Neanderthals carried genes acquired from ancient interactions with ‘cousins’ of modern humans Members of Tishkoff's research team collecting ethnograpgic information from participants in Ethiopia. (Image: Courtesy of Sarah Tishkoff) Neanderthals carried genes acquired from ancient interactions with ‘cousins’ of modern humans A new collaborative study led by Sarah Tishkoff shows that Neanderthals inherited at least 6% of their genome from a now-extinct lineage of early modern humans.
Who, What, Why: Juliet Glazer and contemporary violinmaking nocred Who, What, Why Who, What, Why: Juliet Glazer and contemporary violinmaking The fifth-year Ph.D. student in anthropology and ethnomusicology examines the aesthetics, sound, and valuation of instrument-making in the U.S. and Italy.
Understanding the brain via a molecular map PIK Professor Michael Platt and collaborators have generated the first single-cell “atlas” of the primate brain to help explore links between molecules, cells, brain function, and disease. (Image: iStock / Jezperklauzen) Understanding the brain via a molecular map PIK Professor Michael Platt and collaborators have generated the first single-cell “atlas” of the primate brain to help explore links between molecules, cells, brain function, and disease.
Showcasing an Andean cosmovision Roberto Mamani Mamani (in grey jacket at center) celebrates the dedication of his new mural, “Mallkuanka—Vuelo Surnorte De Colors,” or the “South-North flight of colors.” The mural conveys the power of people, nature, and animals living in harmony with one another and giving back to Mother Earth, says Catherine Bartch. nocred Showcasing an Andean cosmovision In a monthlong residency, Aymara artist Roberto Mamani Mamani met with students, gave a lecture, hosted a workshop, and painted a mural in South Philadelphia.
‘Be Holding’: A collaboration that feels improvisational nocred ‘Be Holding’: A collaboration that feels improvisational A three-year partnership among Penn faculty, a poet, a quartet, and a high school results in an original production that premiered in Philadelphia this year.
Delving into quantum dots Quantum dots are not just any nanoparticles. Often described as artificial atoms, these nanometer-sized semiconductor crystals possess unique attributes largely governed by their size, which chiefly dictates how they interact with light. (Image: iStock / Tayfun Ruzgar) Delving into quantum dots Christopher B. Murray shares his excitement, thoughts, and knowledge on quantum dots, a nanoparticle that just earned his Ph.D. advisor the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Dispossessions and race in the Americas Belén Unzueta and her students looked at the enrollment cards the U.S. government gave Native Americans. It’s striking, because the cards list the blood quantum, she says. (Image: Harris & Ewing, photographer/Library of Congress) Dispossessions and race in the Americas Belén Unzueta is teaching a seminar on the historical account of race and ethnicity in the Americas as a Penn-Mellon Just Futures Initiative graduate fellow.
An inauspicious arrival for the ambitious Benjamin Franklin The “Young Benjamin Franklin” statue in front of Weightman Hall on 33rd street depicts Penn’s founder as the 17-year-old who arrived in Philadelphia 300 years ago. nocred An inauspicious arrival for the ambitious Benjamin Franklin Penn’s founder arrived in Philadelphia on Oct. 6 300 years ago as a nearly penniless 17-year-old looking for a job as a printer.
How the hippocampus distinguishes true and false memories Image: iStock/metamorworks How the hippocampus distinguishes true and false memories Researchers in the School of Arts & Sciences have shown for the first time that electrical signals in the hippocampus differ immediately before recollection of true and false memories.
Julia Ognibene shadows doctors in Italy Julia Ognibene spent five weeks shadowing doctors at the Policlinico di Sant’Orsola, one of Italy’s foremost hospitals. (Image: Julia Ognibene) Julia Ognibene shadows doctors in Italy Julia Ognibene spent the summer connecting with family and shadowing doctors in Italy