The Big Bang at 75 Where did the cosmos come from? This question has long been part of human speculation, says Vijay Balasubramanian. Today, thanks to scientists like Ralph Alpher and George Gamow, we have a rough picture: Some 13 billion years ago, the universe was a hot, dense state that cooled as it expanded. (Image: NASA via Unsplash.) Q&A The Big Bang at 75 Theoretical physicist Vijay Balasubramanian discusses the 75th anniversary of the alpha-beta-gamma paper, what we know—and don’t know—about the universe and the “very big gaps” left to discover.
Translating Russophone poetry of resistance into English Working on translations are (left to right) poet Igor Gulin, Penn Professor Kevin M.F. Platt (obscured), doctoral student in Penn’s Comparative Literature and Literary Theory Program Hilah Kohen, poet Ruthie Jenrbekova and Veniamin Gushchin of Columbia University. (Image: Courtesy of Narek Dallakyan and PEN America) Translating Russophone poetry of resistance into English A poetry translation symposium organized by Kevin M.F. Platt of the School of Arts & Sciences and colleagues, in partnership with PEN America, brought a group of Russian-language poets and American translators and scholars together in Armenia last fall.
New neutrino detection method A view inside the SNO detector when filled with water. In the background, there are 9,000 photomultiplier tubes that detect photons and the acrylic vessel that (now) holds liquid scintillator. The ropes that crisscross on the outside hold it down when the scintillator is added to prevent it from floating upwards. The acrylic vessel is 12 m wide, about half the width of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The detector is located in SNOLAB, a research facility located 2km underground near Sudbury, Canada. (Image: SNO+ Collaboration) New neutrino detection method Research by Joshua Klein of the School of Arts & Science and an international team has found a way to detect distant subatomic particles using water.
Climate scientist Michael Mann makes a home at Penn nocred Q&A Climate scientist Michael Mann makes a home at Penn Known for his “hockey stick” graph that hammered home the dramatic rise of the warming climate, the climate scientist is now making his mark on Penn’s campus, both through his science and his work on communicating the urgent need for action on the climate crisis.
Panelists discuss ‘complex web’ of voting rights in America Image: iStock/Massimo Giachetti Panelists discuss ‘complex web’ of voting rights in America President Liz Magill moderated the third Forum on Social Equity and Community, which featured Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, Lisa Fairfax, Michael Jones-Correa, and Liz Theoharis.
Guy Grossman offers a model for refugee hosting Guy Grossman, political science professor in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences. (Image: Courtesy of OMNIA) Guy Grossman offers a model for refugee hosting The political science professor investigates the effects of Uganda’s refugee-hosting reforms on preventing public backlash.
WXPN’s Black Opry Residency reclaims Americana as the inclusive genre it can be nocred WXPN’s Black Opry Residency reclaims Americana as the inclusive genre it can be In collaboration with Black Opry, WXPN invited six Black Americana musicians to participate in a week-long residency in Philadelphia.
First UN Water Conference in four decades includes a delegation from Penn Rohit Aggarwala of the NYC Environmental Protection underscored that managing for drought necessitates cross-border cooperation. “If we think of this as a zero-sum game, we’re going to lose,” he said. nocred First UN Water Conference in four decades includes a delegation from Penn Events on campus last week kicked off the global proceedings, which will include representatives from the Water Center at Penn, Penn Carey Law School, and the School of Arts & Sciences.
By the Numbers: Six years of The Sachs Program student grants Untitled, 1974-1977, gelatin sliver print. Tamir Williams, a Ph.D. candidate in History of Art and Sachs Program student grantee, will curate an exhibition titled A Space to Appear, A Space to Tarry, which will present works from the photographic series “Black Nightclubs on Chicago’s South Side” (1975-1977) by Penn alumnus Michael Abramson. The exhibition and supplemental programming is anticipated in the summer and fall 2023, and will be presented at a Penn-affiliated gallery and at a collective art space in Philadelphia. (Image: Michael Abramson) By the Numbers By the Numbers: Six years of The Sachs Program student grants This week, The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation announced its latest round of spring grants for students, and Penn Today offers a by-the-numbers look at the Program’s investment in students to date.
Botswana’s president discusses good governance, democracy President Mokgweetsi Masisi came to Penn campus to discuss his nation’s success stories and how he’s tackled challenges. nocred Botswana’s president discusses good governance, democracy President Mokgweetsi Masisi spoke with Penn Professor Wale Adebanwi at the second annual Distinguished Lecture in African Studies.