UC Davis College of Letters & Science
@ucdlands.bsky.social
The official BlueSky account for the UC Davis College of Letters & Science. #UCDLandS
What would it feel like to fall into a black hole?
UC Davis astrophysicist Brenna Mockler explores how time, gravity, and light behave near these cosmic extremes, diving into how studying star-devouring black holes helps scientists understand how galaxies evolve.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
UC Davis astrophysicist Brenna Mockler explores how time, gravity, and light behave near these cosmic extremes, diving into how studying star-devouring black holes helps scientists understand how galaxies evolve.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
What Happens Inside a Black Hole? A UC Davis Astrophysicist Weighs In
How might falling into a black hole feel? Assuming you're not ripped apart, a process called spaghettification, and your consciousness remains intact, UC Davis Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Brenna Mockler has some ideas.
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
January 29, 2026 at 6:10 PM
What would it feel like to fall into a black hole?
UC Davis astrophysicist Brenna Mockler explores how time, gravity, and light behave near these cosmic extremes, diving into how studying star-devouring black holes helps scientists understand how galaxies evolve.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
UC Davis astrophysicist Brenna Mockler explores how time, gravity, and light behave near these cosmic extremes, diving into how studying star-devouring black holes helps scientists understand how galaxies evolve.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
New research shows that gun violence is reported differently depending on where it happens.
Analyzing nearly 36,000 news stories, researchers identified consistent racial disparities in both the volume and language of gun violence reporting across the U.S.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Analyzing nearly 36,000 news stories, researchers identified consistent racial disparities in both the volume and language of gun violence reporting across the U.S.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Research Suggests Nationwide Racial Disparities in Media Reporting on Gun Violence
Mass shootings in white-majority neighborhoods received roughly twice the news coverage of mass shootings in neighborhoods where a majority of residents were people of color, while coverage of police-involved shootings was disproportionately high in maj...
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
January 28, 2026 at 6:11 PM
New research shows that gun violence is reported differently depending on where it happens.
Analyzing nearly 36,000 news stories, researchers identified consistent racial disparities in both the volume and language of gun violence reporting across the U.S.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Analyzing nearly 36,000 news stories, researchers identified consistent racial disparities in both the volume and language of gun violence reporting across the U.S.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Reposted by UC Davis College of Letters & Science
A Maverick with a Need for Speed ✈️ Real leadership lessons from the airline disruptor who refused to fly on autopilot, building the No. 2 rated airline in the U.S.
Dean's Distinguished Speaker Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. 🎙️ bit.ly/4sJOPxa | @calaggiealumni.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social
Dean's Distinguished Speaker Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. 🎙️ bit.ly/4sJOPxa | @calaggiealumni.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social
January 22, 2026 at 10:27 PM
A Maverick with a Need for Speed ✈️ Real leadership lessons from the airline disruptor who refused to fly on autopilot, building the No. 2 rated airline in the U.S.
Dean's Distinguished Speaker Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. 🎙️ bit.ly/4sJOPxa | @calaggiealumni.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social
Dean's Distinguished Speaker Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. 🎙️ bit.ly/4sJOPxa | @calaggiealumni.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social
Join us as Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum delivers the Eugene Lunn Memorial Lecture.
From financial systems to propaganda, we'll examine the hidden networks behind modern autocracy and explore how they shape global politics today.
Read more: https://bit.ly/4jOPGIC
From financial systems to propaganda, we'll examine the hidden networks behind modern autocracy and explore how they shape global politics today.
Read more: https://bit.ly/4jOPGIC
January 22, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Join us as Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum delivers the Eugene Lunn Memorial Lecture.
From financial systems to propaganda, we'll examine the hidden networks behind modern autocracy and explore how they shape global politics today.
Read more: https://bit.ly/4jOPGIC
From financial systems to propaganda, we'll examine the hidden networks behind modern autocracy and explore how they shape global politics today.
Read more: https://bit.ly/4jOPGIC
What if self-control isn’t just about capacity, but also choice?
A new UC Davis review argues that early experiences shape when executive function feels worth the effort, starting in childhood and lasting a lifetime.
Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
A new UC Davis review argues that early experiences shape when executive function feels worth the effort, starting in childhood and lasting a lifetime.
Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Early Environments May Shape Executive Function and Self-Control Over a Lifetime
A new review paper from the Center for Mind and Brain suggests that a person's environment in early childhood has much more to do with how they engage executive function -- like exerting self-control -- throughout their lives than innate ability.
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
January 22, 2026 at 5:52 PM
What if self-control isn’t just about capacity, but also choice?
A new UC Davis review argues that early experiences shape when executive function feels worth the effort, starting in childhood and lasting a lifetime.
Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
A new UC Davis review argues that early experiences shape when executive function feels worth the effort, starting in childhood and lasting a lifetime.
Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Reposted by UC Davis College of Letters & Science
California’s wildfire seasons are becoming more intense & the state’s public bank of seeds to replant lands is understocked. New #UCDavis research aims to predict when & where cones will ripen so they can be collected, the seeds removed, dried & stored for later use.
caes.ucdavis.edu/news/finding...
caes.ucdavis.edu/news/finding...
Finding that Ripe Cone Sweet Spot: Looking Back to Help the Future
California’s wildfire seasons are becoming more intense, and the state’s public bank of seeds to help replant and reforest lands after blazes is understocked by thousands of pounds. A new research pro...
caes.ucdavis.edu
January 21, 2026 at 5:52 PM
California’s wildfire seasons are becoming more intense & the state’s public bank of seeds to replant lands is understocked. New #UCDavis research aims to predict when & where cones will ripen so they can be collected, the seeds removed, dried & stored for later use.
caes.ucdavis.edu/news/finding...
caes.ucdavis.edu/news/finding...
Reposted by UC Davis College of Letters & Science
If you are in Davis on 9 February, please come!
The annual Eugene Lunn Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Pulitzer prize-winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum on Monday, February 9, 2026 from 4-6 pm at the Manetti Shrem Art Museum. The event (including reception) is free and open to the public.
January 16, 2026 at 6:40 AM
If you are in Davis on 9 February, please come!
Tea has shaped history, culture, and science for centuries.
Later this month, UC Davis’ 2026 Global Tea Institute Colloquium will explore the art of tea through research, ritual, and global perspectives, bringing together scholars across the humanities and sciences.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Later this month, UC Davis’ 2026 Global Tea Institute Colloquium will explore the art of tea through research, ritual, and global perspectives, bringing together scholars across the humanities and sciences.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
The Art of Tea Takes Center Stage at UC Davis' 2026 Global Tea Institute Colloquium
This year's annual Global Tea Institute Colloquium honors the legacy of tea with its theme: Art of Tea in Culture and Science, Society and Health. It will feature tea scholars from across UC Davis.
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
January 21, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Tea has shaped history, culture, and science for centuries.
Later this month, UC Davis’ 2026 Global Tea Institute Colloquium will explore the art of tea through research, ritual, and global perspectives, bringing together scholars across the humanities and sciences.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Later this month, UC Davis’ 2026 Global Tea Institute Colloquium will explore the art of tea through research, ritual, and global perspectives, bringing together scholars across the humanities and sciences.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Reposted by UC Davis College of Letters & Science
Tiny Earthquakes Reveal Hidden Faults Under Northern California @ucdlands.bsky.social www.ucdavis.edu/news/tiny-ea...
Tiny Earthquakes Reveal Hidden Faults Under Northern California
By tracking swarms of very small earthquakes, seismologists are getting a new picture of the complex region where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone, an area that could give rise...
www.ucdavis.edu
January 15, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Tiny Earthquakes Reveal Hidden Faults Under Northern California @ucdlands.bsky.social www.ucdavis.edu/news/tiny-ea...
Why are we drawn to rage bait, even when it leaves us feeling worse?
New research from UC Davis shows how negative emotions can increase our preference for emotionally charged media, and how curiosity may help disrupt cycles of doomscrolling.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
New research from UC Davis shows how negative emotions can increase our preference for emotionally charged media, and how curiosity may help disrupt cycles of doomscrolling.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Why Rage Bait Works and How Curiosity Can Help Us Stop Doomscrolling
To provoke outrage is the point of rage bait. Research in communication is starting to explain how rage bait hacks the way our brains decide what we choose to read, watch and even click and swipe online. What's more, the worse we feel, the more we seem ...
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
January 21, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Why are we drawn to rage bait, even when it leaves us feeling worse?
New research from UC Davis shows how negative emotions can increase our preference for emotionally charged media, and how curiosity may help disrupt cycles of doomscrolling.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
New research from UC Davis shows how negative emotions can increase our preference for emotionally charged media, and how curiosity may help disrupt cycles of doomscrolling.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Village Homes in Davis has been quietly redefining suburban life for 50 years, centering sustainability, shared space, and human connection. Visit the UC Davis Design Museum exhibit to learn more and explore why this intentional community still feels radical today.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Is This Intentional Living Community the Solution to Our Problems?
Tucked away among green pathways, fruit trees and vineyards is a planned community ahead of its time in sustainability and intentional living. Fifty years after its groundbreaking, Village Homes still stands out as a model for sustainable, intentional l...
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
January 15, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Village Homes in Davis has been quietly redefining suburban life for 50 years, centering sustainability, shared space, and human connection. Visit the UC Davis Design Museum exhibit to learn more and explore why this intentional community still feels radical today.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
@ucdavis.bsky.social
2025 was quite the year. Despite funding cuts, uncertainty, and real challenges, the College of Letters and Science continued to deliver research, creativity, and insights that matter — across climate, health, culture, history, and the future of our shared world.
Read more https://bit.ly/4qRDBoe
Read more https://bit.ly/4qRDBoe
January 14, 2026 at 10:30 PM
2025 was quite the year. Despite funding cuts, uncertainty, and real challenges, the College of Letters and Science continued to deliver research, creativity, and insights that matter — across climate, health, culture, history, and the future of our shared world.
Read more https://bit.ly/4qRDBoe
Read more https://bit.ly/4qRDBoe
Reposted by UC Davis College of Letters & Science
"This trend of rising income inequality is one of the most important social phenomena of the last fifty years."
The United States is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, yet millions of families struggle to make ends meet.
Find out why: https://bit.ly/3NqthVU
The United States is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, yet millions of families struggle to make ends meet.
Find out why: https://bit.ly/3NqthVU
January 13, 2026 at 5:49 PM
"This trend of rising income inequality is one of the most important social phenomena of the last fifty years."
The United States is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, yet millions of families struggle to make ends meet.
Find out why: https://bit.ly/3NqthVU
The United States is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, yet millions of families struggle to make ends meet.
Find out why: https://bit.ly/3NqthVU
Poverty isn’t just about income; it affects health, security, and opportunity. UC Davis experts unpack the country's poverty rate and how safety net programs reduce long-term hardship for millions of families.
Learn more at the Letters and Science Magazine.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Learn more at the Letters and Science Magazine.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Understanding the U.S. Poverty Rate and the Safety Net Programs That Support Struggling Families
The U.S. poverty rate puts a number on the share of households who struggle to make ends meet. The way we measure poverty dates back to the 1960s and provides a starting point for building an effective safety net that lifts people out of poverty.
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
January 7, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Poverty isn’t just about income; it affects health, security, and opportunity. UC Davis experts unpack the country's poverty rate and how safety net programs reduce long-term hardship for millions of families.
Learn more at the Letters and Science Magazine.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Learn more at the Letters and Science Magazine.
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Brenna Henn is a population geneticist at @ucdavis.bsky.social.
Her lab had a long-term grant to study the genetic diversity of Africans and people of African descent. Then their N.I.H. funding was cut.
Learn more about her work, which was featured recently in @nytimes.com
Her lab had a long-term grant to study the genetic diversity of Africans and people of African descent. Then their N.I.H. funding was cut.
Learn more about her work, which was featured recently in @nytimes.com
She Wanted to Improve Genetic Medicine
www.nytimes.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Brenna Henn is a population geneticist at @ucdavis.bsky.social.
Her lab had a long-term grant to study the genetic diversity of Africans and people of African descent. Then their N.I.H. funding was cut.
Learn more about her work, which was featured recently in @nytimes.com
Her lab had a long-term grant to study the genetic diversity of Africans and people of African descent. Then their N.I.H. funding was cut.
Learn more about her work, which was featured recently in @nytimes.com
Vinh Ton arrived at UC Davis with a plan and left with far more than a degree. Between statistics, theater, Asian American studies, and building community, he found spaces that challenged him and people who made the work feel shared.
Read more about his journey: https://bit.ly/4sluEVM
Read more about his journey: https://bit.ly/4sluEVM
January 6, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Vinh Ton arrived at UC Davis with a plan and left with far more than a degree. Between statistics, theater, Asian American studies, and building community, he found spaces that challenged him and people who made the work feel shared.
Read more about his journey: https://bit.ly/4sluEVM
Read more about his journey: https://bit.ly/4sluEVM
#ICYMI: UC Davis Distinguished Professor Carlito Lebrilla has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction for academic inventors.
Congratulations, Professor Lebrilla!
@ucdavis.bsky.social
@ucdavisresearch.bsky.social
Congratulations, Professor Lebrilla!
@ucdavis.bsky.social
@ucdavisresearch.bsky.social
UC Davis Chemist Carlito Lebrilla Elected as National Academy of Inventors Fellow
UC Davis Distinguished Professor Carlito Lebrilla is among the 185 academic and institutional inventors newly elected to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors and cele...
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
January 6, 2026 at 6:06 PM
#ICYMI: UC Davis Distinguished Professor Carlito Lebrilla has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction for academic inventors.
Congratulations, Professor Lebrilla!
@ucdavis.bsky.social
@ucdavisresearch.bsky.social
Congratulations, Professor Lebrilla!
@ucdavis.bsky.social
@ucdavisresearch.bsky.social
Happy New Year, Aggies! 🥳
We hope you have a fun, SAFE, and celebratory welcome to 2026 ✨
We hope you have a fun, SAFE, and celebratory welcome to 2026 ✨
January 1, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Happy New Year, Aggies! 🥳
We hope you have a fun, SAFE, and celebratory welcome to 2026 ✨
We hope you have a fun, SAFE, and celebratory welcome to 2026 ✨
Reposted by UC Davis College of Letters & Science
"Engineering can tell us how to build a nuclear bomb, but the humanities provide us with the guidance and ethical framework to know never to use it."
Watch more: https://youtu.be/8VD75w7oR4s?si=PnFGS1DcLx_Lavqj
Watch more: https://youtu.be/8VD75w7oR4s?si=PnFGS1DcLx_Lavqj
December 30, 2025 at 6:08 PM
"Engineering can tell us how to build a nuclear bomb, but the humanities provide us with the guidance and ethical framework to know never to use it."
Watch more: https://youtu.be/8VD75w7oR4s?si=PnFGS1DcLx_Lavqj
Watch more: https://youtu.be/8VD75w7oR4s?si=PnFGS1DcLx_Lavqj
Reposted by UC Davis College of Letters & Science
This week, Keith David Watenpaugh, a leading expert on human rights, joins Ed Kiggins for a deep discussion on the history of genocide.
• Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8VD75w7oR4s?...
• Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1qPr...
• Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
• Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8VD75w7oR4s?...
• Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1qPr...
• Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
The Binary of Genocide
YouTube video by Minds Over Matters
youtu.be
December 23, 2025 at 7:21 PM
This week, Keith David Watenpaugh, a leading expert on human rights, joins Ed Kiggins for a deep discussion on the history of genocide.
• Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8VD75w7oR4s?...
• Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1qPr...
• Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
• Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8VD75w7oR4s?...
• Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1qPr...
• Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Reposted by UC Davis College of Letters & Science
Michael Neff, a professor of computer science at UC Davis, is exploring how realistic gestures, nonverbal communication and embodied AI agents can make virtual classrooms more interactive and engaging. 🥽
Read more at https://ow.ly/nQch50XMP4u
#UCDavisEngineering
Read more at https://ow.ly/nQch50XMP4u
#UCDavisEngineering
December 19, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Michael Neff, a professor of computer science at UC Davis, is exploring how realistic gestures, nonverbal communication and embodied AI agents can make virtual classrooms more interactive and engaging. 🥽
Read more at https://ow.ly/nQch50XMP4u
#UCDavisEngineering
Read more at https://ow.ly/nQch50XMP4u
#UCDavisEngineering
UC Davis’ California Rock Garden is a small space with a huge timeline. Join us as we highlight five standout specimens and the geologic forces that shaped them.
Read more: https://lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu/science-technology/california-rock-garden-uc-davis
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Read more: https://lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu/science-technology/california-rock-garden-uc-davis
@ucdavis.bsky.social
December 18, 2025 at 4:49 PM
UC Davis’ California Rock Garden is a small space with a huge timeline. Join us as we highlight five standout specimens and the geologic forces that shaped them.
Read more: https://lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu/science-technology/california-rock-garden-uc-davis
@ucdavis.bsky.social
Read more: https://lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu/science-technology/california-rock-garden-uc-davis
@ucdavis.bsky.social
A new study featuring @ucdavis.bsky.social shows that lighting colors strongly influence how people experience music.
The findings offer new insights for designing spaces that better support emotional well-being through lighting and sound.
Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine:
The findings offer new insights for designing spaces that better support emotional well-being through lighting and sound.
Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine:
Lighting Strongly Influences People's Experience While Listening to Music, a New Study Suggests
A multidisciplinary team from three universities found that indoor lighting of various hues so strongly influences listeners' experiences that musical venues, health-care settings and even homeowners might wish to reconsider their lighting choices for m...
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
December 17, 2025 at 6:14 PM
A new study featuring @ucdavis.bsky.social shows that lighting colors strongly influence how people experience music.
The findings offer new insights for designing spaces that better support emotional well-being through lighting and sound.
Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine:
The findings offer new insights for designing spaces that better support emotional well-being through lighting and sound.
Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine:
A closer look at how cartel violence impacts migrant journeys.
Sociologists at @ucdavis.bsky.social analyzed detailed data and thousands of stories to understand how cartel competition heightens danger at the border.
Visit the Letters and Science Magazine to learn more.
Sociologists at @ucdavis.bsky.social analyzed detailed data and thousands of stories to understand how cartel competition heightens danger at the border.
Visit the Letters and Science Magazine to learn more.
New Study Charts How Cartel Violence Increases Risks for Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border
As the U.S. government turns its attention to drug cartels in Mexico, new research suggests that violent competition among criminal organizations increases the risks migrants face at the northern border.
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
December 16, 2025 at 5:46 PM
A closer look at how cartel violence impacts migrant journeys.
Sociologists at @ucdavis.bsky.social analyzed detailed data and thousands of stories to understand how cartel competition heightens danger at the border.
Visit the Letters and Science Magazine to learn more.
Sociologists at @ucdavis.bsky.social analyzed detailed data and thousands of stories to understand how cartel competition heightens danger at the border.
Visit the Letters and Science Magazine to learn more.
A new project at @ucdavis.bsky.social is rethinking rare earth recovery. By using acid-tolerant microbes to capture elements directly from wastewater, researchers hope to strengthen the domestic supply chain for clean-energy tech.
Learn more at the Letters and Science Magazine:
Learn more at the Letters and Science Magazine:
Extracting Rare Earth Elements from U.S. Wastewaters
A new federally funded research project at the University of California, Davis, endeavors to extract valuable components for magnets, lasers and other modern technologies from an unlikely source: acidic wastewater from mines and industrial processes.
lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu
December 15, 2025 at 9:15 PM
A new project at @ucdavis.bsky.social is rethinking rare earth recovery. By using acid-tolerant microbes to capture elements directly from wastewater, researchers hope to strengthen the domestic supply chain for clean-energy tech.
Learn more at the Letters and Science Magazine:
Learn more at the Letters and Science Magazine: