A Sampling of Clips for January 30 ^th, 2009

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

Rising Acidity Threatens Oceans
The New York Times, Jan. 30 – The oceans have long buffered the effects of climate change by absorbing a substantial portion of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. But this benefit has a catch: as the gas dissolves, it makes seawater more acidic. Now an international panel of marine scientists says this acidity is accelerating so fast it threatens the survival of coral reefs, shellfish and the marine food web generally. (Quotes Jeremy B. C. Jackson, a coral expert at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography) More

Can a Scientist Be a Citizen, Too?
The New York Times, Jan. 29 -- Some scientists, like Susan Solomon, who directed the writing of the science report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007, try to defer from interpreting findings. Others, like Dr. Hansen, Richard Somerville of UCSD, and, of course, John Holdren — now heading for the White House — have chosen to dive in. More

Ethics At Large and At Small
PBS, Jan. 29 -- Sex, lies—and food—dominated the proceedings at this year’s annual meeting of Christian and Jewish ethicists. (Mentions Aaron Gross of UCSD, who presented a paper on food ethics) More

Pricking Up the Ears
to Listen for Echoes of California
The New York Times, Jan. 25 -- The 25th Focus! festival at the Juilliard School is geared toward answering one overriding question: Is there a “California music,” to quote the festival’s artistic director, Joel Sachs, and “if so, what is it?” In other words, are there characteristics of contemporary music from that state that could be considered Californian? (Mentions UCSD’s Roger Reynolds) More

Digs May Help Decide if
'King Solomon's Mines' was a Misnomer
Jerusalem Post, Jan. 29 -- Thomas Levy, a UCSD archeologist, has found evidence that sheds new light on the venerable question of whether King David and his son King Solomon controlled the copper industry in the Kingdom of Edom, which is present-day southern Jordan. More

Stem Cell Facility Might Not Get Built
San Diego Union-Tribune, Jan. 30 -- The nation's financial woes, coupled with California's budget crisis, have prevented San Diego's stem cell consortium from securing the loans it needs to build a much ballyhooed $115 million stem cell research center in Torrey Pines. The consortium includes UCSD. More

Similar story in
La Jolla Light

Exploring the Dark Heart of AIDS
San Diego Union-Tribune, Opinion, Jan. 30 -- Scientists believe that HIV crossed over to humans from apes (HIV-1) and monkeys (HIV-2) in Central and West Africa. Chimpanzees and mangabeys are hunted for food, and blood-to-blood contact easily occurs during butchery. A “cut hunter” as the initial source is by far the most likely scenario. (Written by Jim Moore, an associate professor of anthropology at UCSD) More

Random Dance Puts its
‘Entity’ Under the Microscope
San Diego Union-Tribune, Jan. 30 -- Under UCSD's first Innovator-in-Residence program, Wayne McGregor and his company are spending three weeks on the La Jolla campus and embarking on the blank-canvas phase of a new dance – a creative process that is being captured by eight high-definition video cameras for a study directed by UCSD cognitive scientist David Kirsh. Research teams are also conducting daily interviews with each of the 11 dancers, McGregor and his assistant. More

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