��˽��̳�� Davis Driven by Curiosity News

How Autocrats Control Internet Traffic Out of Sight

Andy Fell — April 10, 2024

Authoritarian regimes exert control over the internet through transit networks that operate largely out of public view, according to a recent study by researchers in the U.S. and Germany. The work, published in PNAS Nexus, also shows how more sophisticated authoritarian regimes extend their influence by providing network access in poorer but politically similar countries.

��˽��̳�� Davis Historian’s Research of Child Murder in Early Modern Europe Featured in Period Film

Karen Michele Nikos — February 16, 2024

Kathy Stuart, associate professor of history, delights in crime and deviance — her research specialty. The University of California, Davis, academic’s enthusiasm for blood, heinous crimes and the various ways people kill each other hovers somewhere between an obsessed prosecutor and a delighted child who takes in horror movies on Saturday afternoons.

��˽��̳�� Davis Establishes Bird Flight Research Center

Andy Fell — February 01, 2024

By studying birds of prey in flight, a new lab at the ��˽��̳�� Davis California Raptor Center will give insight into designing drones and treating injured birds.

When Some Adolescent Girls Internalize Rejection, It Really Is in Their Head

Karen Michele Nikos — January 23, 2024

Everyone ruminates about the bad things that happen to them. Whether it’s a nasty breakup, an embarrassing failure or simply when someone is mean, it can be hard to stop thinking about what happened and why. For people who ruminate too much, this negative thought pattern can cause lasting problems with mental health.

Chicago Café: California’s Oldest Chinese Restaurant

Jocelyn C Anderson — January 22, 2024

Learn how the family-owned Chicago Café has withstood the test of time and Asian hate to become one of the country's most historic Chinese restaurants.

Rise of Archery in Andes Mountains Dated to 5,000 Years Ago — Earlier Than Previous Research

Karen Michele Nikos — December 20, 2023

When did archery arise in the Americas? And what were the effects of this technology on society?

These questions have long been debated among anthropologists and archaeologists. But a study led by a University of California, Davis, anthropologist, is shining light on this mystery.

YouTube Video Recommendations Lead to More Extremist Content for Right-Leaning Users, Researchers Suggest

Karen Michele Nikos — December 13, 2023

YouTube tends to recommend videos that are similar to what people have already watched. New research has found that those recommendations can lead users down a rabbit hole of extremist political content.

Molecular Fossils Shed Light on Ancient Life

Andy Fell — December 07, 2023

Paleontologists are getting a glimpse at life over a billion years in the past based on chemical traces in ancient rocks and the genetics of living animals. Research published Dec. 1 in Nature Communications combines geology and genetics, showing how changes in the early Earth prompted a shift in how animals eat.

More Than Meows: How Bacteria Help Cats Communicate

Andy Fell — November 15, 2023

Many mammals, from domestic cats and dogs to giant pandas, use scent to communicate with each other. A new study from the University of California, Davis, shows how domestic cats send signals to each other using odors derived from families of bacteria living in their anal glands. The work was published Nov. 8 in Scientific Reports.

How Sunflowers See the Sun

Andy Fell — October 31, 2023

Sunflowers famously turn their faces to follow the sun as it crosses the sky. But how do sunflowers “see” the sun to follow it? New work from plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, published Oct. 31 in PLOS Biology, shows that they use a different, novel mechanism from that previously thought.

“This was a total surprise for us,” said Stacey Harmer, professor of plant biology at ��˽��̳�� Davis and senior author on the paper.

Chloroplasts Do More Than Photosynthesis: They’re Also a Key Player in Plant Immunity

Andy Fell — October 25, 2023

Scientists have long known that chloroplasts help plants turn the sun’s energy into food, but a new study, led by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, shows that they are also essential for plant immunity to viral and bacterial pathogens.

Chloroplasts are generally spherical, but a small percentage of them change their shape and send out tube-like projections called “stromules.” First observed over a century ago, the biological function of stromules has remained enigmatic.

Engineer Studying Bird Flight Awarded Packard Fellowship

Andy Fell — October 16, 2023

Christina Harvey, a University of California, Davis, researcher studying how bird flight can be used to improve aircraft design, has been awarded a 2023 Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

‘Impossible’ Millimeter Wave Sensor Has Wide Potential

Andy Fell — October 02, 2023

A millimeter wave radar sensor developed at ��˽��̳�� Davis can detect vibrations a thousand times smaller and movement a hundred times smaller than a strand of human hair.

Disney Princesses Can Be Good for a Child’s Self-Image, ��˽��̳�� Davis Researchers Suggest

Karen Michele Nikos — September 07, 2023

A recent study showed favorite princess can improve children's confidence.

Researchers to Probe Brain Mechanisms Behind Free Will

Karen Michele Nikos — August 23, 2023

Picture this scenario: You and a friend are walking around your neighborhood when you stop at a crosswalk. As you wait, the noises of the world and your internal thoughts all vie for your attention. Suddenly, you see a motorist nearly hit a bicyclist.

“Whoa, did you see that?” you say to your friend.

“I sure did; that was a fully restored 1967 Ford Mustang,” your friend replies, referring to a car separate from the near-traffic collision.

Immigration Slowed in COVID-19 Pandemic, But Migrant Jobs Not Filled by U.S.-Born

Karen Michele Nikos — August 15, 2023

��˽��̳�� Davis research details how the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in immigration to the U.S. and how jobs often filled by migrants were not filled by U.S.-born residents.

Teens Need Consistent Positive Messaging in Multicultural Environments

Karen Michele Nikos — July 27, 2023

Adolescents struggle academically in multicultural environments if they don’t receive consistent and positive messages

To Combat Life’s Stress, People Seek Negative Entertainment

Karen Michele Nikos — June 13, 2023

When the day is filled with news of mass shootings, police malfeasance and “me too” courtroom escapades, people turn to entertainment media, where they watch — as it turns out — more negativity, a new University of California, Davis, study suggests.

Temptation at the Checkout: 70% of Food, Drinks Within Arm’s Reach Are Unhealthy

Karen Michele Nikos — June 07, 2023

About the study

Researchers analyzed the checkout lanes in 102 food stores in Davis, Sacramento, Oakland and Berkeley, California.

The study was published in Current Developments in Nutrition.

��˽��̳�� Davis C-STEM Trains Redlands Teachers on Bringing Computer Science Into Math

Andy Fell — June 01, 2023

Twenty-five teachers from Redlands Unified School District in southern California recently completed training in integrating computer science into math education through a joint program offered by the University of California, Davis, and ��˽��̳�� Riverside Extension.

���˽�������̳���� Davis Driven by Curiosity News