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Erica K. Brockmeier
Science News Officer
Erica K. Brockmeier covers chemistry, physics & astronomy, and math in the School of Arts and Sciences, and also manages media relations for these departments. She also occasionally covers scientific research and news coming from other parts of Penn.
Researchers use a material’s ‘memory’ to encode unique physical properties
A new study shows that, as materials age, they “remember” prior stresses and external forces, which scientists and engineers can then use to create new materials with unique properties.
Drops of liquid crystal molecules branch out into strange structures
Shaped by surface tension and elasticity, spherical drops of chain-like liquid crystal molecules transform upon cooling into complex shapes with long-reaching tendrils.
‘An Atlas for the Green New Deal’
The McHarg Center releases a new collection of maps and datascapes capturing the spatial consequences of climate change in support of a coordinated national response.
A new way to measure cosmic black holes
Researchers find a link between the masses of supermassive black holes and the distances between the galaxies which surround them, allowing astronomers to more easily study many astronomical phenomena.
An Inca ceremonial center, recreated in a digital landscape
Students use computer graphic technologies to bring historic sites to life as part of a summer research program and fall semester course that unites anthropology and computer science.
Innovation at ‘Cellicon Valley’
Key facts and figures about ongoing efforts towards translating discoveries and ideas into products and businesses at the Penn Center for Innovation.
Where math meets biology
Through his research, Yoichiro Mori, the Calabi-Simons Visiting Professor of Mathematics and Biology, demonstrates how mathematical theories can provide insights into complex, living systems.
Strella Biotechnology tackles food waste by ‘hacking the fruit’
President’s Innovation Prize awardees Katherine Sizov and Malika Shukurova are expanding their startup and confronting $1 trillion of food waste with their novel biosensing technology.
Google’s claims of quantum supremacy: Groundbreaking, overhyped, or both?
A Q&A with Lee Bassett, a scientist who works on quantum computing platforms, with insights into this feat of engineering and what the future might hold for this fast-paced field of research.
Inspiring young women in STEM
Over two days, nearly two dozen female STEM role models at Penn welcomed more than 100 high school students and teachers to campus as part of the Girls Advancing in STEM (GAINS) Initiative Conference on campus.