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Kirigami designs hold thousands of times their own weight
a pattern of raised triangles made out of paper with blue lines indicating flaps that reach out to neighboring structures

Kirigami designs hold thousands of times their own weight

A team of researchers found that using the origami-inspired art of paper cutting and folding, it is possible to create super strong models from lightweight soft materials without the need for adhesives or fasteners.

Erica K. Brockmeier

New College House West milestone marked
Two construction workers attach a crane to wires around a beam covered in signatures at the topping-off ceremony for New College House West

Two construction workers attach a crane to the final beam covered in signatures at the topping-off ceremony for New College House West.

New College House West milestone marked

As part of a long-standing tradition in construction, members of the construction, project, and architectural teams were given the opportunity to sign the last beam before it was hoisted via crane to the top of Penn's newest residence hall.
Tough conversations and innovative outlooks in higher ed
Gutmann and Zemsky in conversation

Tough conversations and innovative outlooks in higher ed

President Amy Gutmann and Graduate School of Education scholar Robert Zemsky took part in a “fireside chat” at this year’s Higher Education Leadership Conference at Penn, which also awarded Gutmann the Zemsky Medal.

Lauren Hertzler

New astronomical instrument on the hunt for exoplanets
the neid telescope on a mountaintop

New astronomical instrument on the hunt for exoplanets

A state-of-the-art instrument called NEID, from the Tohono O’odham word meaning “to see,” collected its “first light” and is poised to look for new planets outside the solar system.

Erica K. Brockmeier

Battling longer, more intense fire seasons
Fire crews tend to a using controlled burns at night to prevent further uncontrolled fires

Battling longer, more intense fire seasons

In a Q&A, doctoral student Clare Super describes her research into wildland firefighting, the impact on firefighters, U.S. policy around wildfires, and parallels to what’s happening in Australia.

Michele W. Berger

How biology creates networks that are cheap, robust, and efficient
a close up image of a leaf with the main vessels and branches visible

How biology creates networks that are cheap, robust, and efficient

Physicists describe how vascular networks, collections of vessels that move fluid, nutrients, and waste, balance robustness with “cost” to create a diverse array of structures and designs.

Erica K. Brockmeier

Angela Davis ‘refuses to give up’
Gina Dent, Angela Davis, and Margo Natalie Crawford seated in discussion on stage

Gina Dent, Angela Davis, and Margo Natalie Crawford on stage at the 19th annual MLK Lecture in Social Justice.

Angela Davis ‘refuses to give up’

Angela Davis and Gina Dent joined Margo Natalie Crawford of the Center for Africana Studies for this year’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture in Social Justice.

Kristina García