Egghead Content

Solving the Moving Sofa Problem

Andy Fell — December 13, 2024 - 4:14pm

Korean mathematician Jineon Baek may have come up with a proof for a long-standing problem: What is the largest object that can fit around a corner of a certain size?

Eye, Robot: Researchers Give Machines a New Perspective with Active Vision

Andy Fell — November 26, 2024 - 2:46pm

When Iman Soltani worked in the automotive industry, he studied assembly floors and noticed that each automated task had its specific robotic design.

He also noticed that while a robot would need multiple cameras affixed to several locations for the best possible sightline, an operator on the assembly floor would move their head and neck to get the best view as they manipulated components.

Animal and Veterinary Innovation Center Established at �°��ϲ��Ļ��Ϣ Davis

Andy Fell — November 22, 2024 - 11:31am

�°��ϲ��Ļ��Ϣ Davis is one of four institutions nationwide selected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to establish Animal and Veterinary Innovation centers to help spur innovation and advance regulatory decisions.

The �°��ϲ��Ļ��Ϣ Davis Intentional Genomic Alteration Innovation Center will focus on genome editing of livestock like pigs, sheep and cattle to support science-based regulations that demonstrate the safety of the technology and pave the way for human consumption of edited animals.

Overcoming the Casimir Force, a Fundamental Limitation in Quantum Tech

Andy Fell — November 21, 2024 - 10:09am

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jeremy Munday and his lab have demonstrated a method for controlling the Casimir force, a quantum mechanical effect that draws small objects toward each other. The force can be so strong as to tear components inside a device apart.

Can Corals Be Saved?

Andy Fell — November 04, 2024 - 4:13pm

It takes a strong constitution to be a coral researcher these days. These vibrant underwater ecosystems are beset by all manner of challenges in the 21st century, from bleaching events and pollution to storm surges and overfishing. But there’s good news on the way for coral conservation.

Buried Alive: Carbon Dioxide Release From Magma Deep Beneath Ancient Volcanoes a Hidden Driver of Earth’s Past Climate

Andy Fell — October 30, 2024 - 2:34pm

An international team of geoscientists led by a volcanologist at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and including Maxwell Rudolph, associate professor in the �°��ϲ��Ļ��Ϣ Davis Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, has discovered that, contrary to present scientific understanding, ancient volcanoes continued to spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from deep within the Earth long past their period of eruptions.

Exploring the Psychedelics Within Us

Andy Fell — October 21, 2024 - 3:00pm

Our bodies are pharmaceutical factories. From the hormones that regulate our blood sugar to the neurotransmitters that act as the body’s natural painkillers, these endogenous — produced within the body — chemicals ensure our functionality and survival.

But did you know that our bodies also naturally produce psychedelics?

In the 1950s, researchers found chemical signatures of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in mammalian bodies, including in humans.

Laser Purified Silica

Andy Fell — October 14, 2024 - 11:51am

Materials science and engineering researchers at the University of California, Davis, and materials company Homerun Resources, Inc., have developed a groundbreaking one-step laser-pulse technique to purify raw silica sand to over 99.99% purity. The method is the first phase in a collaborative effort to create a pathway to a carbon-neutral process of deriving silicon from silica sand.

Charging, Not Range, is Becoming a Top Concern For Electric Car Drivers

Andy Fell — October 10, 2024 - 9:16am

The Biden administration is using tax credits, regulations and federal investments to shift drivers toward electric vehicles.

AI: A Tectonic Shift in Human Society

Andy Fell — October 08, 2024 - 3:59pm

The first time most people could communicate with a computer that responded like a real person was in 2022 when OpenAI publicly launched ChatGPT. Just two months later, the app set the record for the fastest-growing user base with 100 million monthly active users.