Most of us know by now that recreational cannabis became legal in California on Jan. 1. But there's still a lot we don't know about the plant, despite its long history of human use, says Eric Siegel, the director of the UC Botanical Garden. So the garden is hosting a lecture series called the "Science of Cannabis," where experts will discuss everything from the environmental impacts of large-scale cannabis cultivation to the neurological effect of cannabis in our brains.

Read more about the lecture series on UC Berkeley News: http://news.berkeley.edu/2018/01/16/podcast-science-of-cannabis-lecture-series-uc-botanical-garden/

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Christopher Richardson, a sophomore and aspiring triple major at UC Berkeley, has been competing in classical piano since he was 9 years old. Since then, he's competed at least 50 times. It's when he feels most alive, and most connected to himself.

Read the story on UC Berkeley News: http://news.berkeley.edu/2017/12/11/student-pianist-christopher-richardson-podcast

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Parham Pourdavood, an incoming computer science student at UC Berkeley, grew up in Iran. He says that he, like most people, didn't challenge authorities. He wasn't an activist. He studied hard in high school and didn't draw attention to himself. He'd heard about government oppression, but hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He just knew he couldn’t speak his mind. It's why he's such a strong supporter of free speech today.

Story and photos on UC Berkeley News: http://news.berkeley.edu/2017/11/21/growing-up-without-free-speech/

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"I was amazed at how he walked on, and he just got the attention of everyone right there,” says Kyle Ko, a fourth-year music major. “You could see everyone’s intense focus. You could feel it on the stage.” Ko, along with student Hallie Jo Gist, attended a master class taught by world-class conductor Riccardo Muti. Master classes, put on by Cal Performances and the Department of Music, give members of the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra a chance to learn from top musicians.

Read the story on UC Berkeley News: http://news.berkeley.edu/2017/10/18/master-class-with-riccardo-muti-podcast/

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When Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas coast in late August, Americans had a choice: they could share their resources or look the other way. Although as a society, we tend to value individualism, it doesn’t always make us happy, says Emiliana Simon-Thomas, the science director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Instead, sharing what we have often brings us more joy.

Read the story on UC Berkeley News: http://news.berkeley.edu/2017/09/28/power-of-generosity/

Texas National Guard photo by Zachary West via Flickr

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