Berkeley Science News Roundup
I ran across a comment that summed up my views nicely:

I like science. I always liked studying science, for which I had a natural aptitude, and I like reading about it still. Any kind of science captures my interest—the natural sciences, the social sciences—in no small part because I feel it is an important endeavor to helping us make sense of the world around us, and the things and people in it. A certain respect for science seems not only admirable, but wise...

So with that in my mind, here is some recent science news with a Berkeley angle to it (this is by no means a comprehensive list, but just some articles that should be of interest to the average Berkeley student).

1. "Central Valley fossils open window to rich era of beasts: Pit bull-like creature had feet of a bear" Berkeley researchers are analyzing a whole wealth of recently discovered fossils from near Fresno including many new species, such as "the king of fang-and-claw terror in California, a hulking beast with the face of a large dog and the feet of a bear."

2. "RHESSI satellite captures giant gamma-ray flare" Astronomers around the world recorded late last year the brightest explosion ever of high-energy X-rays and gamma rays — a split-second flash from the other side of our galaxy that was strong enough to affect the Earth's atmosphere." The best measurement came from a joint NASA/UC Berkeley satellite.

3. "UC Berkeley's Sagehen Creek Field Station is home to two new Cal bears" (with cute pictures) Two orphaned female bears have been placed on a UC Berkeley research area where they can grow up in the wild.

4. "Discovery of gliding ants shows wingless flight has arisen throughout the animal kingdom" Berkeley Prof and two others authored a Nature article on a new discovery about the ability of ants who have fallen out of a tree to glide back and land on that same tree. Article has pictures and videos of the ants in action.Email This Post!