Can we talk to whales?
09/06/23 The New Yorker — The New Yorker: Berkeley engineer Shafi Goldwasser explores how artificial intelligence may allow us to speak to other species
Sustainability & environment
Cryotechnology developed by Berkeley engineers unlocks new approach to coral preservation
08/23/23 — Smithsonian: Successfully cooling and thawing coral fragments key to global conservation milestone for vanishing coral reefs
Why deadly fire risks are multiplying
08/21/23 — Washington Post: Large wildfires are happening more often because the hazards that trigger them — dry conditions, strong winds, plenty of stuff to burn — are becoming more common, says Michael Gollner, head of Berkeley's Fire Research Lab
Scientists develop parallel method for fog harvesting and water treatment
08/17/23 — Nanoengineered meshes powered by sunlight work continuously to collect water and remove pollutants
Study finds racial gap in air quality may persist under Biden program
07/25/23 — Berkeley News: Berkeley researchers point to administration’s decision not to include racial demographics in a new tool that will be used to evaluate proposed regulations or policies
‘Nowcasting’ model enables forecasting of extreme precipitation
07/12/23 — AI tool for analyzing short-term weather conditions may help save lives
CITRIS Foundry alumni innovate for a more sustainable world
06/01/23 — CITRIS: Startups founded by Berkeley engineers work to combat climate change, improve energy efficiency and develop more sustainable solutions
New Berkeley Engineer magazine is here
05/24/23 — Spring 2023 issue delves into topics ranging from sustainability to aerospace to health and aging
Raising the stakes
05/17/23 — To identify climate-friendly farming practices for biofuel crops, scientists are devising a tracking system that uses inexpensive printed sensors.
Keep it cool
05/17/23 — Ionocaloric cooling, a new method developed by Berkeley engineers, could help phase out HFC refrigerants that emit greenhouse gases.
Researchers reveal the ‘hidden’ costs of drinkable water
05/04/23 — Successful water treatment technologies require a deeper understanding of users’ challenges
A Day in the Half-Life podcast: Reimagining plastics
04/18/23 Berkeley Lab — Berkeley Lab: UC Berkeley materials science and engineering professor Ting Xu discusses developing smarter materials that avoid the pitfalls of 20th century plastics
To more effectively sequester biomass and carbon, just add salt
04/11/23 — Salting and burying biomass crops in dry landfills could economically capture greenhouse gases for thousands of years
Berkeley engineers develop synthetic polymers that mimic the body’s natural proteins
03/20/23 — Alternative polymers work as well as real proteins and are easier to synthesize, a possible game-changer for biomedical applications
Energized for real-world impact
01/25/23 — Founded by Berkeley Engineering alumni, Gridware uses sensors to tackle the threat of wildfires
Scientists develop a cool new method of refrigeration
01/04/23 — Berkeley Lab: Berkeley engineers Drew Lilley and Ravi Prasher hope ionocaloric cooling can someday replace current refrigerants and provide safe, efficient cooling and heating for homes
Researchers to help reduce wildfire risk with dynamic modeling, serious games
12/20/22 — CITRIS: With a $2.5 million NSF grant, an interdisciplinary UC team led by civil engineering professor Kenichi Soga is partnering with Bay Area communities to help residents respond to natural disasters more quickly — and more safely.
To battle climate change, scientists tap into carbon-hungry microorganisms for clues
11/30/22 — Berkeley Lab: Scientists led by Peidong Yang have developed a nature-inspired technique for converting carbon dioxide into solar fuels
Fired up for the future
11/07/22 — FIRE Foundry trains young adults from underrepresented communities on cutting-edge firefighting technologies.
Taking up space
11/07/22 — Professor Adam Arkin and CUBES researchers are using synthetic biology to find solutions for living on Mars — and a rapidly changing Earth.