Unfold

The Fires That Changed Fire Science

As another wildfire season begins, Unfold heads into the burn zones of last year’s fires in Los Angeles County. UC Davis and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists are learning what the fires left behind — both on the ground and in the air. You’ll hear about one Altadena fire survivor’s efforts to save his oak trees and about a highly toxic carcinogen detected in the air over millions of people. Researchers are building a new kind of fire science, because the fires are changing and science is racing to keep up.

In this episode:

• Alessandro Ossola, associate professor, UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences
• Chris Shogren, environmental horticulture advisor, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Michael Kleeman, professor, UC Davis Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Read an in-depth In Focus story on what scientists are learning from the fires in Altadena and the Palisades. 

Where Science Meets the Herd

What does the world look like to a cow and why do goats spook so easily? New tools are helping people experience how livestock perceive and respond to their surroundings—leading to safer, lower-stress handling for animals and the people who raise them. UC Davis researchers and veterinarians are bringing these tools to ranchers and others, showing how understanding animal behavior improves welfare in real-world settings. In this episode of Unfold, we explore where science meets the herd.

In this episode:

• Cassandra Tucker, professor with the UC Davis animal science department and co-founder of Kinder Ground
• Fauna Smith, assistant professor of livestock herd health and reproduction, UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine
• Thandi Nixon, third-year veterinary student at UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine
• Temple Grandin, professor of animal science, Colorado State University
• Jen Walker, co-founder of Kinder Ground and herd health veterinarian
• Nathan Medlar, owner, NM Ranch
• Ashlynn Kirk, program manager for the Humane Handling Institute at the University of Wisconsin—River Falls

Want to see what it looks like through the eyes of a cow?

Sip Happens: What’s Behind Wine’s Decline

This holiday season, that glass of wine on your table comes with a surprising backstory. Global wine consumption is down. And the reasons are far more complicated than you might expect. The industry is facing a convergence of challenges unlike anything in recent memory. In this episode of Unfold, UC Davis experts unpack what’s behind the trend, what it means for growers, and whether wine’s place on the holiday table is changing.

In this episode:

• Daniel Sumner, agricultural economist with the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
• Ben Montpetit, microbiologist and chair of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology

Learn more about UC Davis wine sales at Hilgard631.org

Climbing to Extremes

One way to understand climate change is by climbing to extremes. In this episode of Unfold, co-host Kat Kerlin trekked up some of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada range with UC Davis forest ecologists with the goal of finding the highest altitude Jeffrey pine trees. Their presence can reveal a lot about our warming planet. We’ll hear about her trip – and how a little bird “gardener” can play a large role in reshaping California’s forests.

In this episode:

Hugh Safford, UC Davis forest ecologist

Sachi Srivastava, UC Davis graduate student

Mike Mahoney, UC Davis doctoral student

Nick Parker, UC Davis undergraduate 

 

Read “An Extreme Tree Hunt in the Sierra Nevada Mountains” to learn more about the research.

Just One Spore Part 2

Valley fever can infect both humans and dogs. In the second and final installment of our series examining valley fever, you’ll hear the story of Cooper, a boxer mix from California’s Central Valley. He nearly lost his life to the fungal infection. In this episode of Unfold, we’ll talk to UC Davis scientists working across medicine and veterinary care to study valley fever. You’ll hear not only about one dog’s fight for survival but how dogs may hold the key to predicting valley fever’s spread in humans.

In this episode:

Dr. Jane Sykes, small animal veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine with a special interest in infectious diseases

Dr. Glynn Woods, Veterinarian, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

Omar and Rosemary Rios, owners of Cooper, a dog with valley fever

 

Read an in-depth In Focus feature on valley fever in both humans and dogs at https://www.ucdavis.edu/health/news/valley-fever-spreading-across-arid-west

Just One Spore

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 Cooyar, it can cause debilitating symptoms. Climate change is creating ideal conditions for the fungus to spread beyond the West. It’s popping up in places where people have never heard of it. In this Unfold episode, we hear how valley fever altered the lives of Rex and Kyleigh, and we hear from UC Davis Health scientists searching for new ways to understand, treat and one day prevent the infection.

In this episode:

• George Thompson, professor of medicine and co-director, UC Davis Center for Valley Fever at UC Davis Health
• Kyleigh Cooyar, valley fever patient
• Rex Dangerfield, valley fever patient

Read an in-depth In Focus story on valley fever in both humans and dogs.

Fowl News: Bird Flu Ruffles Feathers at the Fair

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 exhibitions. That’s upended life for 4-H members who normally raise chickens and competitively show them at fairs. In this episode of Unfold, guest host Caroline Champlin with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources visits the Orange County Fair to see how young 4-H-ers are adapting. And we’ll hear from a UC Davis/UC ANR expert on how the virus is adapting to new hosts, including dairy cattle. Is bird flu here to stay?

In this episode:

Maurice Pitesky, associate professor, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension specialist

You can read a full article on how bird flu is upending life for 4-H-er's at UC ANR's Green Blog. 

The Science and Politics of Processed Foods

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 ultra-processed foods. Are these foods addictive by design, unsafe or just misunderstood? With insights from food scientists and cultural experts, we’ll examine how modern food manufacturing may be shaping our health, our public policy and even our understanding of what food is.

In this episode:

Alyson Mitchell, professor and food chemist, UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology

Charlotte Biltekoff, professor in UC Davis Departments of Food Science and Technology and American Studies

 

Read our In Focus story: “What to Know about Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods.”  

Learn more about processed foods from nutritionists and food scientists in our “Ask the Experts” article.

Read Biltekoff’s latest book, Real Food, Real Facts: Processed Food and the Politics of Knowledge

EV Woes

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 inaccessible for multiple reasons. In this episode of Unfold, we talk to UC Davis researchers studying public charging woes and tag along as they drive all over California to test thousands of chargers.

 

In this episode:

Alan Jenn, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the UC Davis Institute for Transportation Studies

Gil Tal, director, Electric Vehicle Research Center at the UC Davis Institute for Transportation Studies

The Proliferation of Probiotics

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 immune system.” But is this proliferation of probiotics and prebiotics just marketing or are these microbes really good for you? In this episode of Unfold, a UC Davis microbiologist separates hype from health.

In this episode:

Maria Marco, microbiologist and professor in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology

Learn more about probiotics, prebiotics and friendly microbes in this Q&A and test your knowledge with a fun quiz! Go to our website at www.ucdavis.edu/unfold to find links.