Simulating the Stars

There are one hundred billion stars in our own galaxy alone, yet we know very little about how they got there. Star formation has been one of the richest problems in astrophysics for decades. Recently though, UC Berkeley astronomer Richard Klein and his colleagues have learned a great deal about this mystery by watching the mathematics behind them unfold on a computer screen.

Life 2.0

For 3.6 billion years, evolution has governed the biology of this planet. Molecular biologists can now shift bits of DNA from one organism to another, but the parts they play with are limited to what Mother Nature provides. Recently, Mother Nature teamed up with a handful of researchers whose aim is nothing short of reengineering life. UC Berkeley chemical engineer Jay Keasling is leading a new center to create the future of synthetic biology, where genes, proteins, and cells are snapped together to build living systems.

Mapping the Future of Field Geology

In 1818, William "Strata" Smith ushered in the modern practice of field geology with his publication of the first hand-painted, color geological map of England and Wales. Two centuries later, the tools haven't changed much. UC Berkeley geologist George Brimhall and his colleagues have developed mapping software that they hope will bring field geology kicking and screaming into the digital age.

An image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope of 30 Doradus, a vast region of gas and dust where stars are born.