2022 Media Watch Archives
Temperatures top 110 in Delhi as punishing heat wave builds in India
The Washington Post -
While this part of the world is no stranger to extreme heat, scientists say conditions have been worsened because of climate change. “Heat waves happen more frequently now and they are spread around throughout the year,” said Amir AghaKouchak, a professor [of civil and environmental engineering and Earth system science], at University of California, Irvine, in an email. “This is the new normal and most likely it will only get worse in the future unless we take serious actions.” [Subscription required, campus-wide access provided by UCI Libraries. Sign-up here: https://guides.lib.uci.edu/news/post] Read More
Climate change is making India’s brutal heat waves worse
MIT Technology Review -
“It’s part of a broader climate-change signal,” says Amir AghaKouchak, [professor of civil and environmental engineering and Earth system science], a climate researcher at the University of California, Irvine. India’s average annual temperature increased at a rate of 0.62 °C per 100 years between 1901 and 2020, according to data from the World Bank. And maximum temperatures have climbed even more quickly, at a rate of 0.99 °C every 100 years. “People think a degree or two might not matter,” AghaKouchak says, but when average temperatures increase by even small amounts, it means extreme events are becoming more likely. Read More
Who’s the boss? At Musk’s companies he is, but also young loyalists.
The Washington Post -
At Tesla’s Austin headquarters, [Elon] Musk has put his confidence in Omead Afshar, a 34-year-old biomedical engineering major from UC Irvine [‘09], according to one of the former employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Afshar, whose LinkedIn profile says he was a part-time ski instructor at Mammoth Mountain, came from pharmaceutical company Abbot, where he was a manager in “High Voltage Operations and Operations Business Systems.” Now, he lists his job on LinkedIn simply as “Office of the CEO” at Tesla. [Subscription required, campus-wide access provided by UCI Libraries. Sign-up here: https://guides.lib.uci.edu/news/post] Read More
MWD Declares Drought Emergency & Snow Survey Shows Improved Snowpack
KPCC -
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is declaring a drought emergency, restricting outdoor watering to once a week starting June 1. Water districts throughout the area will be affected by this resolution, giving us a clearer picture of the current status of our record drought. … Today on AirTalk, we talk to water resource manager at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Brad Coffey, … and Amir AghaKouchak, professor of civil and environmental engineering [and Earth system science] at UC Irvine. Read More
Jeremiah Abraham on opening doors for more AAPIs in Hollywood, one movie at a time
GMA News Online -
If there is one Filipino who is trying to help AAPIs (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) to be recognized more and get into Hollywood, it is Jeremiah Abraham. Born in Manila and with a degree in computer engineering from the University of California Irvine and a masters of communication from the University of Southern California, Abraham shifted his interest toward the entertainment industry after working several years in technology related jobs. Read More
Could hydrogen be the clean fuel of the future?
PBS Newshour -
As leaders around the world search for cleaner energy solutions to fight climate change, a question has emerged: Could hydrogen be the clean fuel of the future? … Jack Brouwer is director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. He is convinced a future that runs on hydrogen … is finally around the corner. … “You could actually design a fuel cell engine that can be just as fast as any battery engine,” [said Brouwer]. Read More
Video: Squid-inspired film developed by UCI
Engineering 360 -
Engineers at the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) have invented an adaptive composite material inspired by cephalopod skin that could one day be used for insulating beverage cups, to-go restaurant containers, shipping containers and parcel boxes. … According to Alon Gorodetsky, UCI associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, the large-area composite material regulates heat via reconfigurable metal structures that separate and then come back together amid different levels of strain. Read More
University Teams Fly High in Airport Designs of the Future
NASA -
Concepts from eight teams participating in the 2022 Gateways to Blue Skies: Airports of Tomorrow (Blue Skies) Competition have been selected to present their design concepts to a panel of industry experts at the 2022 Blue Skies Forum, slated for June 2-3, 2022. … The 2022 Blue Skies judging panel has selected eight teams as finalists in this year’s competition: … University of California, Irvine — Project Title: Blue Skies, Green Fuels, Bright Future — Advisor: [assistant professor of engineering] Dr. Jacqueline Huynh …. Read More
Research team develops insulating material inspired by skin cells of squid
Packaging Europe -
Engineers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have developed a composite material that mimics the expansion and contraction of chromatophores on the skin of squid that control infrared light and heat transmission, which it claims can be cost-effectively scaled for insulating applications such as beverage cups. Developed in the laboratory of Alon Gorodetsky, UCI associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, the infrared-reflecting metallised polymer film reportedly regulates heat through reconfigurable metal structures that can reversibly separate from one another and come back together under different strain levels. Read More
Squid skin inspires heat-regulating coffee cup
Freethink -