Driven by Curiosity Content

Evolution of New Physical Traits in Mollusks has Declined and Grown More Predictable Over Time

Andy Fell — March 04, 2026 - 12:11pm

Paleobiologist Geerat Vermeij is enthralled with mollusks. Their shells line the surfaces and fill the cabinets and drawers in his office on the second floor of the Earth and Planetary Sciences Building at 51�ԹϺ�� Davis. But Vermeij’s deep study of these organisms isn’t just about the animals themselves, it’s an avenue for deeper insights about the principles governing evolution and history.

Hawk Study Shows Potential Lessons of Bird Flight

Andy Fell — March 04, 2026 - 10:58am

Birds have an ability to fly through obstacles by shifting their shape in flight, which is difficult to reproduce in uncrewed aerial vehicles, commonly known as UAVs or drones.

Short Films Explore Quantum Physics

Andy Fell — February 26, 2026 - 11:51am

The Department of Physics and Astronomy will hold a screening March 13 of “What is Real? Six Short Films About Quantum Physics.” The screening will take place at 7 p.m. in 1002 Cruess Hall, followed by a Q&A.

Bird Flight Research Advances Drone Technology and Wild Raptor Care

Jocelyn C Anderson — February 23, 2026 - 8:59am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis’ new Center for Animal Flight and Innovation studies raptor flight. Researchers use high-speed cameras to improve drone technology and help injured birds.

Sloan Fellowship for Quantum Sciences Research

Andy Fell — February 17, 2026 - 1:00pm

Isaac Kim, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, has been named as a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Kim is among 126 new fellows announced today (Feb. 17). Fellows receive a two-year, $75,000 award to further their work.

Kim’s research is in quantum entanglement, a necessary step to developing quantum computers and information systems.

Chemists Provide New Evidence of Two Supercooled Liquid Water States

Andy Fell — February 09, 2026 - 9:49am

Liquid water doesn’t always turn solid when it’s cooled below the freezing point. Under the right conditions, including high purity or being housed in a smooth container, water will remain a liquid well below 0 degrees Celsius.

But supercooled liquid water is a sensitive medium. At temperatures below negative 50 degrees Celsius, a slight disturbance can cause supercooled liquid water to rapidly crystallize into ice, making it very difficult to study experimentally.

Biologists and Engineers Follow Goopy Clues to Plant-Wilting Bacteria

Andy Fell — January 23, 2026 - 11:02am

Slippery, drippy goop makes Ralstonia bacteria devastating killers of plants, causing rapid wilting in tomato, potato and a wide range of other crops, according to new research. The work, published Jan. 22 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, comes from an unusual collaboration between plant pathologists and engineers at the University of California, Davis.

What Happens Inside a Black Hole?

Andy Fell — January 21, 2026 - 11:28am

You hurtle through space, barreling toward the center of the Milky Way galaxy. A cosmic traveler, you shed the confines of human speed. As you reach our galaxy’s heart, you see it. Sagittarius A, our galactic center, a supermassive black hole.

The black hole is visible as negative space around which the accretion disk swirls in a chaotic, fiery fashion. Plasma particles shoot out in jets from its polar regions.

Tiny Earthquakes Reveal Hidden Faults Under Northern California

Andy Fell — January 15, 2026 - 11:54am

By tracking swarms of very small earthquakes, seismologists are getting a new picture of the complex region where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone, an area that could give rise to devastating major earthquakes. The work, by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado Boulder, is published Jan. 15 in Science.

Lighting Strongly Influences People’s Experience While Listening to Music, a New Study Suggests

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — December 09, 2025 - 11:11am

When you go to your next concert or listen to your favorite music on an app, you might first consider the lighting around you.

Music is widely known for its ability to arouse, change moods or trigger a cathartic emotional release in people. A multidisciplinary team from three universities found that indoor lighting of various hues so strongly influences listeners’ experiences that musical venues, health-care settings and even homeowners might wish to reconsider their lighting choices for maximal effect and enjoyment of their music.