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Science & Technology
‘Natural’ deaths likely COVID-19 related
‘Natural’ deaths likely COVID-19 related
New study led by Penn and Boston University provides the most compelling data yet to suggest excess mortality rates from chronic illnesses and other natural causes were driven by COVID-19 infections.
Penn Engineering announces new degree in artificial intelligence
Penn Engineering announces new degree in artificial intelligence
Engineering's new degree in AI will push the limits on its potential and prepare students to lead the use of this world-changing technology.
Noor Momin harnesses the immune system to treat heart disease
Noor Momin harnesses the immune system to treat heart disease
The Stephenson Foundation Term Assistant Professor of Innovation and her lab members work to engineer nanoparticles as medicinal vehicles to fit directly into a single cell.
Once a spy satellite, now a telescope with an eye on the cosmos
Once a spy satellite, now a telescope with an eye on the cosmos
Researchers from Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences are part of a collaboration to develop Hubble’s wide-eyed cousin, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Researchers breathe new life into lung repair
Researchers breathe new life into lung repair
A collaborative effort from teams across Penn culminates in new techniques to repair lung tissue after damage from flu and COVID-19.
How common is common sense?
How common is common sense?
Researchers from Penn develop a framework for quantifying common sense, findings address a critical gap in how knowledge is understood.
Breaching the blood-brain barrier
Breaching the blood-brain barrier
A team of researchers in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has devised a method to deliver mRNA into the brain using lipid nanoparticles, potentially advancing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and seizures.
Mechanics of knitting
Mechanics of knitting
Randall Kamien of the School of Arts & Sciences and Geneviève Dion of Drexel University share how combining traditional origami techniques with modern textile science can lead to practical applications in various industries.
Climate change and atmospheric dynamics unveil future weather extremes
Climate change and atmospheric dynamics unveil future weather extremes
A collaborative team of researchers led by Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences have found the interplay of natural systems and human-induced climate change are setting the stage for more frequent and severe weather events.
A path to achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas economy
A path to achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas economy
A new report co-authored by scientists at Penn’s Kleinman Center and Penn Engineering charts a path for the U.S. to achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas economy by 2050.
In the News
Associated Press
Here’s why experts don’t think cloud seeding played a role in Dubai’s downpour
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that many people blaming cloud seeding for Dubai storms are climate change deniers trying to divert attention from what’s really happening.
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Big Think
Can we stop AI hallucinations? And do we even want to?
Chris Callison-Burch of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that auto-regressive generation can make it difficult for language learning models to perform fact-based or symbolic reasoning.
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Salon.com
“Record-shattering” heat wave in Antarctica — yep, climate change is the culprit
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that persistent summer weather extremes like heat waves are becoming more common as people continue to warm the planet with carbon pollution.
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CNET
How the solar eclipse will affect solar panels and the grid
Benjamin Lee of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that the electrical grid will have to figure out how to match supply and demand during brief windows where the energy source goes away.
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Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Scientists struggle to explain ‘really weird’ spike in world temperatures
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that tendencies to exaggerate climate science in favor of “doomist” narratives helps no one except the fossil fuel industry.
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Vox.com
Spring is here very early. That’s not good
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that plant-flowering, tree-leafing, and egg-hatching are all markers associated with spring that are happening sooner.
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The New York Times
Can your personal medical devices be recycled?
A lab at the School of Engineering and Applied Science led the development of a COVID test made from bacterial cellulose, an organic compound.
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Tampa Bay Times
Could Florida electric bills go up because of a fuel made from manure?
Danny Cullenward of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that federal and California state subsidies have led to a gold rush of companies trying to get into the business of renewable natural gas around the country.
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CNBC
Students can soon major in AI at this Ivy League university—it’ll prepare them for ‘jobs that don’t yet exist’
The Raj and Neera Singh Program in Artificial Intelligence at Penn will be the first AI undergraduate engineering major at an Ivy League school, led by George Pappas of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
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WESA Radio (Pittsburgh)
Pa. environmental, religious and other groups criticize Shapiro plan for ignoring climate change
A study by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design found that Pennsylvania would benefit overall from joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
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