Latest Blog Posts

How Did Animals Eat Before Mouths?

Andy Fell — September 12, 2025

More than half a billion years ago, during the Ediacaran Period, animal life looked nothing like today. Strange cup- and disk-shaped creatures sat and crawled along an ocean floor covered in thick microbial mats made of bacteria and algae. The only clues these organisms left to their lifestyles exist in the fossil record.

How Does the Federal Reserve Guide the U.S. Economy?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — September 11, 2025

For more than a century, the Federal Reserve has steered the U.S. economy largely free from political influence. From World War II to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve has worked to keep the national economy sailing smoothly — in part by setting an interest rate that affects everyone.

Weekender: New Exhibitions at Library; Museums in Region

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — September 11, 2025

Editor's note: One can tell fall is coming by how many art events have started on campus and in the area. Don't miss out. Read more below. The Weekender is published each Thursday during the school year to help you plan your weekend.

Manetti Shrem Museum fall 2025 exhibitions explore the borderlands; environmental justice

On view through Nov. 29, 2025; Opening Celebration Sept. 28, 2-5 p.m.

Worms Reveal Just How Cramped Cells Really Are

Andy Fell — September 10, 2025

In a new study published in Science Advances Sept. 10, a team of UC Davis researchers tracked the movement of fluorescent particles inside the cells of microscopic worms, providing unprecedented insights into cellular crowding in a multicellular animal. They found that the cytoplasm inside the worms was significantly more crowded and compartmentalized than in single-celled yeast or mammalian tissue culture cells, which are more commonly used to gauge internal cellular dynamics.

Sunglasses for Plants, and Sustainable Agriculture

Andy Fell — September 08, 2025

A multilayer film that reflects heat while letting through light needed for photosynthesis could make greenhouse agriculture more energy- and water-efficient. Such a film has been developed by engineers at the University of California, Davis, and is described in a recent paper in Advanced Energy & Sustainability Research.

How Improving Shade at California Public Schools Can Benefit Children and Communities

Katherine E Kerlin — September 05, 2025

An interdisciplinary team of public health and environmental science researchers from across the University of California have found that despite efforts by the state and local school districts, many public schools fall short of providing sufficient shade, much less natural playing surfaces, for the 5.8 million children they serve — especially in an era of extreme temperatures.

Weekender: Meet the Percussionist; Go 'Into the Woods' in Woodland

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — September 04, 2025

While some UC Davis art and music is on hold, the Arts Blog provides other features of interest in the area.

UC Davis percussionist Chris Froh shares how he got here

A professional percussionist, UC Davis lecturer in music and advocate of music education, Chris Froh has built a career fostering the talent of musicians while helping students discover new ways of listening and connecting through music.

Your guide to the UC Davis Transfer Admission Guarantee

Isabella E Beristain — September 03, 2025

UC Davis is one of six UCs that offer guaranteed admission to transfers. Complete your major’s requirements, stay enrolled and submit your TAG and UC applications.

Weekender: See Vet Med's Newest 'Horse'; Find an Art Book; Poetry

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — August 21, 2025

While music and other art events are not yet happening on campus, you can still do some arty things. Go see horses (the sculptured kind) at Vet Med or read a book, or just read stories about books, below. Also, don't miss the UC Davis Arts Blog's ongoing art synopsis for some air-conditioned options to view art on campus. Exhibits are on view at both the Manetti Shrem Museum and the Gorman Museum right now.

Arctic Reindeer Could Decline by 80% by 2100

Katherine E Kerlin — August 15, 2025

Researchers predict that future climatic change is likely to cause declines in reindeer abundances and their distribution at rates rarely seen over the last 21,000 years.

Reindeer, also known as caribou in North America, are an Ice Age species that have survived many episodes of Arctic warming. They are uniquely adapted to Arctic environments, where they regulate ecosystems and sustain the livelihoods of many Indigenous Peoples.

Nowcasting and the Kamchatka Earthquake

Andy Fell — August 07, 2025

The July 29 earthquake on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula was among the most powerful recorded by modern instruments, setting off tsunami warnings around the Pacific rim. The magnitude 8.8 earthquake caused part of the peninsula to sink by about six feet and set off volcanic eruptions, according to the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Fortunately, there do not appear to have been any fatalities or major damage.

Weekender: New Exhibitions at Manetti Shrem, Buzzing Art Spark Activity and More

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — August 07, 2025

New Exhibitions Open Aug. 7 at Manetti Shrem Museum

‘OJO’ and ‘Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice. Both exhibitions are on view Aug. 7–Dec. 1, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, UC Davis

Experience two powerful exhibitions that consider our shared future — a view from the borderlands by Julio César Morales, and a group exhibition connecting social and environmental injustice from the Hammer Museum at UCLA.

The Conversation: Should Rules for Calculating Climate Risk in Financial Reports Be Revisited?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — July 31, 2025

The recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on climate action marked a significant step forward in formalising an idea many already accept: climate inaction is not merely a policy failure, but potentially a breach of legal duty by governments.The court’s opinion is not legally binding but establishes global expectations.

How Wildlife Navigated National Parks Before and During the COVID ‘Anthropause’

Katherine E Kerlin — July 30, 2025

The presence of humans and human infrastructure in U.S. national parks has lasting effects on the behaviors of the large animals that call them home, according to a new study.

The Conversation: Have Any U.S. Presidents Reduced Immigration?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — July 29, 2025

All modern U.S. presidents, both Republican and Democratic, have attempted to reduce the population of millions of undocumented immigrants. But their various strategies have not had significant results, with the population hovering around 11 million from 2005 to 2022.

The Conversation: Do School Shootings Affect Local Economies?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — July 29, 2025

Fatal school shootings don’t just devastate communities emotionally — they also harm their economies, new research shows. People eat out less, avoid public spaces and generally spend less money after a tragedy strikes a local school. This has real economic consequences for neighborhoods that are already reeling.

Does Following News on Social Media Help People Tell Fact from Fiction?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — July 28, 2025

In social media’s flood of information, all facts appear equal. Except they’re not. According to new research, having the news in your feed makes you better at telling the difference.

How do you Analyze Past Climates?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — July 28, 2025

The key to unlocking climates of the ancient past, including weather seasonality and rainfall, may lie in an unexpected place: primate teeth.

The Conversation: Would Deputizing National Guard Officers As Judges at Alligator Alcatraz Violate Constitutional Rights?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — July 18, 2025

Seeking to expand Florida’s role in federal immigration enforcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2025 submitted the state’s Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan to the Trump administration.

How Do Digital Platforms Shape How Vendors Compete?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — July 18, 2025

A new University of California, Davis, study suggests that digital platforms — like Steam or the App Store — can play a pivotal role in reshaping competitive dynamics between vendors and enhancing outcomes for all players in the digital marketplace.