What Is Innovation?
Innovation is a process by which a domain, product or service is renewed and brought up to date by applying new processes, introducing new techniques or establishing successful ideas to create new value. The creation of value is a defining characteristic of innovation. Simple enough, right?
A Cabin in the Woods
Cozy up to these mountain getaways in the Capital Region
On a cold December day, it’s easy to dream about cocooning in a cozy cabin under the pines, fireplace aflame, hands cradled around a steaming mug of cocoa. Think flannel, friends, food and four wooden walls beneath an A-line roof that’s frosted with snow.
Mountain House Bar & Grill is in the Middle of Gold Rush History
The remote waypoint has served travelers for more than 170 years
It’s a stop for nightly commuters, a biker bar and a family-oriented historical highway landmark, hosting everything from car shows, weddings and baby showers, to taco Thursdays and Wednesday trivia nights.
Whatever Became of the Auburn Dam?
One of the largest flood control projects in the country was never built
The Auburn Dam could well be the most talked about water storage and flood control facility in the country that simply doesn’t exist — no matter how much it’s been argued about, advocated for and against, legislatively proposed and architecturally rendered.
Give Bees a Chance
Farmers restore habitat for native pollinators
As California grew into a vast agricultural region during the early 20th century, native grasslands, forests and riparian habitats were gradually replaced by farmlands and orchards. Though green things thrive on farms as a matter of business, there’s very little biodiversity on a traditional farm — and not much room for pollen specialists.
Startup of the Month: OnSight Technology
Company deploys robots to detect issues on solar farms
After years in the solar farm industry, Derek Chase was looking into different drone companies to handle aerial flyovers. But he found these companies couldn’t provide the information he needed, which was found on the ground, under the panels, where the wires are.
The Way We Work: KCRA Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan
A glimpse into his daily life of monitoring the weather for the Capital Region
Will it rain this weekend? For over 30 years, the man Sacramento trusts for that answer is Mark Finan, chief meteorologist at KCRA.
Dilemma of the Month: Does the Fair Chance Act Mean I Have to Hire Criminals?
Evil HR Lady shares how to protect employees while following California’s new law.
Are Probiotics Safe for Infants?
UC Davis spinoff startup comes under fire after infant death linked to product
In recent months, Infinant Health has come under fire after the death of a preterm infant has been linked to its probiotic product. The FDA issued a warning in September to hospitals, advising them against administering Evivo with MCT Oil, the product which contains the live bacterium B. infantis.
Beyond the Bottle
UC Davis is a hub for breast milk science and innovation
As a chemist of food science, J. Bruce German was accustomed to observing the tiniest things: protein particles, bacteria, mucin layers and much more invisible to the naked eye. But nothing prepared him for his first experience in the neonatal intensive care unit at UC Davis.