Physical Sciences News

Astronomy & Astrophysics, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Physics, and Mathematics

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Materials Science and Engineering at UC San Diego Ranks #10 in the Nation

UC San Diego has ranked #10 in the nation for materials science and engineering, according to the 2024 ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS).

The Future of Computing is Physics

Since its founding, UC San Diego has been at the forefront of physics research. And while you may wonder how neutrinos affect your everyday life, basic physics research shows up in the world in amazing ways, including health care and computer technology. Ivan Schuller and Oleg Shpyrko talk about artificial intelligence, the future of computing and why physics researchers play the long game.

On the Origin of Life: How the First Cell Membranes Came to Exist

Few questions have captivated humankind more than the origin of life on Earth. How did the first living cells come to exist? How did these early protocells develop the structural membranes necessary for cells to thrive and assemble into complex organisms? New research from UC San Diego has uncovered a plausible explanation involving the reaction between two simple molecules.

Explaining Science Through Dance

Science can be difficult to explain to the public. Explaining a theoretical science concept to high school students requires a new way of thinking altogether, which is precisely what researchers at UC San Diego did when they orchestrated a dance with high school students at Orange Glen High School in Escondido as a way to explain topological insulators. The experiment was led by former graduate student Matthew Du and UC San Diego Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Joel Yuen-Zhou.

UC San Diego Names 2024 Revelle Medal Recipients

UC San Diego will honor five individuals as recipients of the 2024 Revelle Medal, a prestigious award recognizing sustained, distinguished and extraordinary service to campus. The 2024 Revelle Medal recipients are: Fan Chung Graham, Stephan Haggard, Douglas Richman, M.D., Robert Schooley, M.D. and Jan B. Talbot.

New Model Brings Insight to Cell Organelle’s Structure and Function

A team of researchers, including two from UC San Diego, have developed a physical model that shows that the structure and dynamics of the ER arise from a balance of tension-driven shrinking and the active pulling of new tubules.