A series of environmental bills passed the California Legislature before the legislative session ended on Saturday, Aug. 31. These bills now await Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval. In an unexpected development, Newsom has called for a special session to address gas prices this fall, but the Senate president pro tempore has refused to convene it. Two UCLA environmental law experts believe this situation will spark further discussion about Newsom’s initiative to lower gas prices through increased oil refinery oversight.
UCLA has introduced a new framework aimed at enhancing campus safety, fostering dialogue, and promoting freedom of expression. The Four-Point Plan for a Safer, Stronger UCLA was announced by Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt in response to recent events related to the Israel–Hamas war that led to demonstrations and counter-demonstrations on campus.
The UCLA Film & Television Archive, in collaboration with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s cinema and media studies program, will present its “Science Fiction Against the Margins” series from October 4 to December 14. This event is part of Getty’s “PST ART: Art & Science Collide” initiative.
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain will host a video session today to provide context on the ongoing major heatwave affecting the West Coast. The session, scheduled for 2 p.m. PT, follows Swain's Monday blog post where he detailed the unusual nature of the current weather conditions.
Dr. Juliet Beni Edgcomb, associate director of the Mental Health Informatics and Data Science Hub at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, has been awarded the 2024 Klerman Prize for Exceptional Clinical Research by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
The directors of the Hammer Museum at UCLA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), have announced a joint initiative to manage a new collection of contemporary art. This collection will be founded through the acquisition of 260 works from local philanthropists Jarl and Pamela Mohn.
North American birds are altering their locations and annual behaviors in response to global warming, according to a new UCLA study. The research, which analyzed 27 years of data across 311 land-based species, found that more than half of the changes are through phenology—adjustments in annual cycles such as breeding times—rather than shifts in latitude and elevation.
Chris Mattmann has been named UCLA’s inaugural chief data and artificial intelligence officer. The position is the first of its kind at any University of California campus and one of just a few at universities in the U.S.
The UCLA Art|Sci Center will present "Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption," a seven-exhibition program that merges sound art and science to explore climate-related issues. Running from September 14, 2024, through June 7, 2025, the program is part of Getty’s “PST ART: Art & Science Collide” initiative.
New research indicates that young griffon vultures frequently change sleeping sites and interact with many friends, but as they age, they tend to roost in the same spots with the same individuals. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that older vultures follow consistent paths and establish movement routines not observed in younger birds.
UCLA has received a $120 million commitment from surgeon and inventor Dr. Gary Michelson and his wife, Alya, for the new California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy. The gift will help establish two research entities within the institute: one focusing on rapid vaccine development and the other on harnessing the microbiome to advance human health. It will also fund an endowment to provide research grants to young scientists using novel processes to advance immunotherapy research, human immunology, and vaccine discovery.
Supermassive black holes typically take billions of years to form. However, the James Webb Space Telescope is finding them not long after the Big Bang — before they should have had time to form.