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Up, up, and away
BLAST telescope with Mark Devlin and students

As the project manager of the $100 million Simons Observatory project, Devlin (center) is working to keep the numerous and disparate components of the project from falling behind due to pandemic-related shutdowns while recognizing that some delays and disruptions will be inevitable. His advice is to not “sweat the small stuff.” (Pre-pandemic image)

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.

Lauren Hertzler

Charles Kane and Eugene Mele to share Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Mele and Kane 2018

Physicists Eugene Mele and Charles Kane of the School of Arts and Sciences are being recognized for their innovative work on topological insulators. 

nocred

Charles Kane and Eugene Mele 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.”

Katherine Unger Baillie

Learn from the experts with the Penn Science and Lightbulb Cafes
Katie Barott

Katie Barott, an assistant professor of biology in the School of Arts and Sciences, will present "Promoting Coral Survival in the Face of Climate Change," the first of the four lectures. (Photo courtesy of Barott)

Learn from the experts with the Penn Science and Lightbulb Cafes

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.

Jacob Williamson-Rea

First particle tracks seen in prototype for international neutrino experiment
Neutrino particles.Klein

The first particle tracks recorded by the ProtoDUNE detector at CERN usher in a new phase of investigation into neutrinos, the most abundant particles of mass in the universe. (Image: DUNE collaboration)

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.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Physicist theorizes that dark matter is a superfluid
Physicist theorizes that dark matter is a superfluid

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.

Jacob Williamson-Rea

The snow graphics in ‘Frozen’ can predict the mechanics of real avalanches
snowscape

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.

Penn Today Staff

A physics treasure hidden in the pattern of wallpaper
Kane.Wallpaper pattern

The unusual symmetries present in everyday wallpaper and wrapping paper played a role in the discovery of a new type of insulating material.

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.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Making complex 3-D surfaces with 2-D sheets
faces

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.

Ali Sundermier

Looking to the stars
stargazing 2

As part of the annual Simons Observatory Collaboration conference, Penn held a Community Astronomy Night in David Rittenhouse laboratory that included a panel, a mixer with astronomers, and stargazing. Credit: Eric Sucar 

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.

Ali Sundermier