UCLA in the News lists selected mentions of UCLA in the world’s news media. Some articles may require registration or a subscription. See more UCLA in the News.
Intensifying climate ‘whiplash’ set stage for California fires | L.A. Times
New research shows these abrupt wet-to-dry and dry-to-wet swings, which can worsen wildfires, flooding and other hazards, are growing more frequent and intense because of human-caused climate change. “We’re in a whiplash event now, wet to dry, in Southern California,” said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist who led the research. “The evidence shows that hydroclimate whiplash has already increased due to global warming, and further warming will bring about even larger increases.” (Also: CNN, New York Times, BBC News, KQED-FM, Science Daily and Phys.org.)
Rents likely to balloon in wake of L.A. wildfires, experts say | L.A. Times
“It’s immediate,” said Stuart Gabriel, director of UCLA’s Ziman Center for Real Estate, on the effect of mass displacement pushing up housing costs. “It’s difficult to quantify. I don’t think anyone knows what the numbers are.”
What really happened with the Pacific Palisades water hydrants? | KCRW-FM
Generally speaking, wildfires quickly cause strain on local water supplies. “It happens pretty quickly in almost any wildfire in most contexts, but especially one like this,” said Greg Pierce, director of the UCLA Water Resources Group. In order to have a system that could have handled the demands of continuous firefighting through fire hydrants, Pierce said LADWP would have needed to keep much larger reserves of water physically on hand near the locations of possible wildfires. (Pierce was also quoted by Bloomberg and Fast Company.)
Unprecedented level of destruction: ‘Everything is burned down’ | L.A. Times
“This has the potential to be, at least collectively, the costliest wildfire disaster in American history,” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said. (Swain was also featured by the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, CBS News, NBC News, KTLA-TV, Axios and The Hill.)
Causes of the California fires | CNN
“Southern California has always had fires, has always had floods. And we have always had pretty extreme weather. But climate change just exacerbates those peaks,” said UCLA’s Stephanie Pincetl.
How Santa Ana winds fueled the Southern California fires | The Conversation
(Commentary by UCLA’s Jon Keeley) The Santa Ana winds are dry, powerful winds that blow down the mountains toward the Southern California coast. The region sees about 10 Santa Ana wind events a year on average, typically occurring from fall into January. When conditions are dry, as they are right now, these winds can become a severe fire hazard.
Here's how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke | People
Dr. Suzanne Paulson, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences and director of the Center for Clean Air at UCLA, previously spoke to PEOPLE about wildfire safety and advised people to stay indoors when smoke levels are high. If that’s not an option, she recommends using a protective device — beyond just a thin mouth covering.
These newly identified cells could change the face of plastic surgery | Wired
Skeletal tissues, like cartilage, are among the simplest, but this new study proves that they’re no less enigmatic. “It goes to show we still don’t understand it very well,” says Justine Lee, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and researcher with UCLA who was not involved in the study. “We’re still finding cool new things. It’s something that could potentially result in future implants that are soft, pliable.”
Betrayal doesn't necessarily make someone less trustworthy | Science Daily
Intuition and past research suggest that whether people deem someone trustworthy depends on that person's past behavior and reputation for betrayal. But now, new work from psychologists at UCLA and Oklahoma State University is helping to explain why people might nevertheless trust certain cheaters and other betrayers. (UCLA’s Jaimie Krems was quoted.)
