First-ever evidence of exotic particles in cobalt monosilicide First-ever evidence of exotic particles in cobalt monosilicide The discovery of fourfold topological quasiparticles in this metallic alloy could be used to engineer topological materials with unique and controllable properties in the future.
Penn Engineering and Steppingstone Scholars launch a STEM equity and innovation lab (Pre-pandemic image) In the Blended Learning Initiative, Steppingstone Scholars use Arduino based robotics, coding and design thinking to ready themselves for Java certification and AP computer science as well as prepare for college or careers in STEM fields. (Image: Penn Engineering Today) Penn Engineering and Steppingstone Scholars launch a STEM equity and innovation lab Penn Engineering and Steppingstone will begin developing a new blended AP Computer Science course for the fall 2021 semester, in which engineering students will create online content modules to supplement high school classroom instruction.
From rocks to icebergs, the natural world tends to break into cubes Penn In the News Science From rocks to icebergs, the natural world tends to break into cubes Douglas Jerolmack of the School of Arts & Sciences commented on his research, which finds that when natural structures break apart, they tend to fragment into cube-like shapes. He said the findings could help geologists calculate the size of rocks breaking off cliff faces, among other applications. Plato was right. Earth is made, on average, of cubes The ancient philosopher Plato conjectured that the universe was composed of particular geometric shapes; the earth, of cubes. Findings from a multidisciplinary research team found truth in Plato's belief. Plato was right. Earth is made, on average, of cubes The ancient Greek philosopher was on to something, the School of Arts & Sciences’ Douglas Jerolmack and colleagues found. New stellar stream, born outside the Milky Way, discovered with machine learning New stellar stream, born outside the Milky Way, discovered with machine learning Finding this new stellar stream, named after Nyx, the Greek goddess of night, was made possible using machine learning tools and simulations of data collected by the Gaia space observatory. New view of nature’s oldest light adds fresh twist to debate over universe’s age nocred New view of nature’s oldest light adds fresh twist to debate over universe’s age Observations by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope suggest that the universe is 13.77 billion years old, and reveals how fast the cosmos is expanding. Additional challenges in bringing research online The Devlin lab are working on creating an extremely cold environment (nearly -460 degrees Fahrenheit) so that the new Simons Observatory can detect cosmic microwave background (CMB), the residual radiation left behind by the Big Bang. Work done at the High Bay is essential for keeping the project from falling further behind after shutdown delays. nocred Additional challenges in bringing research online As research on campus slowly restarts, those whose work requires field surveys, large-scale collaborations, or travel face additional challenges in bringing their research back online. What do ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Macbeth,’ and a list of Facebook friends all have in common? What do ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Macbeth,’ and a list of Facebook friends all have in common? To an English scholar or avid reader, the Shakespeare Canon represents some of the greatest literary works of the English language. To a network scientist, Shakespeare’s 37 plays and the 884,421 words they contain also represent a massively complex communication network. The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually Aja Carter (seen here in May 2018) recently earned her doctorate from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the School of Arts & Sciences. In the lab of Peter Dodson, she studied how the structure of the vertebrae in the spinal column changed over time and how that affected the way animals move. As most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so did her thesis defense and that of so many others. The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually When most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so, too, did the thesis defense for Ph.D. candidates. Despite some challenges, the shift had unexpected benefits. Using stress to shape microlevel structures Using stress to shape microlevel structures A new study describes how external forces drive the rearrangement of individual particles in disordered solids, enabling new ways to imbue materials with unique mechanical properties.
Plato was right. Earth is made, on average, of cubes The ancient philosopher Plato conjectured that the universe was composed of particular geometric shapes; the earth, of cubes. Findings from a multidisciplinary research team found truth in Plato's belief. Plato was right. Earth is made, on average, of cubes The ancient Greek philosopher was on to something, the School of Arts & Sciences’ Douglas Jerolmack and colleagues found.
New stellar stream, born outside the Milky Way, discovered with machine learning New stellar stream, born outside the Milky Way, discovered with machine learning Finding this new stellar stream, named after Nyx, the Greek goddess of night, was made possible using machine learning tools and simulations of data collected by the Gaia space observatory.
New view of nature’s oldest light adds fresh twist to debate over universe’s age nocred New view of nature’s oldest light adds fresh twist to debate over universe’s age Observations by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope suggest that the universe is 13.77 billion years old, and reveals how fast the cosmos is expanding.
Additional challenges in bringing research online The Devlin lab are working on creating an extremely cold environment (nearly -460 degrees Fahrenheit) so that the new Simons Observatory can detect cosmic microwave background (CMB), the residual radiation left behind by the Big Bang. Work done at the High Bay is essential for keeping the project from falling further behind after shutdown delays. nocred Additional challenges in bringing research online As research on campus slowly restarts, those whose work requires field surveys, large-scale collaborations, or travel face additional challenges in bringing their research back online.
What do ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Macbeth,’ and a list of Facebook friends all have in common? What do ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Macbeth,’ and a list of Facebook friends all have in common? To an English scholar or avid reader, the Shakespeare Canon represents some of the greatest literary works of the English language. To a network scientist, Shakespeare’s 37 plays and the 884,421 words they contain also represent a massively complex communication network.
The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually Aja Carter (seen here in May 2018) recently earned her doctorate from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the School of Arts & Sciences. In the lab of Peter Dodson, she studied how the structure of the vertebrae in the spinal column changed over time and how that affected the way animals move. As most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so did her thesis defense and that of so many others. The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually When most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so, too, did the thesis defense for Ph.D. candidates. Despite some challenges, the shift had unexpected benefits.
Using stress to shape microlevel structures Using stress to shape microlevel structures A new study describes how external forces drive the rearrangement of individual particles in disordered solids, enabling new ways to imbue materials with unique mechanical properties.