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News Archive - Social Sciences

Economic Hardship Tied to Increased Violence Across California, UC San Diego Study Shows

Economic instability – including job loss, food insecurity, eviction and homelessness – is strongly associated with higher rates of violence among California adults, according to a new statewide survey led by the University of California San Diego.

What Skills Do Humans Need to Become Robot Proof in the Age of AI?

Vivienne Ming, who graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science discusses her recent book on AI which serves as an alarm bell. “We should be careful that what we’re building doesn’t automate away the very capacities that make us human us human," she said.

A UC San Diego Tool Teaching Code to 25 Million is Even More Critical in Age of AI

When generative AI began writing code with uncanny fluency, it sparked a question: If a chatbot can build software, do people still need to learn to code? Professor of Cognitive Science Philip Guo says absolutely. Understanding code is now more important than ever because AI can get it wrong.

From Dog Soundboards to Smarter AI: What Animal Communication Reveals

Why does studying animal communication matter — and what might it teach us about building better AI? Federico Rossano, associate professor of cognitive science is pursuing those questions with groundbreaking work to understand animal intelligence.

Data, Fire and the Fight to Keep California Insurable

Experts gather at the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute to confront wildfire risk and the future of insurance.

Americans Don’t Just Fear Driverless Cars Will Crash — They Fear Mass Job Losses

While much of the public debate about self-driving cars focuses on safety, a new national study from the UC San Diego reveals many Americans’ doubts about driverless focused on the technology’s economic ripple effects — especially job losses in driving and delivery work.

Trust in Elections Declines across Party Lines Ahead of 2026 Midterms, UC San Diego Survey Finds

New national survey — from the Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections and the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research — highlights shared skepticism over redistricting and widespread expectations of ICE at polling places.

Can Dogs Talk? NOVA Spotlights UC San Diego Research

​​​​​​​Research led by UC San Diego cognitive scientist Federico Rossano is featured in an episode of NOVA, the long-running PBS science series known for bringing rigorous scientific research to a national audience.

Is Artificial General Intelligence Here?

Will artificial intelligence ever be able to reason, learn and solve problems at levels comparable to humans? Four experts at the University of California San Diego believe the answer is yes – and that such artificial general intelligence has already arrived.

Electric Cars Won’t Fix Sitting: The Health Costs of Designing Cities Around Cars

Walkability pioneer, UC San Diego urban planning professor Lawrence Frank revisits two decades of evidence linking car dependence and chronic disease – and explains why cleaner cars won’t make us healthier.

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