map of how genes are regulated in chickens — a breakthrough that could help scientists breed birds that are more resistant to diseases like avian influenza.

California Rice and Conservation

Andy Fell — April 07, 2025 - 4:12pm

In 1991, the state of California largely banned burning of rice straw after harvest, and farmers turned instead to winter flooding of fields to break down straw. As a result, wildlife has flourished in rice fields which reproduce, to some extent, the wetland habitat that once covered most of California's Central Valley. Rice fields now support some 200 species including fish, birds and reptiles.

The Rise of Pseudocannabinoids

Andy Fell — April 02, 2025 - 11:07am

Developing pseudocannabinoids, synthetic molecules that mimic the activity of molecules found in cannabis plants, is the goal of research by Professor Mark Mascal in the �鶹��ý Department of Chemistry. Mascal recently received a $30,000, one-year seed grant, the Dr. Mohsen Najafi Research Award in Medicinal Chemistry, to advance his work.