Oak disease in Bay Area sees big jump, researchers say

The deadly pathogen known as sudden oak death is spreading throughout the SF Bay Area, infecting more trees in more places than have ever been seen before, according to researchers tracking the disease. were double and in some cases triple what they were last year,” said Matteo Garbelotto, the UC Berkeley forest pathologist.

NSF awards $2 million to expand Sierra Nevada water sensors

CITRIS researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Merced have received a $2 million NSF grant to expand their network of wireless sensors in the Sierra Nevada. The sensors enable remote monitoring of snow depth, stream flow, water content in soil and use of water in vegetation – data that will be used to help manage one of the most precious resources in the state.

Grim retirement picture projected for California

Nearly half of California workers will retire in or near poverty, according to a new study by UC Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education. The authors found that retirees across the state rely overwhelmingly on Social Security income, a trend that could worsen as future workers retire without employer-sponsored benefits.

Students Building Satellite That’s Seen as Future of Space Research

An international team of students from Berkeley, South Korea, Puerto Rico and London is building a tiny CubeSat spacecraft, designed to carry out research high above the Earth, in Berkeley’s Space Sciences Lab. CubeSats are the wave of the future for space science research and education.

Easily embarrassed? Study finds people will trust you more

If tripping in public or mistaking an overweight woman for a mother-to-be leaves you red-faced, don’t feel bad. A new UC Berkeley study suggests that people who are easily embarrassed are also more trustworthy, and more generous. In short, embarrassment can be a good thing.

Film by public policy grad students wins Emmy

“Presumed Guilty,” a film made by public-policy grad students Roberto Hernández and Layda Negrete, won an Emmy Award in New York two weeks ago. The documentary probing the Mexican criminal justice system was honored for best investigative journalism.

Cal Energy Corps interns showcase research partnerships worldwide

The very first cohort of Cal Energy Corps student interns showcased an wide array of sustainable-energy research and service they conducted around the world this summer, at a Sept. 22 campus symposium. Their projects ranged from a low-tech food dehydrator, with a community on Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast, to advanced science to improve the formulation of new biofuels.

Not enough sleep gets in the way of success

Catching z’s can seem overrated when school is demanding, your body is young, and you’re newly on your own. Students, researchers, and health care providers grapple with the whys and hows of sleep.

Lessons to be Learned from Nature in Photosynthesis

Lessons to be learned from nature could lead to the development of an artificial version of photosynthesis that would provide us with an absolutely clean and virtually inexhaustible energy source, says Berkeley Lab photosynthesis authority Graham Fleming and three international colleagues.