An OpenAI researcher who worked on GPT-4.5 had their green card denied
Kai Chen, a Canadian AI researcher working at OpenAI who’s lived in the U.S. for 12 years, was denied a green card, according to Noam Brown, a leading research scientist…
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Famed AI researcher launches controversial startup to replace all human workers everywhere
Every now and then, a Silicon Valley startup launches with such an “absurdly” described mission that it’s difficult to discern if the startup is for real or just satire. Such…
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The sunflower sea star could hold the key to restoring kelp forests off California’s coast
Ashley Kidd signed onto the Zoom call a few minutes late, giddily explaining that 12 minutes ago there was an unexpected development in a planned spawn of critically endangered starfish….
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Recycling more water would help fix Colorado River’s woes, report says
California isn’t recycling nearly enough water, according to a new report by UCLA researchers, who say the state should treat and reuse more wastewater to help address the Colorado River’s…
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Mexico bans planting of genetically modified American corn
MEXICO CITY — There’s a popular saying in Mexico, where corn is as central to national mythology as it is gastronomy. Sin maíz, no hay país. Without corn, there is no country….
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Earth’s inner core is slowing — and shape-shifting — USC study finds
USC scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the nature of the Earth’s enigmatic inner core, revealing for the first time that this 1,500-mile-wide ball of iron and nickel is…
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Asian communities faced language barriers during L.A. wildfires, UCLA study says
A new UCLA study published this week found Asian communities affected by the recent fires in Los Angeles County had difficulty accessing information about emergency evacuations and recovery efforts because…
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Global warming is really good for city-dwelling rats, study finds.
If scorching heat waves, destructive storms, prolonged droughts and rising seas aren’t enough to make some folks fear the consequences of climate change, perhaps this will do the trick: The…
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CDC scrubs research databases referencing sexual orientation and gender identity
Websites on HPV vaccinations, data on high schoolers’ health habits, information on programs to end violence against women and girls: all began disappearing from government websites this week, as agencies…
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Intensifying climate whiplash linked to California fires, study finds
The devastating wildfires that have ravaged Southern California erupted following a stark shift from wet weather to extremely dry weather — a phenomenon scientists describe as hydroclimate whiplash. New research…
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Orca who carried dead calf’s body for weeks has lost another offspring
The appearance of a new orca calf in Washington’s Puget Sound last month was cause for celebration. The young female, whom researchers named J61, was a new addition to the…
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A trade war could hit California agriculture hard, study says
As President-elect Donald Trump vows to impose tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada, economists are warning that a retaliatory trade war could cause major financial damage for California’s…
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Black plastic utensils may have toxic compounds. What you should do
Go to your kitchen, grab your black spatula and throw it in the trash. Immediately. That’s the alarming message from a new study published in the journal Chemosphere. Cooking with…
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CO2 emissions from private jets are skyrocketing
Carbon dioxide emissions from private jets have increased by 46% in the last five years, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment. The…
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What is myth and what is truth about the deadly 27 Club?
Their deaths have fueled the notion that 27 is a lethal age for musicians and other notable artists. Amy Winehouse, the iconoclastic singer-songwriter, was that age when she died of…
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Researchers urge caution over satellite mega-constellations
Over 100 space researchers signed a letter urging the federal government to perform an environmental review before allowing SpaceX to continue launching thousands of satellites for its internet service, Starlink….
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Severe COVID raised heart attack, stroke risk, study found
People hospitalized for COVID-19 early in the pandemic suffered an increased risk of serious “cardiac events” such as heart attacks and strokes that was akin to people with a history…
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Study: Some California residents exposed to ‘toxic soup’ pesticides
A recent UC Davis study found that as Central Valley residents go about their day, they regularly breathe in pesticides, including one that has been banned in California and another…
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New genetic analysis points to Wuhan market as COVID origin
A new analysis of genetic material gathered from a live-animal market in Wuhan in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic strengthens the case that the outbreak originated there when…
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Commentary: Pope Francis was a climate hero. Trump’s reign gives his words extra meaning
Donald Trump announced his first run for president on June 16, 2015. He lashed out against Mexican immigrants, environmentalists and other supposed enemies foreign and domestic. Two days later, Pope…
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