A Sampling of Clips for Nov. 12, 2010

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

Autism Mimicked by Cells in a Dish
MSNBC, Nov. 11 -- Using stem cells, scientists have engineered neurons that provide the first human cellular model in which to study the development of autism. The stem cells came from adult patients with Rett syndrome, a severe developmental disorder similar to autism. Researchers sought to make neurons from these cells because "if we can understand the extreme case, we can understand all the others," said study researcher Alysson R. Muotri, assistant professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego. More

Similar story in
MIT Technology Review

The GOP's Racial Challenge
The Wall Street Journal, Opinion, Nov. 10 -- Lost in the GOP's euphoria over its landslide midterm victory is the fact that the Republican Party has almost become a whites-only party. Its strategy may win seats now, but it will lose over the long run. (Written by Zoltan Hajnal, an associate professor of political science at UC San Diego, and author of "America's Uneven Democracy") More

Let the Majority Rule
Los Angeles Times, Opinion, Nov. 11 -- Triumphant after the passage of Proposition 25, which allows passage of the state budget by a simple majority, Democrats in the California Legislature should celebrate this victory by showing their dedication to the broad philosophy of majority rule, even when it may hurt their narrow interests. (Written by UC San Diego political scientist Thad Kousser) More

Study Finds CO2 the Culprit in Ancient Global Warming
Reuters, Nov. 9 -- Some 40 million years ago, the world experienced an extreme spike in global warming. The heat was so intense that deep sea temperatures rose by about 4 degrees Celsius. This enigmatic sultry period, known as the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), marked a 400,000-year-long heat wave in the midst of a long era of global cooling. Now research published Nov. 5 in the journal Science suggests the rise in surface sea temperature occurred during a time when atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels were particularly high, according to a research team from Utrecht University and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. (Quotes Richard Norris, a paleobiologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego) More

To Congress With the Mantra, 'Why Not Me?'
The New York Times, Nov. 11 – Robert Schilling, who owns a pizza restaurant, is among roughly 35 incoming members of the House — and four new senators — who have never been elected to anything. “I’m a story that never should have happened,” said Mr. Schilling, 46, soon to represent a giant squiggle of west Illinois. (Quotes UC San Diego political scientist Gary Jacobson) More

Border Czar Speaks at UCSD on Border Violence
CW6, San Diego, Nov. 12 -- An end to the violence? Despite the drug trafficking and killings South of the border. One expert says the situation is about to get better. Border Czar, Alan Bersin has a positive outlook on the violence we are seeing across the border.
More

Similar story in
Contra Costa Times

UCSD Biology Professor Travels the World as a “Darwinian Tourist”
San Diego Union-Tribune, Nov. 14 -- UC San Diego biology professor Christopher Wills has traveled the globe studying ecosystems and writing about them. His new book, “The Darwinian Tourist: Viewing the World Through Evolutionary Eyes,” also includes more than 100 of his photographs. He’ll be at DG Wills in La Jolla for a book signing on Friday at 7 p.m. He answered questions recently by e-mail. More

High Hopes for Arthritis Drugs
Scientific American, Nov. 11 -- A wave of encouraging clinical-trial data is raising hopes for a new class of drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The therapies, hotly pursued by pharmaceutical companies, inhibit proteins called kinases, and aim to halt the inflammation that causes debilitating pain and eventual destruction of bone and cartilage. (Quotes Gary Firestein, a rheumatologist at the UC San Diego School of Medicine) More

Similar story in
Nature

Republicans' Hard Line Since Winning House Could Backfire
Los Angeles Times, Nov. 11 -- No bargaining, no deals, no compromise — that's the hard-line stance that Republicans have staked in the days since seizing control of the House.  (Quotes UC San Diego political scientist Gary Jacobson) More

Similar stories in
Chicago Tribune
FOX59, Indianapolis

What Does China Want With South Texas? Hint: Cleaner Energy Know-how
The Christian Science Monitor, Nov. 10 -- Last month, China's thirst for energy came to American shores. On Oct. 11, the government-run China National Offshore Oil Corp. agreed to pay $2.2 billion for access to oil and gas assets in south Texas – marking China's first successful energy investment in the American market. (Quotes David Victor, an energy expert at UC San Diego) More

Gold Rush
Slate.com, Nov. 10 -- No one claims that a return to the gold standard is imminent. But let's entertain the possibility: Say the United States decided to peg the dollar to the price of gold. What would happen? (Quotes UC San Diego economist James Hamilton) More

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The Atlantic Monthly

Against Space
Discover Magazine, Nov. 9 -- The Philosophy of Science Association meeting in Montreal was great fun. For one thing it was in Montreal; for another I got to hang out with Doctor Free-Ride; and as a bonus there were some interesting and provocative talks about the nature of time. I chatted with Tim Maudlin, Huw Price, Craig Callender, Nick Huggett, Chris Wuttrich, David Wallace, John Norton, and other people I always learn from when I talk to. Philosophers always force you to think hard about things. Callender and Wuttrich are on the UC San Diego faculty. More

Children's Loss Spurs Long Beach Mom
Contra Costa Times, Nov. 11 -- In a quiet corner of her best friend's apartment, pictures of Tolia Terrell's three dead children overwhelmed the space. The Long Beach native spoke about the mitochondrial disease that claimed the lives of her daughters and her son before they were 2. To raise awareness, Terrell and her best friend, Eunice Alexander of Long Beach-based Stylist of the Stars of Fashion and Talent Management, will present the Take Flight Fundraiser Fashion Show on Saturday in Long Beach. (Mentions the Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center at UC San Diego)

Similar story in
Long Beach Press Telegram

Just Color San Diego Algae Green in Research
San Diego Union-Tribune, Nov. 12 – By relying on fossil fuels, we've built a civilization on ancient rays of the sun. Stephen Mayfield, a scientist at UC San Diego, is working on how to transition to harvesting sunlight falling on the earth now into energy that can power the future without increasing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, or CO2. More

NPR's Ira Flatow on Why Science is Sexy
San Diego Union-Tribune, Nov. 9 – “Science Friday” -- and earlier programs, such as ‘Newton’s Apple’ -- have made Ira Flatow one of the best-known and most respected science journalists in the world. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography recently honored Flatow for his decades of coverage, awarding him the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest. More

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Patch.com, AOL News

Ex-basketball Captain at UCSD Now a Soccer Success
San Diego Union-Tribune, Nov. 9 – Annette Ilg would have an extraordinary story to tell if all you knew was this: After four impressive seasons playing for the UC San Diego women's basketball team and earning her degree in biology, she is excelling at her second college sport. Cleared to play one season of women's soccer as a graduate student in chemistry, Ilg walked onto a team of mostly strangers and tried out for the Tritons' 24th-year coach, Brian McManus, who wasn't even looking for a forward to add to his young squad. More

UCSD Gets $1M For Science, Engineering Program
10News, Nov. 10 -- UC San Diego, Caltech in Pasadena and UCLA are among 13 universities that will each get about $1 million for the second phase of Amgen Scholars, an international effort to produce more scientists and engineers, it was announced Wednesday. More

Similar stories on
KUSI
La Jolla Light

Estranged Husband Pleads Not Guilty to Arson, Murder
San Diego Union-Tribune, Nov. 10 -- The estranged husband of a woman whose body was found in a burning car at UC San Diego nearly two weeks ago pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of murder and arson. Julio Angel Garcia-Puente, 50, faces a sentence of more than 25 years to life if convicted of killing the woman, whom prosecutors identified as Lorena Gonzalez, 38. More

San Diego's Beat Scene Has a Pulse
San Diego Reader, Nov. 10 --  “People think it’s making beats,” says UC San Diego doctorate student Mike Gao, “but it’s actually programming things to make music with, or making things to make things to make music.” More

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