Evolutionary biologist J.B.S. Haldane, alluding to the enormous number of insect species roaming the earth, is often quoted as saying, “If one could conclude as to the nature of the Creator from a study of creation, it would appear that God has an inordinate fondness for beetles.” If Haldane were still alive, he and God…
Last week, to celebrate Earth Day, volunteers around the globe trekked out to forests in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Canada and the U.S. to plant 18-inch tall clones of ancient redwood trees in an effort to forestall global warming by reforesting the Earth with the iconic forest dwellers. More than a century…
The Obama administration may urge Congress in March to invest billions of dollars to develop biotechnology and nanotechnology tools for the creation of comprehensive maps of brain activity that can help diagnose and treat brain diseases. The plan has already ignited debate, with critics questioning the massive expenditure for a single, high-risk project in the…
Marine biologists have identified a family of genes that make some corals more resilient to unusually high temperatures, providing hope that the devastation of the world’s reef-building coral population can be reversed. Reef-building corals are a critical part of marine ecosystems worldwide, providing shelter to one-quarter of all marine species and providing shoreline protection against…
In September, UC Santa Cruz professor emeritus of electrical engineering, Don Wiberg tried out for Santa Cruz’s new minor league NBA development team. While Wiberg, 76, did not make the team – he admits to not being very talented or even having played in the past 20 years – the fact that he can still…
The deeply nasal, yet strangely calming voice would echo through my living room, keeping me company during the middle of the night. Each sentence was overstuffed with ideas, like airborne zip files, waiting to be unpacked. I would be utterly absorbed by this voice for hours, lying motionless on the couch in the dark. This…
