A Sampling of Clips for April 11, 2011

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

Virgin Oceanic Plumbs the Depths for Science
Nature, April 8 -- Richard Branson's plans to pilot a deep-diving submarine to the bottom of the ocean may sound like just the latest adventure for the entrepreneur behind the Virgin brand. But the Virgin Oceanic mission, unveiled this week, is backed by a team of scientists planning groundbreaking marine research. Nature spoke to research-team members Douglas Bartlett, a marine microbiologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, and Katrina Edwards, a microbiologist at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, about what they hope to learn. More

Hungry Judges Dispense Rough Justice
Nature, April 11 -- A prisoner's chance of parole depends on when the judge hearing the case last took a break, say researchers who have studied decisions in Israeli courts. As judges tire and get hungry, they slip towards the easy option of denying parole, say the researchers. (Quotes David Schkade, an expert in judges' decision-making at UC San Diego, who didn’t part in the study) More

Liberal vs. Conservative: Does the Difference Lie in the Brain?
TIME Magazine, April 8 -- The differences between liberals and conservatives run wide and deep, and a new study suggests they may even be reflected in the very structure of their brains. (Mentions research at UC San Diego) More

French Diet Gets Royal Treatment, But Experts Scoff
MSNBC, April 8 -- Americans looking to slim down for summer may soon be cheering "Vive la France" when “The Dukan Diet” book makes its American debut on April 19th. But U.S. nutrition experts are already saying "mon Dieu!" about yet another carb-hating, protein-loving, weight-loss plan. (Mentions a recent study, researchers from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and UC San Diego) More

The Upside of College Rejection:
Your Safety School Might Be the Smarter Choice
TIME Magazine,  April 8 -- The headlines last week weren't pretty. As colleges and universities nationwide revealed their admissions decisions, news broke of a dramatic decline in acceptance rates — and not just at Ivy League schools. The shift means that for the legions of high school students who sunk all their hopes and plans into a dream school find themselves grappling with some serious disappointment this week. (Mentions UC San Diego) More

Pumped Up?
The New Yorker, April 11 -- The U.S. economy has finally started to create jobs at a reasonable clip. Inflation is still low. Corporate profits are healthy, and surveys of business conditions suggest that the recovery is, as the Federal Reserve recently put it, “on a firmer footing.” (Quotes UC San Diego economist James Hamilton) More

What Happens if You Get Sucked Out of a Plane?
Discovery Channel, April 8 -- The hole that ripped through the ceiling of a commercial airplane at cruising altitude last week may, for some, have brought to mind the pilot of the TV show "Lost." In that dramatic episode, an airplane breaks in half, and passengers go flying through a gaping hole in the fuselage. (Quotes Peter Wagner, a physician and physiologist at UC San Diego) More

Coffee Studies Should Warm Your Heart
Los Angeles Times, April 10 -- Looking for a reason to not give up your coffee habit? Here's one possibility: heart health.( Quotes Dr. Thomas Hemmen, director of the UC San Diego Stroke Center) More

The Architect Behind UCSD's New Uber-green Housing
San Diego Union-Tribune, April 8 -- James Timberlake -- whose company designed UC San Diego's new, green student apartments -- is a bit disappointed in President Obama and his thoughts on green reform this week. More

Obama Calls Budget Reduction
Deal With Congress a ‘Worthwhile Compromise
Bloomberg, April 9 -- President Barack Obama said the budget deal he struck with Congress is a “worthwhile compromise” that will keep government offices open and paychecks flowing to federal employees and military personnel. (Quotes UC San Diego political scientist Gary Jacobson) More

A Pause on the Road to Greatness
San Diego Union-Tribune, Editorial, April 10 -- It was disappointing last week to hear the news that UC San Diego and California Western School of Law had agreed to “a pause” in discussions for a merger to create a UCSD School of Law. More

We Must Pursue a UCSD Law School
San Diego Union-Tribune, Opinion, April 8 -- Although I understand why UC San Diego and California Western School of Law are “pausing” discussions about combining to form a UC San Diego school of law, there may be a better course of action. More

Lack of Biomarkers Makes It Tough to Target Parkinson's
San Diego Union-Tribune, April 9 -- After Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States, with roughly half a million Americans affected and 50,000 new cases reported each year. We asked Dr. Douglas Galasko, a professor in the UC San Diego Department of Neurosciences and the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, to talk about the search for Parkinson’s biomarkers. More

4 UCSD Students Hit by Drunk Driver: Police
NBC San Diego, April 10 -- Four UC San Diego students were involved in a head-on collision Saturday night when a suspected drunk driver veered into their lane and struck them in University City, San Diego police said. More

Similar story in
San Diego Union-Tribune

UCSD to Embrace "World Worth Celebrating"
NBC San Diego, April 9 -- A vibrant cultural celebration featuring music, dance, games and food is underway Saturday on the campus of Thurgood Marshall College at UC San Diego. More

Border Has Become Main Battleground in Drug War
San Diego Union-Tribune, April 9 -- The southwest border has become the nucleus of the U.S. and Mexican war on drugs. (Quotes David Mares, professor of political science and international relations at UC San Diego) More

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