In The News: College of Sciences

Yahoo!

Three years after a wildfire burned 97% of California's Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the forest — or at least several parts of it — is making a remarkable resurgence. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported on the new developments in the park, citing researchers who spoke at a scientific symposium hosted by environmental nonprofit Santa Cruz Mountains Bioregional Council.

The Cool Down

Three years after a wildfire burned 97% of California's Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the forest — or at least several parts of it — is making a remarkable resurgence. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported on the new developments in the park, citing researchers who spoke at a scientific symposium hosted by environmental nonprofit Santa Cruz Mountains Bioregional Council.

Space.com

When Earth and our moon were much closer together than they are now, the duo could have had tiny companions, or a disk revolving around them in orbits around the pair's poles, a new study finds. These findings suggest that similar moonlets could orbit distant exoplanets and their moons, researchers said.

Interesting Engineering

Researchers in China claimed to have captured a ray from the biggest explosion since the Big Bang. A new study done by a team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggests that a massive cosmic explosion, possibly the largest since the Big Bang, occurred when matter and antimatter collided at nearly the speed of light.

Newswise

Drylands, found across every continent, cover about 45% of the Earth's land surface and support 38% of the human population. In these regions, precipitation is low and evaporation rates are typically high, leading to an arid or semi-arid climate. Due to scarce water resources and sparse vegetation, drylands present formidable challenges for agriculture and human habitation. As the climate continues to warm, drylands are rapidly expanding.

MSN

Researchers in China claimed to have captured a ray from the biggest explosion since the Big Bang. A new study done by a team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggests that a massive cosmic explosion, possibly the largest since the Big Bang, occurred when matter and antimatter collided at nearly the speed of light.

Las Vegas Review-Journal En Español

As Nevada prepares for the next few years of its lithium boom, a new study is drawing attention to what's at stake: water. Lithium, used in electric vehicle batteries, is considered a critical mineral for the transition from fossil fuels to greener energy sources. Only one lithium mine is fully operational in the country, in the Silver Peak mountain range in Nevada’s Esmeralda County.

Las Vegas Review Journal

As Nevada gears up for the next few years of its lithium boom, a new study is calling attention to what’s most at stake — water. Lithium, used in electric vehicle batteries, is considered a critical mineral for the transition away from fossil fuels to more green sources of energy. Only one lithium mine is fully operational in the country, in the Silver Peak mountain range of Nevada’s Esmeralda County.

Las Vegas Sun

Frenchman Mountain isn’t the easiest hike in Las Vegas, but the sharp incline and oppressive heat don’t deter UNLV geologist Steve Rowland from revisiting the place he’s dedicated much of his career to studying.

Business Insider

Southwest Airlines is ending its unique open-seating policy after more than 50 years. The airline said its research found 80% of customers preferred assigned seating.

Las Vegas Sun

UNLV medicine professor Edwin Oh had a simple question for his young students. “Do you see green cells?” If they said yes — and, happily, they all did — that meant they had successfully transfused a special protein into a small dish of human kidney cells that allowed the cells to glow green when placed under a beam of blue light emitting from a high-powered fluorescent microscope.

Desert Research Institute

The question of whether Mars ever supported life has captivated the imagination of scientists and the public for decades. Central to the discovery is gaining insight into the past climate of Earth’s neighbor: was the planet warm and wet, with seas and rivers much like those found on our own planet? Or was it frigid and icy, and therefore potentially less prone to supporting life as we know it? A new study finds evidence to support the latter by identifying similarities between soils found on Mars and those of Canada’s Newfoundland, a cold subarctic climate.