Public Affairs (audio)

UC Santa Cruz developed a computational tool known as UShER that enables real-time SARS-CoV-2 tracking and helps researchers identify new lineages of the virus. The easy-to-use tool and online server creates an evolutionary tree that helps scientists understand genomic mutations by creating new branches, showing the relationships between virus samples and the order in which mutations happened along various lineages as the virus evolves. Series: "UC Santa Cruz News" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 39241]

The Visualizing Abolition Initiative seeks to change the narrative linking prisons to justice, contributing instead to the unfolding collective story and alternative imagining underway to create a future free of prisons. The initiative is a collaborative effort with artists, scholars, poets, lawyers and activists, and through public exhibitions and educational genres. Series: "UC Santa Cruz News" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 39242]

Researchers deployed a fleet of 100 semi-autonomous vehicles to test whether a new AI-powered cruise control system can help smooth the flow of traffic and improve fuel economy. In a massive traffic experiment, scientists tested whether introducing just a few AI-equipped vehicles to the road can help ease “phantom” jams caused by human behavior and reduce fuel consumption for everyone. (Video: Roxanne Makasdjian, Alan Toth, and CIRCLES Consortium Music: Dyalla - Organic Guitar House) Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 39225]

TecHype is a groundbreaking series that cuts through the hype around emerging technologies to get to what matters. Each episode debunks misunderstandings around emerging tech, provides insight into benefits and risks, and identifies technical and policy strategies to harness the benefits while mitigating the risks of emerging technologies. This episode of TecHype features Prof. Hany Farid from UC Berkeley, a world-renowned expert in the analysis of digitally manipulated images. We take a deep dive into determining what a 'deepfake’ is and explore how these AI-generated images, videos, and audio can be used for both amusing and alarming purposes. Prof. Farid highlights the increasing prevalence of deepfakes and their impact on society. From revolutionizing the entertainment industry, bolstering creativity, and championing advocacy campaigns to their use in impersonating public figures in ways that manipulate elections or personal contacts to commit fraud. The episode concludes with a discussion of targeted str

UC Berkeley drills a 400-foot borehole to explore geothermal heating on campus. UC Berkeley plans to decommission its 40-year-old cogeneration plant and replace its current steam heating system with a new system that uses water pipes to heat and cool buildings on campus. While the cogeneration plant burns natural gas to produce electricity and steam heat for the campus, the new system will use electricity for both power and thermal needs. By using clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, to produce this electricity, the campus’s future power, heating and cooling needs would be entirely carbon-free. (Video: Roxanne Makasdjian, Alan Toth, Adam Lau) Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 39224]

Eva Pacheco's journey as an advocate for quality bilingual education programs and parental engagement within school communities began with her experiences as a teacher in Mexico. When she moved to the US, she noticed the limitations of the American school system in supporting bilingual learners like her own children, who had limited resources. Determined to make a difference, Eva became passionate about transforming the educational experience for all students. Witnessing the difficulties her children faced, she embarked on a mission to create a better learning environment. She firmly believes that parental involvement and community support play a crucial role in building a successful educational institution. Series: "Education Channel" [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 39019]

Big cities create big opportunities for innovation in design and planning that transform daily life and shapes the future. Their complexity and scale also create unique challenges for integrating design and planning, both in terms of processes and outcomes. In this program, Harriet Tregoning explores the connection between good design and effective transportation systems, and Samuel Assefa examines the urban design of three U.S. cities. The Big City Design + Planning Symposium is co-sponsored by the UC San Diego Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Design Lab. Series: "Design at Large" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 39156]

What does "dignity at work" mean for educators and school staff? What are the primary challenges faced by school faculty and staff? How can administrators and decision-makers effectively address these issues? Join Jeffrey M. Siminoff from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, along with Guadalupe Carrasco Cardona from Roybal Learning Center and Timothy Stiven from Canyon Crest Academy, as they delve deeper into the current state of human rights for educators and provide valuable insights. Series: "Education Channel" [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 39018]

Did you know that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals directly reflect human rights standards? Dr. Leighangela Brady, superintendent of National School District, shares how her district brings these goals and human rights work into the classroom, addressing real world problems with engaging learning opportunities. Series: "Education Channel" [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 39017]

What can be done to prioritize diversion options for youth instead of filing criminal charges? Steven P. Dinkin (National Conflict Resolution Center) s joined by, Lisa Weinreb Delgadillo (San Diego District Attorney’s Office), Breea Buskey (National Conflict Resolution Center), Monica Felix (Rady Children's Hospital San Diego), and Sunny Chang (Outdoor Outreach) for an in-depth conversation on effective strategies that engage the justice system as well as community organizations. [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38891]

Writer/director Maysoon Pachachi joins moderator Mona Damluji for a discussion of her film "Our River...Our Sky," which tells the story of ordinary people living in Baghdad under occupation. Pachachi details the origin of the project and the film’s early development, including casting considerations and lessons learned from her documentary work. She also discusses the political contexts of the film and how life in Iraq changed as a result of civil war and occupation, and how real-world stories inspired the film. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38945]

How can colleges and universities ensure faculty and students reflect the diversity of the U.S. as courts and legislatures dismantle affirmation action? In this program, Stella M. Flores, Ph.D., a professor of Higher Education and Public Policy at the University of Texas, Austin, discusses her research on the effects of state and federal policies on college access and completion outcomes for low-income and underrepresented populations, including immigrant and English learner students. Dr. Flores has also published widely on demographic changes in U.S. schools, affirmative action in higher education, and Minority Serving Institutions. In 2003 her coauthored work was cited in the U.S. Supreme Court Gratz v. Bollinger decision (dissenting opinion) and in various amicus briefs submitted to the Supreme Court on affirmative action. [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 38738]

Olympic champion Erin Jackson, director of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Laurie Leshin, and professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at USC and author Natalia Molina sit down with Lynn Sherr for a wide-ranging discussion of women and society, personal journeys and hopes for the future. Series: "Education Channel" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 37973]

The China beat is one of the toughest in journalism and one of the most important. How the U.S. media has covered the country has profoundly influenced American government policy and shaped public opinion in the U.S. and around the world. Journalist Mike Chinoy, author of the new book "Assignment China," and a former CNN Beijing Bureau Chief, talks about the experience reporting in China. His book chronicles the stories of American journalists who have covered China — from 1949 through the COVID-19 pandemic — told in their own words. Chinoy is currently a non-resident Senior Fellow at the U.S.-China Institute at USC. Series: "Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38804]

What's the future look like with a changing climate? And who will lead the way to help us mitigate the environmental, economic and social impacts? In this program, internationally acclaimed author Kim Stanley Robinson talks about what motivates him to write science fiction that focuses on the environment. Robinson is author of more than 20 books, including "The Ministers for the Future," the "Mars" trilogy and "2312," which was a New York Times bestseller nominated for all seven of the major science fiction awards — a first for any book. He was named a “Hero of the Environment” by Time magazine and asteroid 72432 was named “Kimrobinson” in his honor. The program also features four UC San Diego students who talk about their research on dealing with climate change. Series: "Writers" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 38733]

A thought leader and former professor of politics and international relations at Florida International University, Francisco O. Mora serves as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States. Ambassador Mora discusses the challenges and opportunities within the Americas. In prior positions, Ambassador Mora served as Director of the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center as Deputy Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere. His opinion pieces and other commentaries have appeared in various U.S. and Latin American media outlets. Series: "Institute of the Americas" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38822]

Focused on training native youth in tribal law and restorative justice practices, the Intertribal Court of Southern California Tribal Youth Court (TYC) aims to create positive change in communities. Learn how the court came to be, how it functions, and how is is transforming the lives of all involved. Series: "Education Channel" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38892]

How can we better serve native youth that find themselves in trouble? The Intertribal Court of Southern California founded the Tribal Youth Court (TYC) to answer that question. TYC empowers youth to engage in tribal restorative justice practices. Tribal leadership, judges, and students share why this model, rooted in culture and community, has been effective. Series: "Education Channel" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38263]

UC San Diego's School of Biological Sciences presents another event in their Deep Look series focusing on Earth Day. UC San Diego researchers will offer perspectives from a range of scientific disciplines relevant to the planet and its future. How are wildflowers adapting to climate change? How can humans sustainably co-exist with one of the world’s largest vertebrates, the Asian elephant? How is modern genetics being used to aid the future of the California Condor? Plus, UC San Diego has launched a new Center for Nature, Science and Society to explore the nexus of climate change, biodiversity and human impacts. Series: "A Deep Look into the Future of Biology" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 38861]

Since the mid 1970s, California policy makers have attempted to address the ever-growing problem of homelessness and incarceration of people with serious mental illness. Despite these efforts, the numbers of people who are homeless and incarcerated with mental illness have reached unprecedented highs. In this program, Dr. Joel Braslow, professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and History at UCLA, lays out why this historically informed perspective is crucial to understanding why we have failed to solve the fundamental problems of caring for our most vulnerable citizens. This program is a presentation of UC Center Sacramentro. [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38662]