Science (Audio)

At the CSE Celebration of Diversity, attendees were invited to participate in a Red Chair Event, which is part of the National Center for Women in Technology’s SitWithMe campaign. Dozens of people sat down in a red chair to say a few words about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this symbolic gesture, they took a stand for diversity, equity and inclusion in Computer Science & Engineering and beyond. Series: "Computer Science Channel" [Show ID: 34529]

Natural Killer - or NK - cells are one of our immune systems most potent defenses, able to attack viral infections and destroy cells that exhibit tumorigenic characteristics. UC San Diego physician Dr. Dan Kaufman, who has specialized in treating blood cancers for over 20 years now leads a research group at the UC San Diego Stem Cell program that is using induced pluripotent stem cells to generate NK cells that are targeted to destroy cancer cells. With the goal of providing safer, more effective, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapies, the methods his lab has developed are being employed in a first-of-its-kind clinical trial anywhere in the world being conducted at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Science] [Show ID: 34875]

Leading voices in philosophy and neuroscience wrap up a conference on the ethics of research using brain organoids with questions from the audience. Panelists: Christof Koch, Chief Scientist and President of the Allen Institute for Brain Science; Patricia Churchland, Emerita Professor, UC San Diego; Evan Thompson, Professor of Philosophy, University of British Columbia; and Alysson Muotri, Director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell program. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Show ID: 35249]

Celebrated leaders in their respective fields discuss the initiatives and breakthroughs that they spearheaded in areas that people thought were impossible or ahead of their time. Featuring Martin Cooper of Dyna, LLC, Arlene Harris of Wrethink, changemaker John Ross, Carrie Hessler Radelet of Project Concern International, and Larry Smarr of University of California, San Diego. Series: "Global Empowerment Summit" [Show ID: 35332]

Transforming our energy infrastructure to support greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals will require the deployment of technologies such as electric vehicles and energy storage. Improper integration of these technologies into the electric grid and a lack of careful planning of their scale, however, can significantly reduce their real-world effectiveness in supporting GHG emissions reduction goals. Research by Brian Tarroja and his colleagues at UC Irvine presented here focus on identifying grid integration needs and life cycle planning considerations for electric vehicles and energy storage deployment to better ensure that their potential GHG benefits are fully realized in future electricity systems. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Show ID: 35164]

Researchers at UC San Diego are working on cutting edge technology to combat the constant threat of wildfires in California. The WIFIRE Lab is a collaboration between the Qualcomm Institute and the San Diego Supercomputer Center. The technology uses big data from cameras, weather stations, topography and other sources to quickly predict where wildfires will spread. And, it's not just theoretical. Fire departments like LAFD are actively using WIFIRE to get ahead of blazes before they get out of control. Series: "Computing Around UC" [Science] [Show ID: 35075]

What defines consciousness? Can it develop in a petri dish? Patricia Churchland reviews the current state of brain organoid research and shares her views on how conciseness and physical structures within the brain intersect. She also cautions the media on the tendency to "over hype" new research advances. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Show ID: 35247]

Recently, some scientists have asked whether neural organoids will ever be conscious, and have wondered about the ethical implications of this possibility. Meanwhile, some philosophers have argued that neural organoids are miniature versions of “brains in vats.” Evan Thompson feels that both scientist and philosophers should shift their thinking. He argues that the minimal instantiation of sentience is organismic - not just neuronal, and that conscious processes of moral interest require embodiment and the capacity to suffer. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Show ID: 35248]

Ram Seshadri argues that energy efficiency can be as important to our future as renewable energy. LED lights are extremely efficient. In this talk he explores how white light emission from an LED lamp works and how researchers think about materials to understand their uses. Series: "GRIT Talks" [Show ID: 35268]

Decarbonizing our electricity and transportation sectors will require large deployments of wind, solar, and storage. Ranjit Deshmukh develops models for planning and operations of low carbon electricity grids and analyzes tradeoffs between economic, environmental, and social objectives for regions in the U.S., India, and Africa. These models optimize wind, solar, and other generation, demand, and storage resources for region-specific conditions including spatial and temporal variability of renewable resources. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Show ID: 35165]

Metals are vital to life functions. We have iron zinc and copper in us – but in the ocean is different. We know that organism evolve against the chemical constraints of their environments and Allison Butler looks at what kind of metalloenzymes are present in marine organisms. Series: "Women in Science" [Show ID: 35266]

As brain organoids become more widely used in research, concerns about the development of consciousness arise. Christof Koch discusses how we determine and define consciousness and how we look for the underlying physical signatures of consciousness. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Show ID: 35246]

The study of brain organoids is leading to a better understanding of human development and potential therapies for neurological disorders. Yet when people hear the phrase "brain in a dish" it instantly brings to mind the stuff of science fiction - labs full of sentient brains thinking and plotting. Alysson Muotri explains why these organoids should not called "brains in a dish" and how they are being used to explain human processes previously inaccessible to study. While underscoring scientific value of these organoids, he also raises the question of what ethical questions demand an answer as the technology improves. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Show ID: 35245]

Elliot Hawkes’s research focuses on bringing together design, mechanics, and non-traditional materials to advance the vision of robust, adaptable, human-safe robots that can thrive in the uncertain, unstructured world. He shows two projects; gecko-inspired adhesives to make a climbing robot and vine-inspired robots to navigate in cluttered environments. Series: "GRIT Talks" [Show ID: 35267]

California's recent drought has highlighted the need for a reliable source of water. Peter Stricker of SeaWell presents a reverse osmosis (RO) system to address climate-driven drought which is an entirely new approach to water supply. The SeaWell buoy is a self-contained floating vessel, moored to the sea floor, with seawater intake and brine diffusion outfall. It contains reverse osmosis equipment, electric power and water piping, and can permeate water at a rate of 950–3,800 acre-feet/year. The implementation plan is to deploy pilot SeaWell Buoys at a water cost already below the cost of State water,initially partnering with water districts to deploy five water portals. Landing sites could be chosen based in previously disturbed areas, such as decommissioned oil receiving facilities and sanitary district outfalls. These deployments will augment new water reuse projects, and share siting and infrastructure. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Show ID: 35163]