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Pink noise reduces REM sleep and may harm sleep quality
A person in bed taking earplugs out of a case.

Image: lisanna881 via Getty Images

Pink noise reduces REM sleep and may harm sleep quality

Penn Medicine researchers find that earplugs work better in protecting sleep from traffic noise, challenging the widespread use of ambient sound machines and apps marketed as sleep aids.

Eric Horvath

2 min. read

How to incentivize problem solving in groups
Artist rendering of several people conected with string stretch their connections to the limit, testing the strength of unity.

Image: Flavio Coelho via Getty Images

How to incentivize problem solving in groups

Why do some groups get smarter together while others collapse into groupthink? New research from theoretical biologist Joshua Plotkin and collaborators show that collective intelligence doesn’t emerge by rewarding the most accurate individuals but by rewarding those who improve the group’s prediction as a whole.

3 min. read

Awards and accolades for Penn faculty
An archway on Penn’s campus in the snow.

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Awards and accolades for Penn faculty

A roundup of the latest appointments and awards for various faculty members in the Graduate School of Education, the School of Arts & Sciences, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Penn Today Staff

2 min. read

Moving closer to ‘true’ equine IVF for clinical use
Katrin Hinrichs and Matheus Felix in a lab.

Katrin Hinrichs, chair of the Department of Clinical Studies–New Bolton Center and head of the Penn Equine Assisted Reproduction Laboratory (PEARL) and Matheus Felix, PEARL’s chief embryologist, work together in the lab. Felix is also an author in the 2025 study report on IVF with frozen-thawed stallion sperm.

(Image: Courtesy of Penn Vet)

Moving closer to ‘true’ equine IVF for clinical use

Researchers at Penn Vet are exploring different processes for using frozen-thawed semen to accomplish so-called true IVF.

From Penn Vet

2 min. read

The best way to onboard a manager

The best way to onboard a manager

New research from Wharton management professor Henning Piezunka reveals a common mistake that businesses make when hiring a new manager into an established leadership team.

New model could help police departments reduce excessive force incidents

New model could help police departments reduce excessive force incidents

Criminology professor Greg Ridgeway has developed a model that estimates an officer’s likelihood of using a higher level of force than peers in similar situations—an improvement on existing early-intervention systems that don’t account for differences in time and location.

3 min. read

Physics of foam strangely resembles AI training
Six separate piles of foam.

Image: Dowprasook Deenu via Getty Images

Physics of foam strangely resembles AI training

Research by Penn Engineers reveals that as foams flow ceaselessly inside while holding their external shape, and this internal motion resembles the process of deep learning, the method typically used to train modern AI systems.

Ian Scheffler

2 min. read

Why are icy surfaces slippery?
An icy bench in a city.

Despite the commonality of water and ice, says Penn physicist Robert Carpick, their physical properties are remarkably unique.

(Image: mustafahacalaki via Getty Images)

Why are icy surfaces slippery?

Winter Storm Fern brought icy and snowy conditions to the Northeast and other parts of the country over the weekend. Penn Today asks physicist Robert Carpick about the unique properties of ice, the science of curling, and how close we are to ‘nonslip’ ice. 

5 min. read

Planning ahead in an age of longevity
An elderly person holding a baby while blowing out candles on a birthday cake.

Image: Daniel Balakov via Getty Images

Planning ahead in an age of longevity

Tamara J. Cadet of the School of Social Policy & Practice discusses strategies for preparing—financially and physically— for an extended lifespan.

3 min. read