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Erica K. Brockmeier
Science News Officer
Erica K. Brockmeier covers chemistry, physics & astronomy, and math in the School of Arts and Sciences, and also manages media relations for these departments. She also occasionally covers scientific research and news coming from other parts of Penn.
Conserving the nation’s first chartered hospital
The Stuart Weitzman School of Design’s PennPraxis and the Center for Architectural Conservation will examine, assess, and prioritize the conservation of the buildings, grounds, and collections of the Pennsylvania Hospital.
Erica K. Brockmeier , Michael Grant, John Infanti ・
A new way of thinking about motion, movement, and the concept of time
Eadweard Muybridge’s “Animal Locomotion” was the first scientific study to use photography. Now, more than 130 years later, Muybridge’s work is seen as both an innovation in photography and the science of movement, alongside his personal legacy as someone with an eccentric 19th century style and a dark past.
Future collaborators and scientific pioneers at the Women in STEM symposium
Graduate students and faculty across Penn met to share their work and discuss solutions for issues faced by women in STEM.
Where math meets physics
Collaborations between physicists and mathematicians at Penn showcase the importance of research that crosses the traditional boundaries that separate fields of science.
A better building block for creating new materials
Researchers describe a new way to synthesize organic “Legos,” a chemical framework that can be easily modified and controlled to create new materials with unique properties.
The future of innovation in consumer technology
Wharton’s David Hsu discusses what the recent Consumer Electronics Show says about the consumer technology landscape and what innovations will become prevalent in the future.
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.
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.
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.
Researchers use a material’s ‘memory’ to encode unique physical properties
A new study shows that, as materials age, they “remember” prior stresses and external forces, which scientists and engineers can then use to create new materials with unique properties.