Through
4/26
Physics
Five Penn faculty named 2021 Sloan Research Fellows
Five Penn faculty named 2021 Sloan Research Fellows
The fellowship recognizes extraordinary U.S. and Canadian researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.
Metamaterial tiles boost sensitivity of large telescopes
Research on a low-cost, mass producible technology is poised to help the Simons Observatory uncover new insights into how the universe began.
Dark Energy Survey makes public catalog of nearly 700 million astronomical objects
With the goal of understanding dark energy and the accelerating expansion of the universe, DES released six years of data, representing one of the largest galaxy surveys published to date.
A new regime for analyzing properties of topological materials
A pair of studies demonstrates how two related metal alloys, cobalt monosilicide and rhodium monosilicide, can convert light into electric current efficiently thanks to their topology.
A rare celestial treat on the winter solstice
A rare celestial treat on the winter solstice
Four tips and takeaways from astronomer Cullen Blake on the upcoming alignment of Jupiter and Saturn and how to best catch a glimpse of the “great conjunction.”
Atomic-scale apertures represent a novel regime in physics and materials science
Atomic-scale apertures represent a novel regime in physics and materials science
Two new studies demonstrate how to fabricate atomically-thin materials with atom-sized pores, with possible applications ranging from water purification to energy harvesting.
Two Penn faculty named 2020 AAAS Fellows
Two Penn faculty named 2020 AAAS Fellows
Qi Long and E. Michael Ostap of the Perelman School of Medicine are among a cohort of 489 distinguished scientists recognized with the honor from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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
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.
Plato was right. Earth is made, on average, of cubes
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.
In the News
Live Science
Scientists propose ‘missing’ law for the evolution of everything in the universe
Stuart Kauffman of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on a study that proposed a missing scientific law identifying “universal concepts of selection” that drive evolution.
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The Wall Street Journal
Russia aims to restore prestige in race to moon’s south pole
Benjamin L. Schmitt of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Weitzman School of Design says that sentiment in the scientific and astronaut communities has begun to shift toward a future in which NASA and Roscosmos are no longer close partners.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Nine women who changed science are featured in a new Philly exhibit
A new exhibit at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia celebrates the late Mildred Cohn, a biochemist at the Perelman School of Medicine who fought to reduce discrimination in academia.
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Inc.
Neuroscience explains why Bill Gates’ weird reading trick is so effective
A study by Penn researchers working in physics, neuroscience, and bioengineering found that people instinctively seek patterns and similarities in the data they absorb.
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The Guardian
UK joins international effort to uncover first moments of the universe
In a statement for the Simons Observatory, Mark Devlin of the School of Arts & Sciences says that new telescopes and researchers from the UK will make a significant addition to their efforts to examine the origins of the universe.
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Physics World
Liquid crystals bring robotics to the microscale
In collaboration with the University of Ljubljana, Kathleen Stebe of the School of Engineering and Applied Science has built a swimming microrobot that paddles by rotating liquid crystal molecules.
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