Berkeley • 9th April 2024 How to keep AI from killing us all In a new paper, UC Berkeley researchers argue that companies should not be allowed to create advanced AI systems until they can prove they are safe.
Berkeley • 18th March 2024 What artificial streams can teach us about insects, algae and our changing climate By the end of the century, drought may reshape California's mountain waterways and the ecosystems that depend on them.
Berkeley • 29th February 2024 What bats can teach us about the evolution of human speech A new study finds that the part of bats’ brains that controls vocalizations has the same neural and genetic machinery as the part of the human brain that controls speech, making bats ideal candidates for understanding speech development and pathology.
Berkeley • 13th February 2024 How a pair of Bay Area bobcats fueled one student's passion for wildlife photography Vishal Subramanyan spent much of his teen years documenting the lives of two bobcats named Notch and Blondie. Now, he hopes to use his skills as a naturalist and photographer to advance conservation work across the globe.
Berkeley • 12th December 2023 Twenty-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned — or thinned UC Berkeley researchers found that prescribed burning and restoration thinning can reduce wildfire risk and boost a forest’s resilience to climate change, and using any combination of these treatments is far better than doing nothing.
Berkeley • 9th November 2023 How to use AI for discovery — without leading science astray A new statistical technique allows researchers to safely use the predictions obtained from machine learning to test scientific hypotheses.
Berkeley • 30th August 2023 Bat study reveals how the brain is wired for collective behavior The same neurons that help bats navigate through space may also help them navigate social environments.
Berkeley News • 17th July 2023 Hidden cameras spot wildlife returning home after 2018 megafire UC Berkeley researchers analyzed motion-sensor camera photos collected before and after the Mendocino Complex Fire and found that many species were remarkably resistant to the impacts of the historic blaze
Berkeley News • 20th June 2023 Rising groundwater threatens thousands of toxic sites in the Bay Area New study highlights the growing “threat from below” as climate change raises coastal groundwater levels
Berkeley News • 30th May 2023 UC Berkeley’s 30,000-piece costume collection offers a ‘variety of weirdness’ Housed in two meticulously organized storage rooms in the basement of Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley's costume shop holds nearly any item a designer could ask for
Berkeley News • 20th April 2023 ChatGPT architect, Berkeley alum John Schulman on his journey with AI In an interview, Schulman discussed his time at Berkeley, why he cofounded OpenAI and the future of artificial general intelligence
Berkeley News • 27th March 2023 Rare beetle, rediscovered after 55 years, named in honor of Jerry Brown While sampling for insects on the former governor’s ranch, a UC Berkeley researcher found a species of beetle that has not been observed by scientists since 1966
Berkeley News • 23rd March 2023 Black, Latinx Californians face highest exposure to oil and gas wells Living near active oil and gas wells can expose people to higher levels of pollution has been linked to a variety of health problems
Berkeley News • 22nd February 2023 Climate change, urbanization drive major declines in L.A.’s birds A new study uses current and historical bird surveys to reveal how land use change has amplified — and in some cases mitigated — the impacts of climate change on birds in Los Angeles and the Central Valley
Berkeley News • 9th December 2022 How a viral toxin may exacerbate severe COVID-19 A new study finds that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can contribute to vascular leak, a dangerous release of fluids from the blood vessels that can lead to respiratory failure
Berkeley News • 22nd November 2022 Massive traffic experiment pits machine learning against ‘phantom’ jams Over the course of a five-day field trial, researchers deployed a fleet of 100 semi-autonomous vehicles to test whether a new AI-powered cruise control system can help smooth the flow of traffic and improve fuel economy.
Berkeley News • 6th October 2022 Why some countries are leading the shift to green energy As governments race to limit greenhouse gas emissions, a new study reveals the political factors that impact how countries respond to energy challenges
Berkeley News • 21st September 2022 Study finds potentially dangerous levels of arsenic in prison drinking water A new analysis of water quality data from California’s Kern Valley State Prison and neighboring rural communities found water safety issues on both sides of prison walls
Berkeley News • 21st September 2022 Bringing arsenic-safe drinking water to rural California UC Berkeley engineers have created a simple and low-cost new arsenic treatment system to help low-income communities access safer water
Berkeley News • 8th August 2022 New inhaled COVID-19 therapeutic blocks viral replication in the lungs The experimental treatment is effective against all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and could be readily modified to target other RNA viruses