11/15
Physics
Additional challenges in bringing research online
Additional challenges in bringing research online
As research on campus slowly restarts, those whose work requires field surveys, large-scale collaborations, or travel face additional challenges in bringing their research back online.
What do ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Macbeth,’ and a list of Facebook friends all have in common?
To an English scholar or avid reader, the Shakespeare Canon represents some of the greatest literary works of the English language. To a network scientist, Shakespeare’s 37 plays and the 884,421 words they contain also represent a massively complex communication network.
The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually
The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually
When most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so, too, did the thesis defense for Ph.D. candidates. Despite some challenges, the shift had unexpected benefits.
Using stress to shape microlevel structures
Using stress to shape microlevel structures
A new study describes how external forces drive the rearrangement of individual particles in disordered solids, enabling new ways to imbue materials with unique mechanical properties.
At home, but still engaged with STEM classes
At home, but still engaged with STEM classes
While instructional laboratories on campus are closed, students, faculty, and instructors are finding creative solutions for science, math, and engineering courses and projects.
To err is human, to learn, divine
To err is human, to learn, divine
Researchers develop a new model for how the brain processes complex information: by striking a balance between accuracy and simplicity while making mistakes along the way.
Fixing leaky optical pipes with topological glue
Fixing leaky optical pipes with topological glue
Combining theoretical insights with experimental results, physicists demonstrate a new design for optoelectronic devices that could help make optical fiber communications more energy efficient.
Penn labs get creative to stay productive, connected
Penn labs get creative to stay productive, connected
In the face of a pandemic that has shuttered most physical laboratories across campus, researchers have shifted gears, maintaining work and social ties through grant- and manuscript-writing, virtual journal clubs, online coffee breaks, and more.
The optimal immune repertoire for bacteria
The optimal immune repertoire for bacteria
Researchers develop a physical model that describes the optimal amount of ‘memory’ of prior infections that bacteria should have in order to efficiently mount a successful immune response.
New minor planets beyond Neptune
New minor planets beyond Neptune
This updated catalog of trans-Neptunian objects and the methods used to find them could aid in future searches for undiscovered planets in the far reaches of the solar system.
In the News
The New York Times
Harrison White, groundbreaking (and inscrutable) sociologist, dies at 94
Randall Collins of the School of Arts & Sciences and PIK Professor Duncan J. Watts discuss the career of the late Harrison White, a theoretical physicist-turned-sociologist.
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The Scientist
Artificial chromosomes for disease modeling
A study by Ben Black of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues used a new technique for synthesizing chromosomes to introduce panels of genes into disease models, facilitating drug testing.
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Live Science
Scientists propose ‘missing’ law for the evolution of everything in the universe
Stuart Kauffman of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on a study that proposed a missing scientific law identifying “universal concepts of selection” that drive evolution.
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The Wall Street Journal
Russia aims to restore prestige in race to moon’s south pole
Benjamin L. Schmitt of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Weitzman School of Design says that sentiment in the scientific and astronaut communities has begun to shift toward a future in which NASA and Roscosmos are no longer close partners.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Nine women who changed science are featured in a new Philly exhibit
A new exhibit at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia celebrates the late Mildred Cohn, a biochemist at the Perelman School of Medicine who fought to reduce discrimination in academia.
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Inc.
Neuroscience explains why Bill Gates’ weird reading trick is so effective
A study by Penn researchers working in physics, neuroscience, and bioengineering found that people instinctively seek patterns and similarities in the data they absorb.
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