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A man holds his hand on his chin and stares at a painting while two others paint in the distance
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Aha! moments in creative contexts such as the arts may be less a verdict than a motivational impetus, according to researchers

‘Aha!’ moments are great for solving problems but less so for creative judgements

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A man lit by red light looking down toward a small device in his hand
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Matt Perko
Doctoral researcher Roark Chao in UCSB's Solid State Lighting and Energy Electronics Center laboratory

Red microLEDs developed at UCSB achieve record efficiency of 20.8%, operate at up to 200°C
A woman sitting in a red chair with her legs crossed next to another woman standing at her left shoulder
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Nina Miolane, seated, and Haewon Jeong, standing, are co-directors, with colleague Yao Qin, of the Real AI initiative launched at UCSB in 2026.

Powerhouse UCSB team awarded big grant to investigate mathematical foundations of AI
A floating weather station buoy.
Photo Credit
Liveslow via iStock
With ever more ocean data available to researchers and resource managers, the task of finding and organizing it has become a task in its own right.

A new tool makes mapping the ocean easier
sunlight shines through a swimming jellyfish
Photo Credit
iStock

Adaptive molecular convergence more common than previously thought
Storm clouds gather over the ocean.
Photo Credit
Photo by Daniel Lerman on Unsplash
Strong storms and higher seas from El Niño exacerbate winter hazards in Southern California.

Understanding the causes and impacts of 2026’s record-breaking El Niño
illustration of a brain blood clot
Photo Credit
istock

Brain surgery by autonomous robot? It’s possible — and could save lives
Elephant bones lay scattered around a bare patch on the African savanna with mountains in the background.
Photo Credit
Courtney Reed
An elephant transforms the spot where it dies, with a legacy that lasts long after the body is gone and the bones are scattered.

Elephants continue to shape the savanna even after death
A UCSB student stands at a whiteboard and works on an equation while consulting her computer
Photo Credit
Matt Perko

UC Santa Barbara taking a ‘base camp’ approach to artificial intelligence
A tractor sprays fertilizer or pesticides on a green field.
Photo Credit
MaYcaL via iStock
Synthetic fertilizer has increased the amount of nitrogen compounds in the biosphere, compounds that must be converted by microbes back into nitrogen gas.

A rare atomic fingerprint reveals how ecosystems clean nitrogen pollution
image of lab instrument
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
The scanning ultrafast electron microscope in the Bolin Liao lab

Mechanical engineer Bolin Liao to develop platform for imaging and controlling quantum interactions with 2D materials
A man in a navy blue sit sits on a table in a modern lecture hall
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Distinguished Professor John Bowers

John Bowers honored by UC Regents for a lifetime of innovation
stylized photo of a researcher at a colorful optical table
Photo Credit
Matt Perko

UCSB researchers to collaborate in three of NSF's Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes
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