Berkeley gamma-ray experiment tests new balloon technology over Antarctica

Berkeley physicist Steve Boggs leads a new gamma-ray experiment launched over Antarctica on Dec. 28 aboard the first of NASA’s new ‘super pressure’ balloons, which aim to keep experiments aloft for more than 100 days. The experiment, the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), searches for polarized gamma rays from exploding stars and other cosmic phenomena.

Learn more at http://bit.ly/1x2vpDJ.

#ucberkeley   #antarctica  +NASA  #experiment   #technology   #physics  

Napolitano appointed to Berkeley faculty

UC President Janet Napolitano has been appointed to the faculty of UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, Dean Henry Brady announced today (Thursday, Dec. 18).

Learn more at http://bit.ly/16xoqZn.

#ucberkeley #berkeley #faculty #highered #publipolicy

Ph.D. on hold, White House fellow’s stars align at NASA

Dan Hammer, a Berkeley Ph.D. candidate, has been a volunteer firefighter, was instrumental in launching Global Forest Watch, taught math at San Quentin, raced canoes in the South Pacific, and boasts a personal-best 27 seconds at solving a Rubik’s Cube. And now he’s a Presidential Innovation Fellow, working on quantum computing for NASA.

Learn more at http://bit.ly/1G81M6j.

#ucberkeley #innovation #fellow #nasa @NASA #whitehouse

In this year's ‪‎holiday‬ greeting, Chancellor Dirks reflects about the semester just completed—and what lies ahead. He also shares his thoughts on recent protests at http://bit.ly/1soZOGx.

#ucberkeley #berkeley #holiday  #holidaygreetings  #nickdirks

Organic electronics could lead to cheap, wearable medical sensors

UC Berkeley researchers have created a pulse oximeter, commonly used to measure heart rate and blood oxygen levels, using all organic materials instead of silicon. The advance could lead to cheap, flexible sensors that could be used like a Band-Aid.

Learn more at http://bit.ly/1DbZUvf.

#ucberkeley #research #engineering #technology #berkeleyresearch

New therapy holds promise for restoring vision

A new genetic therapy developed by UC Berkeley scientists has not only helped blind mice regain light sensitivity sufficient to distinguish flashing from non-flashing lights, but also restored light response to the retinas of dogs, setting the stage for future clinical trials of the therapy in humans. The therapy involves inserting photoswitches into retinal cells that are normally ‘blind.’

Learn more at http://bit.ly/160JneZ.

#ucberkeley #research #vision #genes #dna

Merry Christmas, everyone!  #FiatLux  

(Photo credit: @kit.ka7,#BerkeleyPOV)

#ucberkeley #berkeley #gobears   #cal #happyholidays   #christmas   #merrychristmas  

Sensing distant tornadoes, birds flew the coop. What tipped them off?

A UC Berkeley-led research team found that golden-winged warblers in Tennessee fled the path of tornado-generating storms one to two days ahead, well before any local signs of troubling weather. Signs point to the use of infrasound as Mother Nature’s early warning system.

Learn more at http://bit.ly/1AxR3i3.

#ucberkeley #berkeley #earlywarningsystem #weather #tornado #birds #research

What can you do to relieve finals stress? Just "Shake It Off"!

#ucberkeley  +Taylor Swift  #shakeitoff   #finals   #finalsweek  

Sociologist dubs police killings 'the other capital punishment'

As world attention focuses on police power in the United States following the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice, sociologist Jerome Karabel writes in the Huffington Post on “the other capital punishment,” which he defines as “the killing of Americans by the police without benefit of charges, trial, jury or the right to appeal.”

#ucberkeley #berkeley #pointofview #pov #sociology #capitalpunishment #deathpenalty #killing #police #policeviolence #huffingtonpost #blacklivesmatter

Study links revitalized public housing to fewer ER visits

Children living in revitalized public housing are significantly less likely to take repeated trips to the emergency room, according to a new study by researchers at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. The study suggests that improvements in public housing could potentially yield a big return on investment through the reduction in emergency room visits.

Learn more at http://bit.ly/1ucbwEZ.

#ucberkeley #research #housing #emergencyroom #berkeleyresearch

Can organic crops compete with industrial agriculture?

An analysis of 115 studies comparing organic and conventional farming finds that the crop yields of organic agriculture are higher than previously thought. Researchers also found that taking into account methods that optimize the productivity of organic agriculture could minimize the yield gap between organic and conventional farming.

Learn more at http://bit.ly/1uhQSm3.

#ucberkeley #organic #agriculture #food #research