A Sampling of Clips for August 18, 2011

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

Getting In The Sierra Club Ranks 'Coolest' Schools
Bussinessweek, Aug. 17­­––Want to attend an eco-friendly university? The Sierra Club says head west.
The most eco-conscientious colleges line the West Coast, according to Sierra magazine’s fifth-annual ranking of the nation’s “Coolest” schools. The University of California system pulled a coup with four schools in the top 10, but the top school overall was the University of Washington in Seattle. (UC San Diego is ranked 3rd “Coolest School” by Sierra Magazine) More

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How Much Japan radiation? Scientists Answer
OC Register, Aug.17––What appears to be the first scientific estimate of radiation released during the height of the Japanese nuclear crisis reveals a burst hundreds of times the background levels near the crippled reactors.
Scientists at UC San Diego did produce a number — a total of 400 neutrons per square meter between Mar. 13 and Mar. 20, some 365 times natural, background radiation levels — but it’s a tough one to place in a context that anyone but a nuclear expert can readily understand.
“It’s a large amount of radioactivity, obviously,” said Mark H. Thiemens, dean of the university’s Division of Physical Sciences and an author of the new study. More

Sleep 101: The Basics Of Sleep
KPBS, Aug. 18––How much sleep do we need? Why do we snore? How do we beat jet lag? We'll talk to a local sleep specialist who can answer some of the most basic questions about how and why we sleep. (Features interview with  Sonia Ancoli-Isreal is a sleep specialist and professor of psychiatry at UCSD). More

Mexican Marine Reserve Is ‘World’s Most Robust’.
KPBS, Aug. 17––Life has changed dramatically underwater and on land for the tiny town of Cabo Pulmo.
The town once depleted by fishing, is tucked away near the southern tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula in the Gulf of California.
But Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego say a big transformation happened after the local community enforced a strict fishing ban around a 27-square-mile area. More

Burnout Melts Away as UCSD Grad Refires her Running Career
San Diego Union-Tribune, Aug. 17––With each step that Nina Miller takes in her running comeback, the former UCSD athlete follows the words of famed novelist C.S. Lewis.
“You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream,” wrote Lewis, perhaps best known for “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
The quote appears in a website profile that Miller created for the old Red Hot Racers running club, which she joined in her return to competitive running after a two-year absence due to burnout following her college career. More

Initial Data From Mystery Odor Investigation Reported
10News, Aug. 17--Authorities are continuing to investigate reports of a strong, chemical-like odor from around the county.
The Air Pollution Control District took two air samples each from Del Mar and Carmel Valley on Wednesday afternoon. Those locations were chosen because of the volume of calls coming from those areas and so that the air canisters could be taken quickly from the source to the lab.
Each canister is tested multiple times by two separate machines -- one that checks for an ingredient in fuel and another that checks for other toxic compounds. (Quotes Mario Aguilera of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography). More

University of California announces Raises for Non-union Workers
LA Times, Aug. 18–The University of California on Wednesday announced a merit increase plan for non-unionized employees that seeks to fend off faculty hiring raids while mollifying critics of high executive salaries during the state's budget crisis.
Under the plan, all faculty with good performance reviews will receive 3% raises this year, and nonacademic staff, who have received no increases since 2007, could be in line for larger raises. (Mentions UC San Diego). More

ArtsPhotos: Death Cab for Cutie Concert in La Jolla
La Jolla Patch, Aug. 18––Indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie and Scottish band Frightened Rabbit played for a large audience Tuesday night at UC San Diego’s RIMAC Arena. More

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