What's Current in

Letters and Science

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fist punch to gavel in front of red curtain
Photo Credit
Illustration by Matt Perko
In “Fighting Mad,” UCSB professor Laury Oaks examines how infant surrender policies are being used to justify restrictions on reproductive choice—and the ongoing fight for reproductive justice in the post-Roe era.
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headshot of Pico Gilman
Photo Credit
Courtesy
Second-year Pico Gilman ’27 placed sixth in the Putnam Math Competition, leading UCSB to its best-ever finish.
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historical map of US with text in Spanish and flowers
Photo Credit
Illustration by Matt Perko
Flower picking as a metaphor for rediscovery — professor emerita Víctor Fuentes’ "Florilegio" gathers centuries of overlooked Spanish-language literature from the U.S.
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An avocado cut in half displayed on a yellow background
Photo Credit
iStock / Olena Kovalova
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A black and white photograph of two people in the atomic devastation of World War II in Hiroshima, Japan
Photo Credit
Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Department of Energy
Hiroshima, November 27, 1945
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The Earth gradually becoming whiter.
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
On its own, Earth would shift toward another ice age in about 10,000 years, scientists say. But humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions may have radically shifted the climates trajectory.
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Black Studies professor in front of an art installation
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Sharon Tettegah
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photo of world's first quantum topological processor
Photo Credit
Used with permission from Microsoft
Majorana 1, the eight-qubit topological quantum processor unveiled at Microsoft Station Q's 2025 conference
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One person ascending outdoor stairs of a modern building with a sunburst overhead
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
The Interactive Learning Pavilion, opened in 2023, is UCSB’s first all electric facility.
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European Renaissance painting of Black woman blowing bubble gum in a gold frame on a blue wall with highlighted images of other Black Renaissance figures
Photo Credit
Courtesy UCSB MCC
Connecting the past to the present, the documentary "We Were Here" sparks conversations about representation, belonging and historical memory.
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Two people have a discussion on a stage
Photo Credit
Jeff Liang
Risa Brainin, right, on stage with a student actor during rehearsals for LAUNCH PAD’s production of “Strange Birds”