A Sampling of Clips for 
August 4, 2006

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

A Planet? Maybe It’s a Star
The New York Times, Aug. 4 -- A tiny star with a giant planet is further muddling astronomers’ notion of what a planet is. The planet is one of perhaps only two or three planets around other stars to be photographed directly, but it may be more like a star than a planet. (Quotes Paolo Padoan, who teaches physics at UCSD) More

Abductions, not Nukes, Drew Media
The Washington Times, Aug. 3 -- Ellis S. Krauss, professor of Japanese politics and policy-making at the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UCSD, spoke to Washington Times reporter Takehiko Kambayashi about Japan's North Korean issues and their implications. More

Want a Soda?
You'll Need to Get Fingerprinted
C/NET, Aug. 3 -- A group of computer science graduate students at UCSD have created a novel device: a biometric vending machine that automatically deducts money from a student account, ensuring security with the use of a fingerprint reader. More

Sleep Apnea Increases Stroke Risk in Elderly
Forbes, Aug. 3 -- Elderly people with severe sleep apnea face more than twice the risk of stroke than people with mild sleep apnea or none, Spanish researchers report. (Quotes Dr. Thomas M. Hemmen, an assistant clinical professor of neurology at UCSD) More

Similar stories on
CBC News, Canada

What Does the Future Hold for Cuba?
KPBS, Aug. 3 -- Why did Fidel Castro turn over power of Cuba to his brother Raul? Host Tom Fudge speaks with USD professor Emily Edmonds and UCSD anthropologist and media studies specialist Ariana Hernandez-Reguant, to get their thoughts on what's happening in Cuba. Is Fidel Castro dead? If so, what does this mean to the communist government that has ruled the island nation for the past 47 years? More

Smart Petri Dish
Chemistry.org, July 31 -- When German scientist, Julius Richard Petri, invented his dish for growing microbes in 1877, he probably never envisioned a "smart" version of his original idea—one that can communicate information about the cells that it contains. But Michael Sailor’s biosensor research group at UCSD, has successfully incorporated this communication feature into a cell-growing dish. More

Computer-Animated Blonds Have More Fun
Seed Magazine, Aug. 4 -- In the world of computer animation, creating King Kong is a snap; it's his pretty blond lady friend that causes all the trouble. However, a team of Cornell researchers recently developed an algorithm that will allow computer animators in Hollywood to quickly render realistic-looking blond locks. (Quotes Henrik Jensen, a computer graphics specialist at UCSD) More

Global Warming Threat to Trees
The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA, Aug. 3 -- Global warming not only threatens to increase the number of fires, scientists and top state officials said Thursday. It will further damage the state's most efficient weapon against the climate phenomenon: trees, they said. (Quotes Anthony Westerling, a climate scientist from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography) More

South Bay Hospitals Face Money Crunch
San Diego Union-Tribune, Aug. 3 -- Hospitals south of Interstate 8 are seeing red ink because government reimbursement rates are so low, operating costs so high and the number of uninsured patients so large. (Mentions UCSD) More