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  • An inauspicious arrival for the ambitious Benjamin Franklin

    Penn’s founder arrived in Philadelphia on Oct. 6 300 years ago as a nearly penniless 17-year-old looking for a job as a printer.
    The young Ben Franklin statue on Penn’s campus.
    The “Young Benjamin Franklin” statue in front of Weightman Hall on 33rd street depicts Penn’s founder as the 17-year-old who arrived in Philadelphia 300 years ago.

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  • Exposure to air pollution worsens Alzheimer’s disease
    Emissions from a power plant.

    Image: Pencho Chukov via Getty Images

    Exposure to air pollution worsens Alzheimer’s disease

    New research from Penn Medicine finds living in areas with high concentration of air pollution is associated with increased buildup of amyloid and tau proteins in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, accelerating cognitive decline.

    Sep 9, 2025

    Penn physicist Charles Kane to receive the 2026 Lorentz Medal
    Charles Kane

    Charles Kane, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Physics at Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences.

    (Image: Brooke Sietinsons)

    Penn physicist Charles Kane to receive the 2026 Lorentz Medal

    Awarded every four years by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, the medal honors Kane’s pioneering research on topological insulators.

    Sep 4, 2025