Social Sciences
-
Colorful songbirds face higher risk of extinction
With bright feathers that look painted on, colorful birds are typically pretty and charismatic poster species for conservation. Those same colors can also put them at a higher risk for extinction in some parts of the world, according to a study from UC Santa Cruz published in the journal Conservation Biology.
-
Can Food Improve Mood?
When most people think about mental health, they think about therapy, medication, stress management, or perhaps childhood experiences. Rarely do they think about what’s on their plate. But according to Dr. Andrea Cook, a UCSC professor, licensed clinical psychologist, and certified health coach, that may be changing.
-
A $20 Minimum Wage Sounded Like a Win—Until These 5 Consequences Kicked In
California’s $20 minimum wage sounded like a win—until these five ripple effects hit workers, prices, and jobs. Here’s what leaders need to know to design business models that actually work. A recent University of California Santa Cruz study quantified a pattern every leader should recognize before issuing a mandate: When you impose rapid cost change on a complex system, you get unintended…
-
Mountain lions avoid busy trails to reduce conflict with people
“If you’re a hiker or mountain biker in these spaces, mountain lions already know you’re there, and they’re avoiding the area,” explained Chris Wilmers, a UC Santa Cruz Professor. Additional coverage in KAZU, The Denver Gazette, The Times of India, GearJunkie, The Inertia, Half Moon Bay Review, and Nautilus.
-
How 30 minutes of recess could change how your child learns
Educators point out that schools are responsible for developing the whole child, and that recess is not a break from learning — it is an integral part of it. “Having kids sit in their seats for six hours a day is not necessarily a recipe for success,” said Rebecca London, a sociologist at UC Santa Cruz…
-
International Teachers Needed in U.S. Classrooms Threatened by Visa Delays, Fees
The international teaching pool is critical for districts large and small, said Lora Bartlett, chair of the education department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She said, too, if the $100,000 fee were to stand, it would only harm students. “U.S. schools in general do better with stable teacher populations,” Bartlett said. “And so when…
-
Young mountain lion rescued, released into Santa Cruz Mountains
She was captured and fitted with a GPS tracking collar as part of a UC Santa Cruz study. CDFW thanked researchers with the UC Santa Cruz Puma Project for assisting with the collaring and Redwood City police officers for helping secure the scene.
-
What’s in it for teachers – Why pay alone won’t fix India’s education system
Four teachers from India who went to University of California, Santa Cruz to participate in a summer internship in 2025 came back so enthused that now hundreds of teachers around them want to learn from their experience and target similar experiences themselves.
-
Santa Rosa Carl’s Jr. restaurant to close after 35 years
An increase in the minimum wage for fast-food workers at companies with 60 or more locations took effect in April 2024. The Sun Gir operation had listed 65 locations before seeking reorganization. A study released earlier this year by UC Santa Cruz found an increase in applications for such jobs and a reduction of hours…
-
Widening 101 Made The Narrows Hotter
The ground within a half mile of the new lanes ran almost 4 degrees hotter the year after Caltrans finished the first stretch — the biggest jump of any of 11 Northern California freeway projects that researchers at UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State and Northeastern University checked by satellite.
-
CZU Lightning Complex fires weren’t first of its kind, UC Santa Cruz researchers say
As factors including climate change increase fire risk, collective land management and risk mitigation will be key to avoiding massive fires, said UCSC professor of anthropology Andrew Mathews, who led the research team.
-
What Dreams Really Are
Distinguished professor emeritus G. William Domhoff speaks about his new book “Dreams, Sleep, and Consciousness.”