Science – Page 30 – UCSD-TV Blog

On Beyond: Biology's Future at UCSD, Natural Reserves, and more!

In this episode of OnBeyond, meet UC San Diego biologist Bill McGinnis, the new Dean of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. McGinnis is a renowned biologist best known for his 1983 discovery that genes involved in embryonic development are identical in different species, from bugs to humans.

Hear what this cutting edge scientist has to say about where the biological sciences are headed at UC San Diego, from brain activity mapping to mathematical modeling of biological systems. McGinnis talks about his past, his passions, and what he hopes to study more thoroughly in the future.

Next, this episode of OnBeyond explores what is so special about California’s comfortable climate. Only a small portion of the Earth’s landmass is conducive to a Mediterranean climate like that of California, and 40% of these Mediterranean areas are already heavily populated. A mere 1/8 of the entire world’s Mediterranean areas have been preserved.

UCTV then visits two University of California Natural Reserves to reveal the beauty and the biodiversity of these remote preservation and research sites. Watch “OnBeyond: A New Era for Biology, Mediterranean Climate, Natural Reserves” to find out the locations, services, and secrets of these great natural reserve facilities.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out other programs in the OnBeyond series!

The Atlantic Meets the Pacific

Want to hear from the doctors at the forefront of Obama’s BRAIN initiative? Or, learn about the cutting edge of drone science intended for personal civilian use? Or, get a guided tour inside the Scripps Research Institute and the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine?

Well, you can do all those things at this year’s The Atlantic Meets the Pacific. This third annual conference, presented by The Atlantic Magazine and UC San Diego, gathers top thought leaders in technology and health to discuss their ground breaking research in panels and interviews.

This year’s speakers will include top UCSD scientists such as Eric Topol, Todd Coleman, Scott M. Lippman, Jacopo Annese, Ralph J. Greenspan; business and technology leaders like Roni Zeiger and Chris Anderson; and prize winning journalists and authors such as Laurie Garrett, Deepak Chopra, Clifton Leaf, and many many more!

The Atlantic Meets the Pacific will take place here at UCSD on October 2 through 4. If you can’t attend, don’t worry! UCSD-TV will be there will to catch all exciting speakers.

Can’t wait for the conference? Check out UCSD-TV’s coverage of last year’s The Atlantic Meets Pacific!

Watch a video from last year’s The Atlantic Meets the Pacific of Dr. Eric Topol explaining his new medical device that could revolutionize healthcare in a very personal way. What will he talk about this year?

See other videos from UCSD-TV’s coverage of The Atlantic Meets the Pacific!

Adventures on an Ultrasmall Scale

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) defines nanotechnology as “science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.”

Wait, the United States has a research and development program dedicated to this tiny field? Yes, we do. The NNI was established in 2000 to assist in the collaboration of new nano sciences and to ensure responsible development.

This small scale science can be applied to all other fields of science, from chemistry to engineering, aiming to study and manipulate molecules and atoms at an individual level. Nanotechnology has only been around for abut 30 years, because without today’s ultraprecision machines and microscopes, we could not see such small particles.

One of the most popular recent nano-inventions is graphene, a crystalline form of carbon one atom layer thick. Learn more about the developments of nanotechnology from Buford Price, Professor of Physics at UC Berkeley, in “Adventures on an Ultrasmall Scale,” as he takes us through nuclear tracks in solids to microbial life in polar ice.

If you like this video, check out the other programs in the Frontiers of Knowledge series!

Women in Science

Our recent series, “Women in Science” was so popular, it has been given it’s own subject page!

UCSD-TV wants to acknowledge the accomplishments of women in science, with the hope of nurturing more female scientists and encouraging other women to get involved in this exciting field.

There have been many great women scientists whose discoveries have been undercut based on their gender. For example, Rosalind Franklin remains the unsung hero who played a pivotal role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure with her X-ray diffraction images. She was out-shined by Watson and Crick, the two men who took full credit for the discovery.

And Rachel Carson, the author of “Silent Spring,” faced many personal attacks on her intelligence and credibility because she was smart enough to recognize and brave enough to tell about the devastation caused by large chemical companies. These corporations claimed that because she was a woman her facts were not to be trusted.

Although we would like to think that these sort of prejudices have faded from society, it is important to remember heroes like Franklin and Carson to celebrate women’s scientific accomplishments of the past and support women’s future in science.

Check out the Women in Science subject page and the podcasts available on iTunes!

Skin Cancer Treatment and Prevention

Have you been wearing sunscreen this Summer? Sunburns might not be so bad, but the damage done to your skin can turn into something much more deadly.

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and is the number one cause of death from skin disease. It accounts for 5% of all cancer cases in men and 4% of all cancer cases in women.

According to medical oncologist Gregory A. Daniels, MD, PhD, the Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology-Oncology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, the lifetime probability of developing Melanoma, is 1 in 36.

Unfortunately, the incidences of this disease are increasing. One hundred years ago, Melanoma was not a common problem. At that time, Daniels says the probability of developing Melanoma was more like 1 in 1,000 or even 1 in 1,500.

Watch “Skin Cancer Treatment and Prevention – Research on Aging” to find out why incidences of Melanoma are increasing and what you can do to treat or prevent this disease.

Watch other videos presented by the Stein Institute for Research on Aging!