A Sampling of Clips for November 12^th, 2009

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

Millions of Useless Purchases Explained at Last!
Newsweek, Nov. 11 -- There are some genetics discoveries that make me sit up straight, reread to make sure I understand what the scientists have found, and then think to myself, this cannot end well. I'll cut to the chase: genetic testing as part of your credit-card or mortgage application? The discovery in question is that people who carry a particular variant of a well-studied gene are more likely—significantly more likely—to rack up credit-card debt. (Focuses on new study coauthored by James Fowler, political science professor at UCSD.) More

Tiny Robot Swarms Will Study Tiniest Sea Life
Fox News, Nov. 10 -- Giant robots are best suited for Terminator-scale tasks. To measure the sea's tiniest inhabitants, oceanographers will need to build a new type of robot. Ocean-going robots are quite common, used mainly to measure large-scale processes such as tidal patterns and the chemical make-up of the ocean. But to study critical nursery habitats for fish and track harmful algae blooms, Jules Jaffe and Peter Franks are designing something different. The oceanographers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. are designing a few soccer-ball-sized explorers — and potentially hundreds of pint-sized partners. More

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our
Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives
CSPAN2, Nov. 10 -- A social scientist argues that almost every choice we make has something to do with the social networks we belong to.  Using studies and statistics, UCSD political science professor James Fowler discusses how all behaviors are contagious, including overeating, suicide and choice of romantic partner. More

Human-Chimp Gene Comparison Hints at Roots of Language
Wired, Nov. 11 -- By comparing how a gene critical for language works in humans and chimpanzees, researchers have identified an entire network of genes involved in the incredible linguistic powers of Homo sapiens.
The findings don’t explain how language functions at the biological level, or exactly what changes were needed to put an otherwise unremarkable monkey on its chattering, Earth-dominating trajectory. But they do give researchers a foundation for investigating these questions. (Quotes Ajit Varki, a UCSD glycobiologist who studies the molecular differences between human and chimpanzee cells who was not involved in the study) More

Stem Cell Project still Finding its Way
San Diego Union-Tribune, Nov. 12 -- As California's $3 billion stem cell program passes its fifth anniversary, the challenges remain great. Much of San Diego's stem cell community gathered in La Jolla yesterday for the annual “Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa,” and there was a lot of talk about big ideas and exciting experiments. But there was also caution about not over-promising in terms of how quickly the work will pay off, and what form stem cell products will take if they do ultimately emerge. Larry Goldstein, director of the stem cell program at UCSD, told the audience of at least 200 people that the next five years could see treatments start to emerge for a range of conditions. More

New Center at UCSD To Study How Migration Affects Health
KPBS, Nov. 11 -- Public health experts and social scientists will study migrant health at a new center at UCSD. The center intends to improve migrants' health and access to care. The new Center for Migration and Health brings together 40 scholars from nine University of California campuses. It's the world's first center to take a multidisciplinary approach to study how migration affects people's health around the globe and on the San Diego Tijuana border. Steffanie Stradthdee, who's a dean of health sciences at UCSD, will help direct the center. More

UCSD Kicks off Fall Season with Harrowing 'Topdog/Underdog'
North County Times, Nov. 11 - UCSD’s Theatre and Dance Department kicked off its fall theater season with a bang, literally, with Tuesday's opening of Suzan-Lori Parks' "Topdog/Underdog." The provocative Pulitzer Prize-winning play is the tragic story of two black brothers struggling mightily --- but failing ---- to overcome the crush of poverty, childhood abuse, substance abuse, violence, homelessness, loneliness, racism and the criminal life. Since its debut in 2001, "Topdog/Underdog" has been praised by critics for its naturalism, but panned by black audiences who feel it presents the worst stereotypes of black America. More

Similar story in San Diego Citybeat

Scripps Exhibit Explores Evolution of Sea Dragons
KFMB, Nov. 11 - They're creatures with long, leafy limbs that gently float through the ocean. In this Earth 8 video report, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography is opening a new exhibit exploring the evolution of the sea dragon. Kimberly King reports from Scripps Aquarium in La Jolla to give us a first look at the exhibit Flight of the Dragons. More

Can Feds Thwart Runaway Pay?
San Diego Reader, Nov. 11 - The pay of American top corporate executives is obscene. About the only people who don’t agree with that statement are the executives themselves. In 1980, chief executives made 42 times what the average worker made. Last year, it was 319 times, according to the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy. The federal government has launched several initiatives to rein in this madness. The Treasury Department wants to hold down pay at seven bailed-out banks, the Federal Reserve wants to slash gambling incentives at more than two dozen financial institutions, and Congress wants to help shareholders have some say in top executive remuneration. (Quotes Ross Starr, economist at UCSD) More

Astronaut Shares Memories, Mementos from Space
La Jolla Light, Nov. 11 -- In May, NASA astronaut K. Megan McArthur made her first space flight as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. At 350 miles above the earth's surface, Atlantis orbited the planet 197 times; a total of 5.2 million miles. The mission took 12 days, but for McArthur the trip wasn't complete until she returned this month to UCSD and thanked supporters at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). More

Scripps Institution of Oceanography:
Leading Ocean Exploration Out of San Diego
San Diego Daily Transcript, Nov. 12 - Since its founding in 1903, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD has been a leader in ocean exploration for the benefit of science and society. In support of its broad sea going expeditions, Scripps' participation and support of the maritime industry has spanned from the local to national to international levels.
This is most directly exemplified by Scripps' oceanographic research vessels, which constitute the largest fleet of research ships in the United States. More

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