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Centering joy in AI development and implementation
Desmond Patton seated at his desk.

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Centering joy in AI development and implementation

PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton—of Annenberg and SP2—and collaborators introduce a joy-informed framework designed to initiate conversations among engineers, designers, and researchers.

2 min. read

Addressing the psychological impacts of inflammatory bowel disease
Therapist and patient.

Image: lorenzoantonucci via Getty Images

Addressing the psychological impacts of inflammatory bowel disease

In a collaborative study, Psychologist Melissa Hunt and gastroenterologist Chung Sang Tse showed that cognitive behavioral therapy reduced disability for patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and that psychologists with no prior gastrointestinal experience could learn to deliver IBD-informed CBT effectively.

3 min. read

The world’s smallest programmable, autonomous robots
A microscopic robot on a U.S. penny for scale.

A microrobot on a U.S. penny for scale.

(Image: Michael Simari, University of Michigan)

The world’s smallest programmable, autonomous robots

Engineers at Penn Engineering have created robots barely visible to the naked eye that operate without tethers, magnetic fields or joystick-like controls.

Ian Scheffler

2 min. read

How one molecule keeps plants youthful
flowering acacia plant.

Image: Courtesy of Omnia.

How one molecule keeps plants youthful

In a career-defining paper, Scott Poethig, a biologist at the School of Arts & Sciences, has discovered that a single molecular switch can freeze plants in their juvenile state.

Marilyn Perkins

2 min. read

Is there an AI bubble and what happens if it bursts?
Traders at the New York Stock Exchange looking at monitors.

Wall Street rides an AI-fueled rally that has pushed major indices to new highs that’s driven largely by a handful of dominant tech firms. As enthusiasm around artificial intelligence reshapes markets and concentrates risk, questions are mounting about whether the surge reflects durable growth or the familiar shape of a speculative bubble. Wharton finance crises expert Itay Goldstein explains how bubbles form, why they can be so dangerous, and what today’s AI boom shares—and does not—with past market madness like the one described in “The Big Short.”
 

(Image: Getty / Spencer Platt)

Is there an AI bubble and what happens if it bursts?

Wharton’s Itay Goldstein discusses financial bubbles, the mechanics of betting against them, and the risks facing the AI boom.

3 min. read

Reflecting on Jane Austen, 250 years after her birth
Jane Austen book by Robert Miles and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

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Reflecting on Jane Austen, 250 years after her birth

English professors Michael Gamer and Barri Joyce Gold have been teaching courses specifically dedicated to Jane Austen for years. They spoke with Penn Today about their approach to teaching her novels, how they challenge common readings and myths, and what makes Austen’s work so enduring—and adaptable to the screen—more than two centuries later.

3 min. read

Virtual nursing programs in hospitals fall short of expectations

Virtual nursing programs in hospitals fall short of expectations

Hospitals struggling to attract and retain enough registered nurses at the bedside are implementing alternative strategies to ensure patients get needed nursing care.

From Penn Nursing News

2 min. read

One School, many schools of thought
Mark Trodden.

School of Arts & Sciences dean Mark Trodden joins faculty in discussion for Omnia’s latest podcast series.

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One School, many schools of thought

A special edition of the Penn Arts & Sciences “Ampersand” podcast features Dean Mark Trodden in conversation with SAS faculty from different disciplines.

Alex Schein

2 min. read

Using data to drive criminal justice reform

Using data to drive criminal justice reform

Tricia Rojo Bushnell leads an interdisciplinary, data-driven research and policy hub focused on improving the criminal justice system.

Evolution at a molecular level

Biologist Mia Levine and colleagues have demonstrated how a pair of essential protein partners undergo rapid evolutionary change to counter fast-evolving parasitic DNA while maintaining core cellular functions. The work presents novel insight into how evolution works at the molecular level.

(Image: Getty images/Joao Paulo Burini)

Evolution at a molecular level

Research led by Mia Levine shows how a vital DNA protection protein complex adapts to new threats without compromising essential functions.

3 min. read