An “Environmental Catastrophe” – Why Is the Salton Sea Turning Into Toxic Dust?
A new study has identified the cause of the lake’s water loss. In the last 25 years, the Salton Sea, California’s most polluted inland lake, has…
UC Riverside News
Discovery Could Dramatically Speed Up the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Planets orbiting the most common star type may be uninhabitable. An Earth-like planet orbiting an M dwarf — the most abundant type of star in…
Dark Matter Halos of Newly Discovered Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies Are “Very Odd”
A University of California, Riverside physicist explains. In a study co-led by physicists at the University of California, Riverside and the University of California, Irvine,…
Up to 1.9 Billion Cases – New Research Indicates Far More People Caught COVID Then Official Estimates
A new mathematical model suggests that as few as 1 in 5 COVID cases were counted globally. According to mathematical models, as few as one in…
Unraveling a Cosmic Antimatter Mystery
Physicists invoke the cosmological collider to demonstrate why matter, not antimatter, dominates the universe. The universe was filled with equal numbers of matter and “antimatter” –…
Discovery of Laughing Gas in Space Could Mean Alien Life
Exoplanet hunters should check for nitrous oxide — a possible biosignature. Something is missing from the typical roster of chemicals that astrobiologists use to search…
Could More of Earth’s Surface Host Life? Jupiter’s Orbit Is Key
Jupiter’s orbit shape plays key role on Earth that has been overlooked. Of all known planets, Earth is as friendly to life as any planet…
Surprise Discovery: Sleeping Giant Could End Deep Ocean Life
Continental movement is capable of throttling marine oxygen. A previously overlooked factor — the position of continents — helps fill Earth’s oceans with life-supporting oxygen….
Antibiotics Can Ruin Your Motivation and Endurance
Eliminating gut microorganisms reduces motivation and ability to exercise. According to a recent study, antibiotics destroy essential gut bacteria, which destroys athletes’ motivation and endurance….
Potential Cure for Baldness: Discovery of Chemical Controlling Life and Death in Hair Follicles
Discovery Could Help End Baldness and Speed Healing Scientists have discovered that a single chemical is key to controlling when hair follicle cells divide, and…
Extraterrestrial Life: Ancient Microbes May Help Us Find Alien Life Forms
Light-capturing proteins illuminate Earth of billions of years ago. Scientists have reconstructed what life was like for some of Earth’s earliest organisms by using light-capturing…
A Genetic Discovery Has the Potential To Stop Mosquitos From Reproducing
The discovery opens the door to a mosquito-specific insecticide that would spare beneficial insects A genetic discovery from the University of California – Riverside (UCR)…
Artificial Photosynthesis Can Produce Food in Complete Darkness
Artificial photosynthesis is being developed by researchers to help make food production more energy-efficient on Earth, and maybe one day on Mars. For millions of…
Stanford Scientists Unlock Mysteries of Plant Growth and Health
The discovery will help develop heat-tolerant crops and improve algal biofuel production Plants, like all other known organisms, utilize DNA to pass on traits. Animal…
Biochemists Identify How Genome Organization Influences Cell Fate
University of California Riverside-led study identifies how blood stem cells maintain their fate. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that specify and maintain the identities of the…
Lesser-Known Ozone Layer Discovered To Play Outsized Role in Planet Warming
Air pollution heating up the Southern Ocean. According to new research, a lesser-known form of ozone is playing a significant role in heating the Southern…
Why Venus Rotates, Slowly, Despite Sun’s Powerful Gravitational Pull
The planet’s atmosphere explains the gravity of the situation. Venus, Earth’s sister planet, would likely not rotate, if not for its soupy, fast-moving atmosphere. Instead,…
Developing Time Crystals for Use in Real-World Applications
Time crystals that persist indefinitely at room temperature could have applications in precision timekeeping. We have all seen crystals, whether a simple grain of salt…
