STORIES FROM UCSD

Navigator in Strange Land
Navigating in any strange environment is a challenge. But what if you had to do it without the use of your eyes? MORE

Snapshot of a Holy Grail
It's been called one of the Holy Grails of chemistry - finding out how certain catalysts actually work. And its not just something of academic interest. MORE

Backward into the Limelight
Last December, the journal Science listed left-handed materials as one of its Top Ten Breakthroughs of 2003. MORE

Cilia and Cilia
What do sperm, eyes, kidneys and lungs have in common? MORE

Shelving Neil Morgan
After Morgan's high profile departure from the Union Tribune earlier this year, he told the Associated Press, "What I've spent my life doing mostly is trying to be the moderate, if not liberal voice, on a conservative newspaper and it's been uphill all the way." MORE

Reel Art
One of the nation's premier training grounds for filmakers isn't a film school, and it doesn't have ties to Hollywood. MORE

A Real-Life Day After Tomorrow
Global warming. Rising sea levels. Massive volcanic activitiy around the world.  Widespread erosion. MORE

Prescription for Change
One of UCSD's newest schools is beginning to shape the pharmacists of the future and these students may, in turn, shape the industry itself. MORE

JOIN THE MILLIONAIRES

Were you one of the many who visited the UCSD Alumni Association website in June?
We got an amazing 1.75 million hits! Apparently the Council of Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) came for a look-see. In August, they awarded us a bronze medal for university websites (the only Alumni Association to be recognized in the category).

Our website was completely redesigned and relaunched in December 2003 with the following goals: to be more interactive, increase communications to alumni, and allow online membership enrollment, renewal and event registration. With an increase of 70 percent in hits since January, we invite you to join your fellow Tritons and check us out and tell us what you think.

BACKWARD INTO THE LIMELIGHT

Discover the latest developments in ocean and earth sciences in the pages of Explorations, the quarterly magazine of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Feature articles range from ecologists who use cutting-edge genomics to assess the health of marine habitats to atmospheric chemists who analyze our
future climate. There’s a special “Voyager” section for children in each issue, and the winter edition is produced as a video on DVD. Subscriptions are $40 per year. MORE

For all of the latest information about Scripps Institution of Oceanography visit Scripps' Website. 

For children’s classes and other fun activities, go to the Birch Aquarium Website.

E-CLIPPINGS

A selection of recent research stories. For more visit: ucsdnews.ucsd.edu

BUZZ WORDS Many bee species leave chemical clues to help guide them back to food sources. A UCSD biologist has found that some bees are able to eavesdrop on these clues. This insect espionage has likely led to the development of more concealed communication by bees within the hive such as sounds or dances. MORE

WATCH ME THINK UCSD neurobiologists have developed a new system that provides an unprecedented view of thought in action, and could advance our understanding of disorders like epilepsy and autism. Thought processes occur in milliseconds, yet previous technology only measured in seconds, producing a “blurry” image. Now scientists can see thoughts as they happen. MORE

YOU’VE GOT NERVE Gene therapy may be the new answer to slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. A preliminary UCSD study has found that introducing nerve growth in the brain has delayed the development of the disease by 4 to 50 percent for at least two years, as compared to the current drugs, which delay progression by 5 percent for only six months. MORE

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Faculty from the Jacobs School of Engineering are helping to keep San Franciscans earthquake safe. Their research established proof testing for the new Bay Bridge, which should open in 2007. These innovative designs will avoid the massive damage caused by past quakes. MORE

A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL Scientists at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography have identified the smallest vertebrate in the world. The “stout infantfish,” is no longer than the width of a pencil and is found near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. MORE