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UCR in the News

Greenhouse gases can help us find advanced alien civilisations, scientists say

The Independent UK |
UCR astrobiologist Eddie Schwieterman led a study showing how scientists could use certain artificial greenhouse gases to identify a faraway planet inhabited by intelligent life. 
UCR in the News

Bizarre alien activity could now be spotted by James Webb telescope

BBC Science Focus |
Our search for extraterrestrial life might have just got a whole lot easier. Now, if aliens so much as modify a planet in their solar system to make it warmer, we would be able to tell. That's thanks to a new study led by UCR astrobiologist Eddie Schwieterman, which has identified the artificial greenhouse gases that would be obvious giveaways of a terraformed planet (one that has been artificially modified to be hospitable for life).
UCR in the News

Iowa’s water needs protection from aquifer raiders

Article cites University of California-Riverside researcher Shaolei Ren, who estimates that ChatGPT uses up to 500 milliliters of water (about a 16-ounce water bottle) every time it’s asked a series of five-50 prompts or questions. That’s a lot of water down the drain.
UCR in the News

Experts: Nation needs to prepare for next pandemic, even if it's not bird flu

Yahoo News via UPI |
Brandon Brown, a professor of public health at UCR's School of Medicine, says that although much of society has moved on from the most recent pandemic, COVID-19 is still here and new variants may emerge.
UCR in the News

How AI Is Fueling a Boom in Data Centers and Energy Demand

Time |
Shaolei Ren led a team of UC Riverside researchers who estimated that global AI demand could cause data centers to consume over 1 trillion gallons of fresh water by 2027. 
UCR in the News

Could applying medical nanotech to crops revolutionise farming?

New Food Magazine |
UCR's Juan Pablo Giraldo, and colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University, argue that applying nanotechnology to agriculture may help growers meet increasing global food demands.
UCR in the News

After Jan. 6, Twitter banned 70,000 right-wing accounts. Lies plummeted.

Washington Post |
In the week after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, Twitter suspended some 70,000 accounts, citing their role in spreading misinformation that was fueling real-world violence. A new study led by UCR's Kevin Esterling finds the move had an immediate and widespread impact on the overall spread of bogus information on the social media site.
UCR in the News

Coming to grips with a climate paradox: Less air pollution spurs more wildfires

Anthropocene Magazine |
It’s hard to fathom that there’s an upside to air pollution. But it’s becoming clear that, paradoxically, cleaning up tailpipes and smokestacks comes with a price for the planet. A study led by UCR climate scientist Robert Allen shows that as we cut polluting emissions of aerosols such as sulfur dioxide, scientists are uncovering the myriad ways these tiny, sunlight-reflecting particles have been taking some of the sting out of global warming.