Can a video game save the planet? Eric Thiermann and Ethan Summers might not claim that lofty ambition, but the Santa Cruz entrepreneurs are hoping to harness the popularity of video games to find solutions to climate change. Their vision is Earth Island, a simulation game in which players can learn about real-world efforts to mitigate climate change and apply those tools to a wide variety of environments and ecosystems.
Tech
Posted inCity Life
Into ‘The Candy House’: Jennifer Egan on her timely new novel, ChatGPT and the demise of fiction
Jennifer Egan comes to UC Santa Cruz’s Cowell Ranch Hay Barn on Wednesday riding the wave of “The Candy House,” which revisits the same universe her acclaimed “A Visit From the Goon Squad” inhabited, but this time with Big Tech in the bull’s-eye.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Will tech layoffs rear their head in Santa Cruz?
Layoffs in the tech industry have dominated headlines out of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. With Santa Cruz just over the hill, experts are eyeing whether the county will feel the ripple effects.
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Celebrating innovation: What to expect at the Annual Titans of Tech event on December 7th
Recents years have witnessed the ever-growing boom of the technology industry, and many of these have awe-inspiring developments have been conceived in and around our beloved NorCal coast. In alliance with these local innovators, Santa Cruz Works connects industry professionals, local organizations, entrepreneurs, and educational institutions to a thriving local tech ecosystem. Every year, Santa […]
Posted inEducation
A marriage of virtual reality and physical therapy: Immergo Labs emerges from its UCSC roots
The COVID-19 pandemic has uncorked the genie from the bottle on telehealth. UC Santa Cruz alums Aviv Elor, Ash Robbins and Michael Powell are bringing physical therapy to your home via their virtual reality telehealth platform, Immergo VR.
Posted inEducation
UCSC’s groundbreaking computer game program, top 5 nationally, charts ‘astonishing’ path
U.S. News and World Report ranked the UC Santa Cruz undergraduate game design program among the top five in the nation, tying with programs at MIT and Rochester Institute of Technology, according to its 2022-23 analysis. UCSC Computational Media professor Jim Whitehead told Lookout about the program’s history, how gaming studies have changed over time at UCSC and what some of his favorite games are.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Citing a mental health crisis among young people, California lawmakers target social media
Legislators are considering two bills that address online addiction among children by taking aim at website features such as push notifications and targeted posts. But Big Tech is fighting the effort, saying companies are already taking steps to protect children.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
First image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals thousands of galaxies in stunning detail
NASA reveals the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope, its $10-billion successor to Hubble.