UC Science Today

If you’re still unsure about whether electric vehicles can meet your daily driving needs, you’ll soon be able to get personalized answers based on your own individual driving patterns. Research scientist Samveg Saxena of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says that the app, called MyGreenCar, uses a vehicle-to-grid simulator to provide fuel economy estimates for drivers in any vehicle.

"If you were making exactly the same trips that you wanted to make that you were making in your current vehicle, what would happen if you were driving an electric vehicle instead? And through the "MyGreenCar" tool that we have coming up soon, we'll be able to give people the individual ability using their smartphones to record how they're driving, how they're using whatever vehicle they have right now. And then give them a personalized answer, would whatever vehicle they're looking at buying for their next vehicle meet their needs?"

Saxena says that one of the goals of the app is to help drivers to understand the benefits of clean vehicles.

"Electric vehicles go a long way in mitigating these global challenges and these urban challenges."

If you’re still unsure about whether electric vehicles can meet your daily driving needs, you’ll soon be able to get personalized answers based on your own individual driving patterns. Research scientist Samveg Saxena of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says that the app, called MyGreenCar, uses a vehicle-to-grid simulator to provide fuel economy estimates for drivers in any vehicle.

"If you were making exactly the same trips that you wanted to make that you were making in your current vehicle, what would happen if you were driving an electric vehicle instead? And through the "MyGreenCar" tool that we have coming up soon, we'll be able to give people the individual ability using their smartphones to record how they're driving, how they're using whatever vehicle they have right now. And then give them a personalized answer, would whatever vehicle they're looking at buying for their next vehicle meet their needs?"

Saxena says that one of the goals of the app is to help drivers to understand the benefits of clean vehicles.

"Electric vehicles go a long way in mitigating these global challenges and these urban challenges."

In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that using a drug called tolcapone can make us more sensitive to inequality. The FDA-approved drug increases the brain’s dopamine levels, a chemical that is believed to play an important role in social decision-making. Study leader Dr. Andrew Kayser of the University of California, San Francisco says that findings may lead to better treatment for mental illnesses such as addiction or schizophrenia.

"In a disease like schizophrenia, we know that dopamine metabolism is altered. And there's some controversy over exactly how, but we think that it is altered. And we know that schizophrenic patients often make poor financial decisions. Believe it or not, they're often overly generous. They often don't consider their own welfare as much as they should. They make poorer decisions than other people might make with their money, and so a long-term goal, years off, but a hope of ours, is that if this drug turns out to be useful in other studies, that maybe it would be helpful for a patient population like that."

In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that using a drug called tolcapone can make us more sensitive to inequality. The FDA-approved drug increases the brain’s dopamine levels, a chemical that is believed to play an important role in social decision-making. Study leader Dr. Andrew Kayser of the University of California, San Francisco says that findings may lead to better treatment for mental illnesses such as addiction or schizophrenia.

"In a disease like schizophrenia, we know that dopamine metabolism is altered. And there's some controversy over exactly how, but we think that it is altered. And we know that schizophrenic patients often make poor financial decisions. Believe it or not, they're often overly generous. They often don't consider their own welfare as much as they should. They make poorer decisions than other people might make with their money, and so a long-term goal, years off, but a hope of ours, is that if this drug turns out to be useful in other studies, that maybe it would be helpful for a patient population like that."

In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that using a drug called tolcapone can make us more sensitive to inequality. The FDA-approved drug increases the brain’s dopamine levels, a chemical that is believed to play an important role in social decision-making. Study leader Dr. Andrew Kayser of the University of California, San Francisco says that findings may lead to better treatment for mental illnesses such as addiction or schizophrenia.

"In a disease like schizophrenia, we know that dopamine metabolism is altered. And there's some controversy over exactly how, but we think that it is altered. And we know that schizophrenic patients often make poor financial decisions. Believe it or not, they're often overly generous. They often don't consider their own welfare as much as they should. They make poorer decisions than other people might make with their money, and so a long-term goal, years off, but a hope of ours, is that if this drug turns out to be useful in other studies, that maybe it would be helpful for a patient population like that."

In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that using a drug called tolcapone can make us more sensitive to inequality. The FDA-approved drug increases the brain’s dopamine levels, a chemical that is believed to play an important role in social decision-making. Study leader Dr. Andrew Kayser of the University of California, San Francisco says that findings may lead to better treatment for mental illnesses such as addiction or schizophrenia.

"In a disease like schizophrenia, we know that dopamine metabolism is altered. And there's some controversy over exactly how, but we think that it is altered. And we know that schizophrenic patients often make poor financial decisions. Believe it or not, they're often overly generous. They often don't consider their own welfare as much as they should. They make poorer decisions than other people might make with their money, and so a long-term goal, years off, but a hope of ours, is that if this drug turns out to be useful in other studies, that maybe it would be helpful for a patient population like that."

In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that using a drug called tolcapone can make us more sensitive to inequality. The FDA-approved drug increases the brain’s dopamine levels, a chemical that is believed to play an important role in social decision-making. Study leader Dr. Andrew Kayser of the University of California, San Francisco says that findings may lead to better treatment for mental illnesses such as addiction or schizophrenia.

"In a disease like schizophrenia, we know that dopamine metabolism is altered. And there's some controversy over exactly how, but we think that it is altered. And we know that schizophrenic patients often make poor financial decisions. Believe it or not, they're often overly generous. They often don't consider their own welfare as much as they should. They make poorer decisions than other people might make with their money, and so a long-term goal, years off, but a hope of ours, is that if this drug turns out to be useful in other studies, that maybe it would be helpful for a patient population like that."

Improving school meals and addressing social inequities to healthful food access is at the heart of a childhood obesity prevention grant that’s funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Kristine Madsen of the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health is helping evaluate a two-year school meal technology and design innovation project by the San Francisco Unified School District.

"They’re trying to change the dining experience for kids and really encourage kids to eat school food. And some of the practical steps are what we’re calling 'distributing points of sale', so creating places that kids can purchase their food that’s not at the end of a long line in the cafeteria. So, what if you could get your food in a hallway, what if you could go to a mobile cart that sold hot food and you could pick it up and eat with your friends out in the quad? So, we do very rigorous scientific research to support them as they roll out this very innovative project. And we look to see, well what really happens? Do kids change their dietary habits, do they actually eat more fruits and vegetables? Does their diet improve?"

Improving school meals and addressing social inequities to healthful food access is at the heart of a childhood obesity prevention grant that’s funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Kristine Madsen of the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health is helping evaluate a two-year school meal technology and design innovation project by the San Francisco Unified School District.

"They’re trying to change the dining experience for kids and really encourage kids to eat school food. And some of the practical steps are what we’re calling 'distributing points of sale', so creating places that kids can purchase their food that’s not at the end of a long line in the cafeteria. So, what if you could get your food in a hallway, what if you could go to a mobile cart that sold hot food and you could pick it up and eat with your friends out in the quad? So, we do very rigorous scientific research to support them as they roll out this very innovative project. And we look to see, well what really happens? Do kids change their dietary habits, do they actually eat more fruits and vegetables? Does their diet improve?"

Improving school meals and addressing social inequities to healthful food access is at the heart of a childhood obesity prevention grant that’s funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Kristine Madsen of the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health is helping evaluate a two-year school meal technology and design innovation project by the San Francisco Unified School District.

"They’re trying to change the dining experience for kids and really encourage kids to eat school food. And some of the practical steps are what we’re calling 'distributing points of sale', so creating places that kids can purchase their food that’s not at the end of a long line in the cafeteria. So, what if you could get your food in a hallway, what if you could go to a mobile cart that sold hot food and you could pick it up and eat with your friends out in the quad? So, we do very rigorous scientific research to support them as they roll out this very innovative project. And we look to see, well what really happens? Do kids change their dietary habits, do they actually eat more fruits and vegetables? Does their diet improve?"