Unfold

A single breath and a single spore. That’s all it takes for the fungal infection called valley fever to take hold. For most people, it’s a blip — a treatable illness. But for some, like Rex Dangerfield and Kyleigh...

This time of year, you’ll hear any number of oinks, neighs and bleats from livestock on show at county fairs. But in California, cock-a-doodle-doos are missing from that chorus. Bird flu has shut down poultry...

Processed food is everywhere—and chances are, you're eating more of it than you think. In this episode of Unfold, we go beyond the ingredient list to uncover the science and public perceptions of processed and...

Consumers once complained about the short range of electric vehicles, but not so much anymore. Now, finding reliable public charging has become the top concern for EV drivers. Chargers can be broken, slow or just...

If you’ve perused grocery store shelves lately, you may have noticed a trend – food and beverages labeled probiotic or prebiotic. It’s even on sodas! Labels claim the products “support gut health” or “help boost your...

Some call it fake meat – but the burgers of the future could come from a lab, a fungus, a plant or a hybrid that combines animal meat with alternative proteins. UC Davis researchers are looking at ways to bring these...

A tiny songbird called a black phoebe is trying to adapt to city life – and it’s not an easy job. They didn’t naturally evolve in the city, and they face different threats than they might in their natural habitat. Black...

The world’s largest dam removal project is underway along the 250-mile Klamath River in California and Oregon. By the end of 2024, four of the river’s six dams will be demolished. UC Davis scientists are studying...

You may not know it, but artificial intelligence may be responsible for the food on your table. AI is transforming nearly every aspect of our food system, from before a seed is planted up to the moment that food is...

Can communication with a humpback whale teach us how to talk to extraterrestrials? Researchers from UC Davis and the SETI Institute want to find out. In the waters of Southeast Alaska, scientists believe they’ve had...

Imagine this: A man rubs a hormonal gel on his shoulders once daily, and after a few months his sperm count is zero, giving him and his partner peace of mind that they won’t conceive. That’s been the reality for one...

If you’ve ever asked Siri or Alexa something, you may have noticed you speak MORE LOUDLY, slowly or make your words “clear-er.” UC Davis researchers say most of us speak differently when talking to our devices. Voice...

You’ve probably heard of groundwater — the water stored underground in aquifers that is a critical natural resource for the western U.S. Did you know that in California, these aquifers provide nearly 40 percent of the...

Unfold, a UC Davis podcast about science, innovation and discovery, unfolded through storytelling. We make complex topics relatable and reveal answers to questions you’ve always been curious about. Each episode takes...

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who love daylight saving time, and those who don’t. UC Davis Health sleep medicine expert Heinrich Gompf is not a big fan of the clock change — or at least not the way...