School of Arts & Sciences

Iranian commander killed—five things to know

A United States drone struck and killed a powerful Iranian military commander at an Iraqi airport, bringing vows of retribution from Iran and threatening to plunge the region into chaos. An expert on Iran shares her thoughts on the attack.

Microscopic image of ice with hexagonal linked shapes

A close look at thin ice

A pairing of theory and experiment led to discovering atomic-scale details of the growth of ice on surfaces, which can inform the design of materials that make ice removal simple and cheaper.

vintage photo of the facade of the David Rittenhouse Laboratory, two people seated on low wall in front of building.

Space, time, and laboratories: The long history of David Rittenhouse Lab

The 65-year-old building has housed the Math, Physics, and Astronomy departments, and was constructed in an era when government partnered with higher ed to invest in its facilities.

Diving into code to illuminate the history of computing

Stephanie Dick delves deep into the practice of computer programming and design to shed light on different communities’ attempts to automate reason, knowledge, and proof.

drone shot of Martyr square, showing the Lebanese flag in foreground along with Mohammad Al Amine Mosque and st. George Church in the background, during the Lebanese revolution

A global take on Lebanon protests

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have poured into the streets of Lebanon. Penn Today speaks to two experts on Lebanon to find out why.

a series of three abstract and disordered patterns made of different geometric shapes

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.

In memoriam: Penn remembers those who passed in 2019

Penn professors and faculty reflect on the giants in art, academia, and beyond who left us this year.

Person leaning against a wall of books, arms crossed, smiling at the camera.

Impeachment, conspiracy theories, and facts

Historian Sophia Rosenfeld shares her take on the hearings leading up to President Trump’s impeachment, the wealth of conspiracy theories surrounding them, and tips on how to absorb it all without feeling dazed.

Drops of liquid crystal molecules branch out into strange structures

Shaped by surface tension and elasticity, spherical drops of chain-like liquid crystal molecules transform upon cooling into complex shapes with long-reaching tendrils.

‘May the force be with you’ and other fan fiction favorites

Researchers have created a unique digital humanities tool to analyze the most popular phrases and character connections in fan fiction based on blockbuster film series, starting with “Star Wars,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “Harry Potter.”

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