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Ali Sundermier
Science News Officer
alisun@upenn.edu
Physics
Up, up, and away
Mark Devlin and his team behind BLAST are about to embark on another scientific adventure in Antarctica, this time measuring how stars form in our galaxy.
Eugene Mele and Charles Kane to share Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
For introducing a new class of materials with unique and useful properties, known as topological insulators, physicists Charles Kane and Eugene Mele will receive the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. The award honors “fundamental discoveries…that are transforming our world.”
Learn from the experts with the Penn Science and Lightbulb Cafés
The lecture series, hosted by the School of Arts and Sciences, offers a casual setting in which researchers can present their work and engage with the attendees during a Q&A period, giving a glimpse into the research at Penn.
First particle tracks seen in prototype for international neutrino experiment
Neutrinos are the most abundant, and most mysterious, type of matter in the universe. Physicists from the School of Arts and Sciences had a hand in designing a massive instrument, the ProtoDUNE, that has detected the first evidence of these particles of matter.
Physicist theorizes that dark matter is a superfluid
A hypothesis by Justin Khoury of the Department of Physics and Astronomy stands to shake up how scientists consider dark matter.
The snow graphics in ‘Frozen’ can predict the mechanics of real avalanches
The Department of Computer and Information Science’s Chenfanfu Jiang recently published a study in Nature Communications that accurately models slab avalanches, bringing realistic natural phenomena to movies and practical applications for scientific predictions.
A physics treasure hidden in the pattern of wallpaper
Charles Kane and Andrew Rappe of the School of Arts and Sciences were part of an international team that has identified a new form of insulating material that may one day provide a basis for quantum computing. The patterns found in everyday wallpaper played a role in the discovery.
Making complex 3-D surfaces with 2-D sheets
Using liquid crystal elastomer, researchers are able to transform 2-dimensional rubber-like sheets into malleable, three-dimensional shapes, with a precise amount of control for various shape sequences.
Looking to the stars
This year's Simons Observatory Collaboration conference included a community star party that consisted of a panel, a mixer with astronomers, and stargazing.
Harnessing DNA tricks to boost nanosensors
Researchers have found a way to increase the sensitivity of graphene sensors using a trick of DNA engineering. The sensors might one day be used to monitor and treat HIV.
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Penn's Electric Race Car Team Seeks Fourth Title in Four Years
Eighty undergrads from a variety of departments, including Connor Sendel of the Wharton School and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, are building an electric car with four-wheel drive with hopes of winning two competitions this June.
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