Strong winds reaching 114 mph caused significant damage to the UC Lick Observatory, including tearing off part of the dome shutter and exposing sensitive equipment, leading to a temporary closure for repairs that are expected to take months. No injuries occurred, and staff are working to assess and restore the facility, which is used for research and public visits.
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz developed Pulse-Fi, a system that uses WiFi signals to monitor heart rate without sensors or wires, by analyzing variations in WiFi channel information caused by heartbeats, potentially enabling wireless health monitoring and other RF-based detections.
Police in riot gear arrested around 80 pro-Palestinian protesters at UC Santa Cruz who had set up an encampment and blocked the main campus entrance. The protesters, many of whom were students, clashed with law enforcement, resulting in accusations of police brutality. The university cited safety concerns and disruption of campus operations as reasons for the intervention. The standoff continues as students demand the university cut ties with organizations supporting Israel and condemn certain federal funding.
Police arrested approximately 80 protesters at UC Santa Cruz during a pro-Palestinian demonstration that blocked the campus entrance. The university stated that the encampment was unlawful and unsafe, and despite multiple warnings, many protesters refused to disperse. The incident is part of a broader wave of campus protests across the U.S. demanding universities cut ties with Israel.
Police arrested approximately 80 protesters at UC Santa Cruz during a pro-Palestinian demonstration that blocked the campus entrance. The university stated that the encampment was unlawful and unsafe, and despite multiple warnings, many protesters refused to disperse. The incident is part of a broader wave of campus protests across the U.S. demanding universities cut ties with Israel.
Police arrested about 80 pro-Palestinian protesters at UC Santa Cruz after dismantling an encampment that had blocked campus access for weeks. The arrests followed a tense but mostly nonviolent standoff, with protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and other actions. The university cited safety concerns and the disruption of campus activities as reasons for the intervention.
Pro-Palestinian student protestors at UC Santa Cruz are blocking campus entrances, causing disruptions and safety concerns. The university has called for the protestors to disband, citing blocked emergency access and impeded campus operations. The protests, which began a month ago, demand university divestment from Israeli institutions and have led to a strike by academic workers over police actions against protestors.
Scientists have discovered the first nitrogen-fixing organelle within a eukaryotic cell, challenging the belief that only bacteria can perform nitrogen fixation. Named a nitroplast, this organelle is the result of a rare process called primary endosymbiosis, where a prokaryotic cell is engulfed by a eukaryotic cell and evolves into an organelle. The discovery, involving decades of work and a bit of luck, sheds light on the evolution of organelles and has the potential to change perspectives on nitrogen fixation, agriculture, and ocean ecosystems. This research was funded by the Simons Foundation, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Office of Biological and Environmental Research.
Zainab Mansoor, a 21-year-old UC Santa Cruz student, was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, former UC Santa Cruz student Samuel Brannigan Stone, at Seabright Beach. Stone was arrested for homicide and is being held without bail. The university community is deeply saddened by the loss and is offering support to those affected by the tragedy.
A University of California, Santa Cruz transit bus carrying five passengers and a driver crashed into a fence and rock structure, resulting in all six individuals being hospitalized with injuries ranging from moderate to severe. The cause of the solo collision is currently under investigation, and impairment is not believed to be a factor.
A UC Santa Cruz loop bus crashed into a historic Cowell Ranch building on campus, injuring six people. The bus left the road and collided with the building, resulting in major injuries for two passengers who were taken to Valley Medical Center. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The first fully complete human genome with no gaps has been made available to the public after 20 years of work by the Telomere-2-Telomere Consortium. The new genome added 99 genes likely to code for proteins and 2,000 candidate genes that were previously unknown. The genome was created using two modern sequencing techniques, called Oxford Nanopore and PacBio HiFi ultra-long read sequencing, which massively increases the length of DNA that can be read while also improving the accuracy. The consortium hopes to add even more reference genomes as part of the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium to improve diversity in human genetics.