Designing cleaner, greener concrete The Polyhedral Structures Laboratory is housed at the Pennovation Center and brings together designers, engineers, and computer scientists to reimagine the built world. Using graphic statics, a method where forces are mapped as lines, they design forms that balance compression and tension. These result in structures that use far fewer materials while remaining strong and efficient.(Image: Eric Sucar) Designing cleaner, greener concrete Penn engineers, materials scientists, and designers have developed a 3D-printed concrete solution based on diatomaceous earth that has enhanced carbon capture, is stronger, and uses fewer materials like cement. 6 min. read
A new understanding of brain activity when we ‘read the minds’ of others Image: patrickheagney via Getty Images A new understanding of brain activity when we ‘read the minds’ of others Penn psychologists Anna Jenkins and Dilara Berkay show the role of uncertainty in engagement of the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. Their findings pave the way for a broader understanding of autism and social anxiety. 3 min. read
Heat domes and flooding have nearly tripled since the ’50s Record-breaking temperatures lingered over the Northwest during a historic heatwave in June, 2021 in Vancouver, Washington.(Image: Nathan Howard via AP Images) Heat domes and flooding have nearly tripled since the ’50s New research led by Michael E. Mann links a surge in stalled jet stream events to human-driven climate change, with major implications for future heatwaves, wildfires, and floods. 7 min. read
AI x Science Postdoctoral Fellows collaborate across disciplines Penn’s AI x Science Postdoctoral Fellows Program is breaking down traditional scientific boundaries by integrating artificial intelligence across diverse research fields. Less than a year in, the program is already paying dividends in the form of new collaborations and research publications for inaugural fellows like Brynn Sherman (left) of the School of Arts & Sciences and Kieran Murphy (right) of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.nocred AI x Science Postdoctoral Fellows collaborate across disciplines The new fellowship program, offered through the School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, offers mentorship and peer engagement opportunities. 5 min. read
New class of materials passively harvest water from air Image: MamiGibbs via Getty Images New class of materials passively harvest water from air Researchers at Penn Engineering have discovered a new class of nanostructured materials that can pull water from the air, which could enable new ways to collect water in arid regions and devices that cool electronics or buildings using the power of evaporation. 2 min. read
Unlocking the mechanics of protein misfolding Mathieu Ouellet Unlocking the mechanics of protein misfolding An interdisciplinary team led by School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Lee C. Bassett and Dani Bassett, also of the School of Arts & Sciences, have studied the mechanical properties of prions, the mysterious shape-shifting proteins that are infamous for mad cow disease yet essential for yeast survival 5 min. read
Delivering a one-two punch to superbugs to fight infections Researchers led by César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine have created new peptides that fight hard-to-treat “superbug” infections by punching holes in bacterial cells and stimulating immune cells to signal for more defenders.(Image: Courtesy of Jianing Bai) Delivering a one-two punch to superbugs to fight infections Penn researchers create mirror-image molecules that both kill pathogens outright and rally the immune system—an advance aimed at the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance. 3 min. read
What behavioral strategies motivate environmental action? Image: Irina_Strelnikova via Getty Images What behavioral strategies motivate environmental action? A collaborative study from researchers affiliated with the Annenberg School for Communication, Annenberg Public Policy Center, and School of Arts & Sciences tested 17 strategies in an “intervention tournament.” 4 min. read
Penn engineers first to train AI at lightspeed Tianwei Wu (left) and Liang Feng (right) demonstrating some of the apparatus used to develop the new, light-powered chip.(Image: Sylvia Zhang) Penn engineers first to train AI at lightspeed Penn engineers have developed the first photonic chip that reshapes how light behaves to carry out the nonlinear mathematics at the heart of modern AI while reducing energy use. 2 min. read
News on climate change is more persuasive than expected News on climate change is more persuasive than expected In a new paper, Computational Social Science Lab postdoctoral researcher Amir Tohidi and colleagues find that exposure to articles about climate change significantly increases climate change concerns among skeptics. 2 min. read