California magazine

Mr. Clean
If Michael Wilson has his way, the chemical industry will finally have to prove the safety of its products before they go to market.

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and a geothermal heat sink
Sonoma's Sustainability Initiative lets some Berkeley scientists turn a county into a laboratory to test new technologies for combating global warming.

Concrete and strawberries
Renzo Piano had the vision, but it took a team of experts to create the exhibits, rainforest, and living roof of the new California Academy of Sciences.

Old-school Olympics
With all the high-tech pomp and glitter of the Beijing Games over and done, it is perhaps good to remember that the Modern Olympics are a revival of the ancient Greek games. After the Athens Olympics, California magazine editor Kerry Tremain caught up with now-retired Classics professor Stephen Miller to talk about those simpler times, when athletes competed in the nude. That nudity, Miller argued, was a great equalizer in a pageant that was as much about democracy as it was about competition.

Blog

Talent pool

Cal phenom Natalie Coughlin has wrapped up her Olympic performance in Beijing. She'll bring home six medals from the Games, more than an American woman, in any sport...more

The Click List

Under one roof

The new California Academy of Sciences building is an architectural extravanganza that brings together a planetarium, an aquarium, and a natural history museum—all under one undulating, living roof. Doors open Sep. 27. Learn more