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Penn in the News
A round-up of Penn mentions in local, national, and international media.
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Penn In the News
The microbots are on their way
Marc Miskin of the School of Engineering and Applied Science spoke about his cell-sized microbots, which may one day be used for a variety of purposes ranging from measuring brain networks to cleaning cellphone batteries.
Penn In the News
Not ‘a snowball’s chance in you-know-where’: The $1.2 billion King of Prussia rail line is a longshot
Vukan Vuchic of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences said the probability of advancing a King of Prussia train line proposal “strongly depends on who controls the U.S. House and Senate. I think elections next year will be drastically important.”
Penn In the News
This physicist is trying to make sense of the brain’s tangled networks
Danielle Bassett of the School of Engineering and Applied Science was profiled.
Penn In the News
Tracking readers’ eye movements can help computers learn
Dan Roth of the School of Engineering and Applied Science said it’s “clear to everyone” that signals within brain activity exist and may eventually improve machine learning.
Penn In the News
‘Metallic wood’ at Penn is as strong as titanium but lighter than water
James Pikul of the School of Engineering and Applied Science comments on his innovation of a material that is as strong as titanium while putting aluminum to shame in the weight department.
Penn In the News
A new insulation material is practically weightless yet still durable
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Deep Jariwala commented on a new, nearly weightless insulation material made of porous aerogel capable of withstanding temperature shifts of over 1,000 degrees Celsius. “It’s notoriously hard to make materials that are not just lightweight but can also be heavily heat resistant.”
Penn In the News
For a glimpse into the future, look at aerial robotics
An event about aerial robotics with the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s dean Vijay Kumar is featured.
Penn In the News
After a stressful election, experts warn blockchain is not the answer
Matt Blaze of the School of Engineering and Applied Science weighed in on blockchain voting. “The charlatans pushing for blockchain elections and online voting are doing the equivalent of advocating a healthcare policy that assumes we’re about to cure cancer,” Blaze tweeted. “Maybe we will, but best not to bet on it.”
Penn In the News
Cell phones pose plenty of risks, but none of them are cancer
Reviewing the results of a study exploring the relationship between cell phones and cancer, Kenneth Foster of the School of Engineering and Applied Science remains unconvinced of potential dangers. “Health agencies are saying that if there’s something there, it’s probably so small that there’s not likely to be a large effect on the population,” Foster said.
Penn In the News
The crisis of election security
Matt Blaze of the School of Engineering and Applied Science said that the investigation into Russian election interference has not found evidence that votes were actually altered, but also that “we haven’t looked very hard.” Furthermore, said Blaze, even if we were to look more closely, “it’s possible to do a pretty good job of erasing all the forensic evidence.”