A Sampling of Clips for July 14^th, 2009

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

Patterns in Milky Way Perplex Astronomers
MSNBC, July 13 -- Patterns of a type of high-energy radiation called gamma rays throughout the Milky Way aren't the signature of mysterious dark matter as had previously been suggested, a new study shows. (Quotes research scientist at UCSD’s Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Richard Lingenfelter, one of the co-authors of the new study). More

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Astronomy Now

Americans' Debt Stress is Easing
Associated Press, July 13 -- Unemployment is rising. Nest eggs are in tatters. Home values have tanked. And yet surprisingly, Americans are feeling less stress from debt these days. Chalk it up to the power of positive thinking combined with people saving more, spending less and trimming debt to cope with the recession. The upshot is that more people are optimistic that they'll eventually be able to get out from under a mountain of bills, a major factor behind the decline in stress from last year, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. (Quotes James Hamilton, economics professor at UCSD) More

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Boston Globe
Seattle Times
Observer-Reporter

Cries for Reform of California
Government Come from all Aides
Los Angeles Times, July 14 -- Now the 120 women and men of the California Legislature face another daunting challenge: a growing push to reconstruct the way state government works. If legislative leaders and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger don't take steps to overhaul their operations, it might be done for them. The unraveling budget has spurred groups of the political left, right and center to press full speed ahead with campaigns for what each considers the remedy for dysfunction. (Quotes Thad Kousser, a UCSD political science professor) More

Learning Robot Puts on a Happy Face
Giz Magazine, July 14 -- Robots generally aren’t the most expressive of entities, but their faces are becoming increasingly realistic as the number of artificial muscles controlling them rises. Today, a highly trained person must manually set up these kinds of realistic robots so that the servos pull in the right combination to make specific facial expressions, but researchers at UCSD are looking to automate the process by giving robots the ability to learn realistic facial expressions. More

Local Firm Adapts to Changing
Environment, Resource Availability
San Diego Daily Transcript, July 14 -- Wimmer Yamada and Caughey has a legacy of creating memorable parks, plazas and public spaces in San Diego since 1954. Having contributed to the design and development of some of San Diego's most recognizable places including SeaWorld, the UCSD campus, the Embarcadero and Seaport Village, to name a few, Wimmer Yamada and Caughey has been involved first hand with the growth and evolution of San Diego. More

Squid Wash up on La Jolla Beaches
Del Mar Times, July 13 -- Beachgoers in La Jolla may have thought they were in a horror movie Saturday morning.
First came a rumble, and then squid invaded the beach, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The rumble came from a magnitude 4.0 earthquake that struck at 7:34 a.m. and was centered 19 miles west of La Jolla in the ocean. (Mentions UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography) More

Four to Stand Trial for Murder
for Shooting Death of UCSD Professor
CW 6, July 13 -- Four alleged members of a Skyline area car burglary ring were ordered Monday to stand trial for murder in connection with the 1995 shooting death of a UCSD professor who tried to stop a theft. More

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