School of Arts & Sciences

an abstract depiction of atoms moving inside a crystal structure

Revealing ‘hidden’ phases of matter through the power of light

New research shows how materials can be imbued with new chemical properties using a solid phase transition method that relies on extremely fast pulses of light.

A group of people, some sitting on a bench, some standing, looking at something offscreen, with paintings on yellow walls in the background.

One hour, one painting: A Barnes visit reveals clues about how the brain processes visual cues

The exercise is one part of a two-week mindCORE summer workshop aimed at underrepresented undergrads across the country. This year’s program focused on language science and technology, and minds in the world.

One image of Charles Bernstein presently and another of Charles Bernstein from the 1970s

You can’t hurt a poem, and other lessons from Charles Bernstein

The award-winning poet writer of libretti, translator, and archivist looks back on his career.

three people sitting at a table inside a library

Mathematicians help train the next generation of positive thinkers

A trio of researchers paves the way for future progress in an up-and-coming field that unites geometry and number theory in powerful new ways.

Q&A

30 years after Tiananmen Square, a changed China largely ignores the milestone

Political scientist Avery Goldstein discusses the mood in Beijing this week, and how the regime has suppressed the history of the crackdown.

students in a lab looking at filter paper

Community outreach inspires interest in STEM for kids

Graduate students and postdocs led an afternoon of hands-on science activities and fun for students grades 3-8 in the hallways and labs of Penn Chemistry.

newborn baby in bassinet beside hospital bed with birth mother in background

Why are so many women still dying from childbirth?

Experts from Penn discuss the role that social determinants, socioeconomics, and racism play, and how the University is addressing the maternal mortality crisis head on.

Stories of Penn scientists: David Rittenhouse

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of his observations of the 1769 transit of Venus, a glimpse into the story of the man whose name became synonymous with astronomy and mathematics.

A scientist kneeling on a lawn checks a well using electronic monitoring equipment

Keeping rain out of the drain

From cisterns beneath Shoemaker Green to the green roof on New College House, special features of campus buildings and landscapes are helping manage stormwater to keep rain from the sewer lines, and scholars are using the infrastructure as a research opportunity.

Child in a white shirt sleep on a paper-covered desk in a classroom, with three students in the background.

Children who nap midday are happier, excel academically, and have fewer behavioral problems

A Penn study of nearly 3,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in China revealed strong connections between 30 to 60 minutes of shuteye at least three days a week and positive outcomes in a handful of areas.

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