What's Current in

Letters and Science

illustration of swimming microbes on dark background
Microbes are responsible for much of carbon sequestration in the ocean

The mystery of the missing deep ocean carbon fixers

Read Article

color photograph of professor Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky, December 2024

A feat of multilingual research, Hamed-Troyansky’s “Empire of Refugees” wins eight book prizes
In Focus placeholder

Star panel to discuss moviegoing in an evolving marketplace
Aerial view of the ocean, beach and mountains surrounding a university campus
Photo Credit
Jeff Liang
An aerial view of the UC Santa Barbara campus.

UCSB praised for excellence, access and value in national rankings
color photograph of musician Deniz Çağlarcan holding a violin
Photo Credit
courtesy
Transdisciplinary composer, violinist and conductor Deniz Çağlarcan

Electroacoustic composer Deniz Çağlarcan wins prestigious residency
illustration of the brain and the corpus callosum
Photo Credit
Life Science Databases, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.1 Japan
The corpus callosum, in red, connects the two hemispheres of the brain together.

New findings in split-brain science: Even minimal fiber connections can unify consciousness
1880-1893 medical watercolor image of polycystic kidney
Photo Credit
Teniswood, George Francis, "Polycystic kidney," Barts Health NHS Trust Archives, c1880-1893 CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Watercolor drawing showing two views of a polycystic kidney. One shows the external surface of the kidney, the other when the organ is bisected. Drawing given to the Museum by Dr. Draper Mackinder, MD, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

A ‘magic bullet’ for polycystic kidney disease in the making
arrows pointing in both directions black boots
Photo Credit
iStock

A two-minute fix for procrastination
symbols in artistic form
Photo Credit
Courtesy
Iman Djouini, "Limn," hand pulled silkscreen on Rives BFK 19" x 26"

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, Iman Djouini gives language a new form
color photographic portrait of professor Joseph Blankholm
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Religious studies associate professor Joseph Blankholm, November 2025

$1.5 million grant advances UCSB leadership in the study of modern spirituality
Seven women in business attire stretching the arms forward with the mouths open
Photo Credit
Jeff Liang
Selina Fillinger’s “POTUS” has been one of the most produced American plays of the past few years, including a hit production on Broadway

When the president loses it, it’s women to the rescue
Aerial view of Lake Tefé during a severe drought, when its waters are low.
Photo Credit
Miguel Monteiro
Severe drought and heat in the central amazon turned Lake Tefé into a shallow spa, killing fish and endangered river dolphins.

Hotter than your average spa: Rising temps in Amazon lakes sound alarm over climate change
a family of East African nomadic pastoralists
Photo Credit
Wiesla-Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 4.0
The Turkana are nomadic pastoralists who live in Kenya

Genetic adaptations helped East African nomadic pastoralists adapt to constant water stress, but urbanization may present an 'evolutionary mismatch'
Subscribe to Letters and Science