Human Behavior
Sexual Politics: The 2016 Presidential Race Is Notable for Misogynist Rhetoric
If gender discrimination is one of the most talked about issues in this election, all the fault can’t just be given to ye olde sexist citizens of America (though they can be given some credit—I’d say C+ for overall behavior, definitely room for improvement). In fact, the fuss over gender is likely driven by what […]
A Little Dotty: Berkeley Startup Has a New Way to Make Your House Smart
When giant tech companies like Intel or Samsung need to make a circuit board, they simply pop one out of their multi-billion dollar fabs or pony up a few million for a new machine. But when you’re just a tiny, underfunded startup putting together a prototype that you need to bake, you’ve got to look […]
Shifting Gears: Law Prof Breaks Cycling Records
Berkeley law professor Molly Shaffer Van Houweling started competitive cycling in her 30s, and has since become a bit of a cycle-path. Last September, at 43, she broke the women’s Union Cycliste Internationale World Hour record, having already established herself as five-time amateur world champion in the UCI time trial and road race events. And […]
Message in a Bottle: Nearly Four Decades After Launch the Voyager Record Still Inspires
This Friday night the Greek Theatre will host a one-night-only performance of music and storytelling exploring the “sounds, ideas, and culture of California and the West today.” Called “The Golden State Record,” the evening’s program—a joint presentation by the folks at Pop-Up Magazine, California Sunday Magazine (not to be confused with this magazine), and festival […]
Marriage as ‘Optimal Stopping Problem’ and Other Algorithms to Live By
5 Questions for Tom Griffiths, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science 1. You’re a psychologist who uses mathematical models and “big data” to understand how people think. Why not use traditional methods, such as lab experiments? I think these methods are the future of psychology. As more sources of data about human behavior become available, […]
Out of the Gate: Serendipity or Something Else?
I met Patricia Kearney ‘77 on the first day of Architecture school at UC Berkeley. We sat next to each other in our introductory design studio. One day, after a couple of months, I was waiting for the elevator in Wurster Hall when the doors opened and Patti emerged. I had never seen her so […]
Well in Control: Berkeley Startup Helps People Find Out What They’re Drinking
Two factors that contributed to the poisoning of tens of thousands of Washington, D.C., residents through their drinking water in the early 2000s—lead pipes and a disinfectant called chloramine—continue to coexist in countless water systems nationwide, including in the Bay Area. But not to worry, says UC Berkeley water expert and engineering professor David Sedlak; […]
Step Right Up: Why Exactly Did I Vote for Bernie?
I am still trying to wrap my mind around the seductive nature of the 2016 American presidential campaign season. I like the drama, the mudslinging, the tabloid-style coverage, the gaffes, the slip-ups, and the never-ending political commentary from pundits. It’s oddly entertaining, no? Although, let’s be honest: None of the empty party rhetoric and nastiness […]
Step Right Up: I’m a Voter and a Lab-Rat
If you shared Facebook’s “I’m A Voter” app in a recent election, you might have become a nice data point for the social media giant and a couple of resourceful political scientists. In the 2010 midterms, the graphic was pinned to 61 million newsfeeds and it turned out that users who saw that their friends […]
Step Right Up: Optimistic for America
On the 7th of June, 2016, in Oakland, California, I was among 1,057 “aliens” who became American citizens. We took the oath. We were welcomed and congratulated. We were told not only that we could vote, but that we should vote and that we could run for office. In 2016, the United States is going […]
Breathing Easier: A New Device Could Help Detect Asthma Attacks Before They Start
To a very real degree, Charvi Shetty’s future was molded by her college roommate. Or rather, her roommate’s health. “She had asthma,” says Shetty, who graduated from UC Berkeley with a bioengineering degree in 2012 and took a master’s in biomedical imaging from UCSF in 2013. “She had to use an inhaler six times a […]
Step Right Up: Shaking Up Facebook
Like every other voter preparing for the upcoming election, I often cruise Facebook to gauge the mood of my fellow citizens. Not that I’m a fan of the site. To me, Facebook has always seemed like an inversion of the old “banality of evil” trope: It is the evil of banality, a fount of never-ending […]
