California Institute of Technology

John O. Dabiri: The Jellyfish Genius

One of the fascinating Angelenos featured in L.A. Weekly's People 2013 issue. Check out our entire People 2013 issue here.John O. Dabiri, 32, is the impossibly young chair of faculty at the California Institute of Technology, where he studies jellyfish propulsion and fish schooling behavior — ... More >>

5 Awesome Free Things To Do in L.A. This Week

See also: *Our Calendar Section, Listing More Great Things to Do in L.A. *5 Artsy Things to Do in L.A. This Week 5. See What Develops If it's April, it's the Month of Photography Los Angeles. MOPLA has fast become a highlight of the annual art calendar, combining the concentration of a fair with th ... More >>

L.A.'s Scripps College Olive Oil Wins at Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition

For the first time in the 14-year history of the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition, a Best of Show has been awarded to a L.A. County-produced olive oil. Even more fascinating is that it wasn't an established olive farm but rather a local college that won. Were you thinki ... More >>

Earthquake Warning System Worked During Anza 4.7 (VIDEO)

The prototype earthquake-warning system we told you about almost a year ago really works. It wasn't its first time in action, but Monday's SoCal Anza earthquake put the Caltech-USGS "Shake Alert" system to a high-profile test. The system's alarm bells rang and as many as 30 seconds warning came to ... More >>

UCLA A Top 8 University, According To Times Higher Education World Ranking

UCLA is the eighth best university in the world, according to the latest Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings. That's even better than last year's 13th place for the publication's World University Rankings, in which Caltech came in at No. 1. The latest showing for the Westwood campus .. ... More >>

Plate: LA Weekly's 5th Annual Food and Wine Event on March 3

For all of you who drive by the Petersen Automotive Museum, not to check out the cars but to reminisce about all the gluttony that has gone on there in previous years, it's time to mark your calendars. Once again, the car palace will be the site of LA Weekly's annual food and wine event, formerly kn ... More >>

Earthquake: Big One Involving Los Angeles And San Francisco Possible, Says Caltech

Something about "stable" zones of earth that sound so, well, stable. In fact, earthquake experts once believed that stable segments acted "as barriers to fast-slipping, shake-producing earthquake ruptures." Now? Not so much: Scientists at Caltech figure that such areas can be sleeping giants that ... More >>

Caltech Crafts Gingerbread Mars Rover

One giant leap for a pastry chef? We've seen a lot of cool gingerbread houses around town, but nothing tops the gingerbread Mars Curiosity rover that the nerdy minds at Caltech have come up with. Crafted by Kevin Isacsson, head chef of the Athaneum, the Pasadena university's private dining club, the ... More >>

Float Opens in Pasadena: A Hidden, Well-Curated Cafe

At first inspection, the recently opened Float in Pasadena might appear to be simple and cozy new-wave coffeeshop -- one that serves locally roasted Handsome Coffee and tea from LA Mill. In this part of Pasadena, wedged into an alley of the South Lake Avenue shopping district which looks like it cou ... More >>

Women Attracted To Good Looking Men, Yes, But A-Holes Are Deal-Breakers

Women might say what they really want is an intellectual, job-having, problem-solving, understanding man. But what they go for is often what appeals first to their eyes -- just like guys do. New research from Caltech, the home of the rocket scientist, delves into even more complex matters -- human ... More >>

Jimmy Kimmel: Folks Describe Watching Presidential Debate Before It Aired (VIDEO)

We gloated a little when, earlier this month, the latest World University Rankings out of the U.K. said Caltech is the best school on the planet and UCLA is No. 13. L.A. is a smart place, innit? Well, not exactly. Last night Jimmy Kimmel Live aired a segment on street reaction to the presidential ... More >>

Claremont Colleges, USC, Occidental Some of The Most Expensive Schools in America

We recently told you -- and you were surprised -- that some of the best universities in the world are right here in Los Angeles, including number-one Caltech and number-13 UCLA, according a British ranking. But, given that this is L.A., land of the Hollywood mogul and real estate billionaire, we al ... More >>

Butt Chugging Is Latest Campus Scourge

Yesterday we told you how Southern California has some of the best universities in the world. In fact, Caltech ranked number one and UCLA made number 13 in the latest World University Rankings by Times Higher Education in the UK. But that doesn't mean even the smart kids won't find a way to get t ... More >>

Caltech is World's Best University; UCLA Ranks 13

Los Angeles: Home of the Playboy Bunny, Ashton Kutcher and pet spas. This we all know. But who knew that our town is where the smartest nerds in the world get their degrees on? It's true. According to the latest World University Rankings by Times Higher Education in the UK ...

Study: Close-Up Profile Pic is Ruining Your Game

You might be losing Facebook friends and alienating potential OK Cupid matches based solely on the distance of your face from the camera in photos. Scientists at Cal Tech have found that people judge the subjects of photographs to be less trustworthy, less attractive and less competent in close-up ... More >>

4.4 Near Yorba Linda: Earthquake Weather?

UPDATE: Shaky days here in L.A. Another 4.5 quake hit at 9:33 a.m., centered near the same place as last night's quake. See more at the bottom. First posted at 11:37 p.m. Tuesday See also: *8.6 Quake Possible in Southern California? A little baby earthquake jolted parts of Southern California toni ... More >>

8.6 Quake Possible in Southern California? Caltech Suggests New 'Mega-Earthquake'

In recent years scientists, first-responders and utilities have been preparing for "The Big One," that inevitable quake that will rock Southern California to its core. It's coming. For sure. They just don't know when. But the U.S. Geological Survey and Caltech have been on the ball, working from a ... More >>

Caltech Nerds Discover Key to Universe, Higgs Boson

They might not get the chicks (or studs), but nerds might have just figured out the key to the universe. While you were gargling beer and lighting streamers in your pants over the holiday, a global consortium of scientists was celebrating over juice boxes: They might have discovered the long-predic ... More >>

Caltech Asks Pasadena Residents to Host Mini Seismometers for 'Crowd-Sourced' Earthquake Prediction

Do you live in Pasadena, South Pasadena or San Marino? Do you keep your computer on 24/7, against the pleas of Southern California Edison? (Or are you willing to start keeping it on in the name of "crowd-sourced seismology"?) Then Caltech wants very much to come to your home and install a creepy li ... More >>

Sombrero Shaped Galaxy Has Multiplied

It turns out the so-called Sombrero Galaxy -- shaped like the Mexican hat -- is now two. Ay Dios mio: Leave us Latinos alone for two seconds and -- boom! -- we multiply. Well, not exactly. The Sombrero was two all along, NASA Spitzer Science Center researchers at Caltech said recently:

Three New Planets Discovered by Caltech, NASA Scientists

CaltechThree planets were found around 'red dwarf' KOI-961.​Three new planets have been discovered, and they're tinier than than a Smart Car. Well, not that small, but Caltech states the trio comprises the "smallest confirmed planets ever detected outside our solar system." The three, discov ... More >>

Golden Deli: 99 Essential Restaurants 2011

Euro Pane Bakery: 99 Essential Restaurants 2011

CalTech Shoots to Top of 'World University' Rankings; UC Campuses Struggle to Hold on

Was Obama's shout-out to the California Institute of Technology in January the last push it needed to trample Harvard and Stanford for the No. 1 spot in (arguably) the world's most prestigious college rankings? The Times of Higher Education, a British operation, gave the Pasadena underdog top honor ... More >>

Cheerio, Magna Carta: Nine Important Historical Documents in L.A Right Now

Magna Carta​ A document can make a big difference, as the Birthers are currently proving in all the wrong ways. The Magna Carta -- a document whose Madonna-level status requires you to drop the "the" and refer to it simply as "Magna Carta" -- reframed the relationship between royalty and us re ... More >>

Obama Touts Caltech Research That Would Turn Sun Rays and Water Into Fuel

CaltechSossina Haile and William Chueh work on Ed Begley Jr's dream fuel: sun rays and water.​Was President Obama smoking some of that good stuff they sell legally right here in L.A. when he gave his State of the Union address Tuesday night? (He did go to college in the area). Because we're su ... More >>

What's in Season at the Farmers Markets: Uncured Olives

Felicia FriesemaTehachapi-grown, raw Manzanillos at Walker Farms booth in Pasadena​ Local olive growers, or even farmers with just a few remnant olive trees here and there (they've been growing here since the 1800s), are banking on the do-it-yourself vibe in the local food movement (Artisinal ... More >>

Is L.A. Deserving Of Being Ranked In Bottom Half Of America's 'Smartest Cities' List?

Angelyne is L.A.'s poet laureate.​Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the nation and home to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (the home of true rocket science), Caltech, UCLA, USC and President Obama's alma mater, Occidental College. Our entertainment industry, high-tech hubs and Pacific ... More >>

Small Earthquake Jolts Los Angeles' Westside

Caltech​A small earthquake jolted L.A.'s Westside Monday afternoon. The 3.7 magnitude shaker struck about four miles west-southwest of Manhattan Beach at 4:59 p.m., according to the Southern California Seismic Network. Early Monday a 3.6 struck the Santa Monica Bay off Manhattan Beach. Twitte ... More >>

What To Wear While Tailgating: The Cook, The Milliner, His Wife & Her Quarterback. Or Something Like That.

Between tonight's Orange Bowl and the crowds slowly gathering in Pasadena for Thursday's BCS championship game (with all the Longhorn banners fluttering along Del Mar, you'd think that half the faculty at Cal Tech was secretly from Texas), we thought it was time for a little food fashion weigh-in. ... More >>

For Monsters & Artists: The 'Where The Wild Things Are' Gingerbread House. Or Not A House.

Via @Atlantic_Food ("you might need an engineering degree for this one"), we found this post from the Australian blog A Table For Two: a gingerbread house based on the recent Spike Jonze' film Where the Wild Things Are. It's not really a house, but a recreation of the house-cave from the movie. A ne ... More >>

Now They're Blaming MacArthur Park for Earthquakes!

The Eastsider L.A. reports that a Caltech seismologist is referring to last night's quake as part of the "MacArthur Park earthquakes." Seems there were four "micro quakes" spread out over a few days. The biggest one was a 2.5 job that came Tuesday, a little after 10 p.m. The jolt, which felt like a ... More >>

What Could Stop Obama: Secret Racist Democrats

The AP-Yahoo poll on race and what it says about our prejudices that still remain

Film Reviews

Game Over

Quakes, asteroids, mass extinction — when the end comes, will it come from below, above or within?

Tickling the Binaries

Gut Reactions

How the contents of a termite’s stomach may revolutionize your car

It Comes From the Garage

These do-it-yourself misfits just might win the DARPA Grand Challenge

Will You Marinade Me?

Hot spots for barbecuing

The Great Race

25 cars, no drivers, racing toward Las Vegas for a $1 million prize — and the future of the U.S. military

The Ice Man Formeth

The world’s leading authority on snowflakes is based in — where else? — L.A.

The Zombie Within

Christof Koch and the Science of Consciousness

The Bright Ages: Stargazing With Big-Buck Chuck

What Is It Like To Be a Fish?

Letters

Hackin’ and Coffin

QED offers gags, but not much wit; The Wooden Breeks is both fun and funereal

Computer Mouse

The perfect (test) beast lives in a Caltech lab

The Myth of Solid Ground

On The Science, Pseudoscience and Lunatic Logic of Earthquake Prediction

Here Come the Brits With Strings Attached