There's one way Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego researchers see the future of desalination in California going. Before a regulatory structure can take shape to govern how seawater is treated and transported to a thirsty public, a gubernatorial order will be handed down that fast-tracks the construction of desalination plants during an episode of extreme drought when battles over water turn violent. Ecological casualties would be assured.

Emperor penguins can flourish in locales where few other animals roam. But scientists now wonder if they can adapt to a new threat: climate change.

UC San Diego has launched a new and innovative program that pairs high school teachers with graduate students. The pairs will be working hand in hand in high school classrooms during the school year. The hope is that the grad students will inspire high schoolers to study science down the road. The grad students also will share their knowledge of ground-breaking science with teachers, who in turn will share classroom management tips. The Socrates Fellows Program was funded by a $3 million...

Are your friends making you fat? Or keeping you slender? According to new research from Harvard and the University of California, San Diego, the short answer on both counts is “yes.”

An introduction to the history and science of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego