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Nature’s Smallest Rainbows, Produced by Peacock Spiders, May Inspire New Optical Technologies

Science & Environment

Brightly colored Australian peacock spiders (Maratus spp.) captivate even the most arachnophobic viewers with their flamboyant courtship displays featuring diverse and intricate body colorations, patterns, and movements – all packed into miniature bodies measuring less than five millimeters in size for many species. However, these displays are not just pretty to look at. They also inspire new ways for humans to produce color in technology.

Nature’s Smallest Rainbows, Produced by Peacock Spiders, May Inspire New Optical Technologies

Molecular Mapping Made Easy

Health & Behavior

Every day, every inch of skin on your body comes into contact with thousands of molecules — from food, cosmetics, sweat, the microbes that call your skin home. Now researchers can create interactive 3D maps that show where each molecule lingers on your body, thanks to a new method developed by University of California San Diego and European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) researchers. The technique is published December 21 in Nature Protocols.

Study: Medications Alone Don’t Help Smokers Quit

Health & Behavior

Pharmaceutical interventions are routinely prescribed to help people quit smoking. However, a new study by University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers suggests that, despite promising results in clinical trials, smoking cessation drugs alone may not be improving the chances of successful quitting among smokers in general.

Study: Medications Alone Don’t Help Smokers Quit

On the Precipice: Study Identifies California Cliffs at Risk of Collapse

Science & Environment

Historical cliff erosion rates may have little power to predict future risk, according to a recent study from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego that used laser data to create 3D maps. The new research provides accurate erosion rates for 680 miles of the California coast, from the US-Mexico border to Bodega Head in Sonoma County. It identifies areas that have eroded faster than others, and introduces a new experimental hazard scale to identify areas that may be at greater risk of impending collapse.

On the Precipice: Study Identifies California Cliffs at Risk of Collapse

Pesticides and Poor Nutrition Damage Animal Health

Science & Environment

The combined effects of pesticides and a lack of nutrition form a deadly one-two punch for animals, new research shows for the first time. Researchers studied how honey bees fared with exposure to pesticides and limited nutrient sources, scenarios found in agricultural areas. They were surprised to find that bee deaths increased by up to 50 percent more than they expected.

Pesticides and Poor Nutrition Damage Animal Health

Cygames, Inc. and UC San Diego Announce Joint Research Initiative

Humanities

Japanese game developer Cygames, Inc. announced today an academic collaboration with the UC San Diego Center for Research in Entertainment and Learning to create an "x-reality" lab for long-term basic research and shared instrumentation.