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School of Arts & Sciences
Penn chemists develop 'motion capture' technology for tracking protein shape
In many modern animated movies, the trick to achieving realistic movements for individual characters and objects lies in motion-capture technology. This process often involves someone wearing a tracking suit covered in small, colored balls while a camera captures the position of those colored balls, which is then used to represent how the person is moving.
Undergraduate seminar takes students to India
Nearly 8,000 miles from the University of Pennsylvania’s campus in Philadelphia, eight students immersed themselves in “The Performing Arts of Modern South India” through a year-long course that included a 12-day visit to India and continues through the spring.
Low-cost solutions reduce court no-shows by 36 percent
Streamlining information on a summons form and sending simple text message reminders led to some 31,000 fewer arrest warrants.
To accept evolution, start with understanding
Prevailing theories about evolution state that belief in the concept is tied only to a person’s politics, religion or both. But according to new research, whether Americans accept or reject the subject also depends on how well they understand it.
Researchers prove that timed brain stimulation improves memory
Performance can be enhanced by as much as 15 percent, according to a study by Penn neuroscientists published in Nature Communications. It is the first time such a connection has been made.
The complicated relationship between humans and endangered sea lions in the Galápagos
The complicated relationship between humans and endangered sea lions in the Galápagos
On San Cristóbal Island, mammals and people share the land they live on and the fish they eat. To ease the tension, researchers sought the public’s input on and participation in a new kind of community science project.
Penn students explore city in creative ‘Writing Philadelphia’ course
Literally taking to the streets of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania students found inspiration in parks, museums, subways and street corners for their “Writing Philadelphia” class assignments.
Hundreds Volunteer to Honor MLK as Part of Penn Day of Service
Honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr., the University of Pennsylvania kicked off its 23rd Annual Commemorative Symposium on Social Change with a Day of Service, Monday, Jan. 15.
Improvements in mortality rates are slowed by rise in obesity in the United States
With countless medical advances and efforts to curb smoking, one might expect that life expectancy in the United States would improve. Yet according to recent studies, there’s been a reduction in the rate of improvement in American mortality during the past three decades.
Penn-led Team Uncovers the Physiology Behind the Hour-long Mating Call of Midshipman Fish
According to the Guinness World Records, the longest any person has held a continuous vocal note is just shy of two minutes. That’s quite an achievement.Compared to the Pacific midshipman fish, however, the endurance of the human vocal cord is no match. Midshipman fish can generate a mating call that emits continuously from their bodies for a full hour.
In the News
The Wall Street Journal
‘Slouch’ review: The panic over posture
In her new book, “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America,” Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces society’s posture obsession to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
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Associated Press
In death, three decades after his trial verdict, O.J. Simpson still reflects America’s racial divides
Camille Charles of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Black Americans have grown less likely to believe in a famous defendant’s innocence as a show of race solidarity.
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Salon.com
“Record-shattering” heat wave in Antarctica — yep, climate change is the culprit
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that persistent summer weather extremes like heat waves are becoming more common as people continue to warm the planet with carbon pollution.
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The New Yorker
The truth behind the slouching epidemic
Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces the history of a poor-posture epidemic in the U.S. which began at the onset of the 20th century.
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Boston Globe
How two Mass. lawyers are helping DACA recipients stay in the US
Carlos Águilar González of the School of Arts & Sciences says that streamlining the D3 authorization process for DACA recipients may limit the number of people who can benefit by focusing only on the most prestigious and educated.
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