College of Letters and Science Content

The Carbon Dioxide Climate Debt

Katherine E Kerlin — December 04, 2025 - 2:26pm

51�ԹϺ�� Davis experts describe the human barriers and opportunities for meaningful action to reduce global emissions and the world's staggering climate debt.

Weekender: Choir Concert; Recitals; Get Tickets for ‘Tentet’

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — December 04, 2025 - 8:50am

Gift guide, concerts, human library and more

How Do Personal Beliefs Influence Beliefs in Pseudoscience, Supernatural?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — December 02, 2025 - 10:15am

The human mind doesn’t always seem to work rationally. Why do beliefs in pseudoscience, supernatural entities and conspiracy theories thrive even when they seem implausible or lack evidence?

For years, this question has puzzled cognitive and evolutionary scientists. Often, such extraordinary beliefs are explained as byproducts of cognitive biases that make the belief compelling and/or by social dynamics, like the pressure to fit in with a group.

Weekender: Last Weekend for Manetti Shrem; Art Gift Guide; Concerts

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 25, 2025 - 9:46am

Today, in light of the Thanksgiving weekend, the Arts Blog is publishing on Tuesday to give you a head start on the holiday. And look for another Weekender next Thursday. Karen Nikos-Rose, Arts Blog Editor

Looking Inside Icy Moons

Andy Fell — November 24, 2025 - 10:43am

The outer planets of the Solar System are swarmed by ice-wrapped moons. Some of these, such as Saturn’s moon Enceladus, are known to have oceans of liquid water between the ice shell and the rocky core and could be the best places in our solar system to look for extraterrestrial life. A new study published Nov. 24 in Nature Astronomy sheds light on what could be going on beneath the surface of these worlds and provides insights into how their diverse geologic features may have formed.

How Earth’s Greatest Extinction Really Happened

Andy Fell — November 21, 2025 - 1:18pm

Around 252 million years ago, the Earth experienced its largest mass extinction. Known as the “Great Dying,” this cataclysmic event wiped out more than 81% of marine species and 70% of life on land.

Weekender: New Dance Performance; 'Paradise Lost' Concert; More Concerts

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 20, 2025 - 12:00am

Catch 'Control/Shift' this week

Center for the Performing Arts, continuing Nov. 20, 21; 7 p.m.; Nov. 22, 2 p.m.

Rocks on Faults Can Heal Following Seismic Movement

Andy Fell — November 19, 2025 - 12:05pm

Earthquake faults deep in the Earth can glue themselves back together following a seismic event, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The work, published Nov. 19 in Science Advances and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, adds a new factor to our understanding of the behavior of faults that can give rise to major earthquakes.

Endowed Chair Named for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 18, 2025 - 12:00am

Gözde Göncü-Berk, associate professor of design, has been named the inaugural Maria Manetti Shrem Endowed Chair in Design, Fashion and Textiles and the founding director of the Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles at the University of California, Davis. Her work focuses on development of soft wearable systems that sense, respond and adapt to the body to enhance health, well-being and performance.

51�ԹϺ�� Davis Launches Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 17, 2025 - 12:00am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis celebrated the grand opening of the Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles on Thursday, Nov. 13.