A Sampling of Clips for April 7, 2010

* UCSD faculty and staff may obtain a copy of an article by e-mailing the University Communications Office

Animals Thrive Without Oxygen at Sea Bottom
Nature, April 6 -- Living exclusively oxygen-free was thought to be a lifestyle open only to viruses and single-celled microorganisms. A group of Italian and Danish researchers has now found three species of multicellular animal, or metazoan, that apparently spend their entire lives in oxygen-starved waters in a basin at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. (Quotes  Lisa Levin, a biological oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California) More

Similar story in
Scientific  American
New Scientist, U.K.

What's in a Name? Fly World is Abuzz
Nature, April 6 -- The star subject of genetic research — the Drosophila melanogaster  fruitfly — may lose its name. (Quotes Therese Markow, a geneticist at UC San Diego, who was reached in the Sonoran Desert, where she was collecting fruitflies) More

From Megacity to Metacity
Financial Times, April 6 -- The contemporary vision of the megacity still derives from a medieval model, whether in the high rises of Manhattan or the intense activity and constant adaptation of London. Confined within the memory of its Roman walls, we still think of the city as a dense, defined centre, surrounded by a halo of low-rise suburbs. This, though, is the city of history. (Mentions the work of Teddy Cruz, who is on the UC San Diego faculty) More

Everything is Contagious
Slate, April 7 -- If you've been following the news recently, you may be worried that a plague of social contagion has struck mankind. This week, a study found that drinking habits are socially transmissible. Last month, a paper said that both cooperation and selfishness can spread like a virus. In February, a study found that poor sleep and pot smoking are contagious among teens. All of these revelations come from the works of two scientists, Harvard's Nicholas Christakis and UC San Diego's James Fowler. More

National Poetry Month: Breeding Hyperlinks Out of the Dead Land
Huffington Post, April 5 --  It's National Poetry Month, so media outlets all across the country are shining a spotlight on the art form they normally ignore, mangle, or treat with derision. Hooray! (Mentions Rae Armantrout, who is on the UC San Diego faculty) More

Parents Changing Their Lives to Get Kids to College
KPBS, April 6 --  Even though the actual admission process has taken only a few short months, preparation for college began years earlier for some kids. In fact, a new study from UC San Diego finds that children who come from wealthier homes where both parents have graduated from college have likely been prepped from early childhood. More

Advanced Quake Warning System May Soon be Reality
10News, April 6 -- The possibility of an advanced-warning system for major earthquakes is real, thanks to sensors run by local researchers. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography has developed 17 solar-powered earthquake sensors, with most placed near Anza. Each one detects the earth's movements and the information received is instantaneous. More

Scientists Study Aftershocks to Watch
for Increased Stress on San Andreas Fault
KPBS, April 6 — Local scientists continue to monitor aftershocks from Sunday’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake to determine if stress patterns were altered on other nearby faults, including the southern San Andreas Fault. Dr. Debi Kilb, a scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography says the magnitude-7.2 earthquake could cause stress along other nearby fault zones, and that stress could serve as a catalyst for triggering more quakes. More

'Activist' UCSD Professor Facing Unusual Scrutiny
San Diego Union-Tribune, April 6 -- UC San Diego professor Ricardo Dominguez is facing unusual scrutiny from campus police and auditors for his involvement in two divisive projects — one that helps migrants find water stored along the border and another that disrupted the UC president’s Web site through a virtual sit-in. More

Similar story in
North County Times

How to Prevent Kidney Stones
10News, April 7 -- We've all heard the expression, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" Passing a kidney stone would probably qualify for one of life's "lemons," but did you know that drinking lemonade has been shown to prevent them? It is one of five ways you can prevent kidney stones, according to Roger L. Sur, MD, director of UC San Diego Health System's Comprehensive Kidney Stone Center, who joined us on Good Morning San Diego. More

UCSD Announces Faculty Excellence Awards
The San Diego Daily Transcript, April 6, 2010 -- UC San Diego added an additional award to its annual Chancellor’s Associates Faculty Excellence Awards, which were awarded last week. More

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