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2024 Goldwater scholars
Clockwise, from left: Matthew Unger, Riya Nilkrant, Xuanwei Liang, Isaac Heir, Anika Jena

Five UC Santa Barbara undergraduates named Goldwater Scholars

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Hillside daisy blankets hills in yellow, with splashes of pink, orange and blue.
Photo Credit
Joan Dudney
California’s wildflowers have painted parts of the state in a dazzling array of colors.

Tending to our superblooms requires developing plans for people to enjoy them
aerial view of wildfire marching across a forest landscape
Where fire is a natural part of the ecosystem, it can create space and opportunities for adaptations and new species

Naturally fire-prone ecosystems tend to have more species of birds and mammals, a new study reveals
Mono Lake with bright sunshine
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Mono Lake, where brine flies are a key food source for water birds.

The productivity of brine flies is tied to the overall health of salt lake ecosystems; both are in decline
a close-eyed statue with brain exposed, coming into focus
Photo Credit
Photo illustration by Matt Perko. Original image by David Matos on Unsplash.

Researchers use artificial intelligence to hunt for human intelligence
Stressed pines on a hill in southwestern Colorado.
Photo Credit
A climate-stressed forest in southwestern Colorado near Wolf Creek Pass.
A climate-stressed forest in southwestern Colorado near Wolf Creek Pass.

US forests face an unclear future with climate change
A snorkeler with camera and note pad investigates a nearly bleached coral.
Photo Credit
Jeff Liang
Professor Deron Burkepile observes coral in the process of bleaching in the reefs around Moorea.

Stripped to the Bone: Research in Moorea shows the presence of coral skeletons influences reef recovery after bleaching
A glowing circuit board
Photo Credit
Unsplash/Adi Goldstein

Jonathan Balkind receives NSF Early CAREER Award to improve cloud-based computing
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UC Santa Barbara’s Critical Issues in America series will examine the broad societal implications of aging and extension of longevity
Argentinian glacier as seen from ISS
Photo Credit
NASA
Argentina's Perito Moreno Glacier as seen from the International Space Station

New NASA-funded research will build next-gen tech to better measure climate
A man on his smartphone is distracted from his family.
Photo Credit
iStock

Study finds parents’ phone use in front of their kids can harm emotional intelligence
goat being fed grass
Photo Credit
Courtesy Image
Ruminants such as cows, sheep and goats host anaerobic gut fungi that can break down tough cell walls

Researchers prove that tough, woody lignin can be broken down in an anaerobic environment
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Records from Platform Holly provide a glimpse of how petroleum production affects natural gas seeps
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