School of Arts & Sciences

Large group of men gather in the street in Yemen holding the country's flag during the 2011 Arab Spring.

Arab Spring, 10 years later

A virtual panel at the Middle East Center looked at the legacy and long-term impact of the 2011 uprisings and how the region has been redefined by them.

a person in a hardhat inspecting a metal device with gold plates and wires

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.

America’s first fossil fuel state

History course looks at Pennsylvania’s role in helping fossil fuel power the making of the modern world.

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Q&A

What to expect from the Democrats’ new Senate majority

Fels Director Matthew Levendusky gives his insights on the impact of Democratic control of the Senate, the importance of majority rule, realistic expectations, and how the heads of the federal trifecta will get along.

A person in an American flag outfit and bandana carrying an American flag in front of a large group of people at the U.S. Capitol building. Many hold flags that read "Trump 2020."

The influence and importance of language

Labels for what happened Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol were very different from those used to describe the Black Lives Matter movement or the 2020 election results. How much weight do individual words actually have? It depends on the context.

rendering of the elliptical galaxy NGC 474 and spiral galaxy 470 with star shells

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.

The state of U.S. democracy

On the eve of a presidential inauguration following a historic election and its aftermath, experts from across the University weigh in on where we stand as a country.

Biden speaking in his offie at the Penn Biden Center

Joe Biden’s longtime ties to Penn

As the nation prepares for its 46th president to take office Wednesday, Jan. 20, Penn Today reflects on the lasting impact he’s had at the University.

A blurred hand holding a stack of dollar bills, pushing them toward the camera.

Money matters to happiness—perhaps more than previously thought

Research from Wharton’s Matthew Killingsworth shows that contrary to previous influential work, there’s no dollar-value plateau at which money’s importance lessens. One potential reason: Higher earners feel an increased sense of control over life.

Drawing of a human standing on a pillar holding a book flanked by a Republican elephant and Democratic donkey against a background resembling scales of justice.

Rogers Smith on the heart and soul of America

As a scholar, the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science is perhaps best known for challenging the view that the U.S. is fundamentally, “in its heart and soul,” a liberal democracy.

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