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At the intersection of energy and agriculture
Students walking along the Donga boardwalk in Kisumu.

As part of a 2024 landscape architecture studio at Weitzman, students traveled to Kisumu and visited the Donga boardwalk and overlook with students from the University of Maseno and Great Lakes University of Kisumu.

(Image: Courtesy of Weitzman News)

At the intersection of energy and agriculture

Through the Goldsmith Sustainable Agriculture Fund at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, Penn researchers are responding to a significant science-to-policy gap.

From the Weitzman School of Design

2 min. read

Getting to the root of it: Why soil matters
Aerial view of fields at Penn Vet's New Bolton Center.

Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center.

(Image: Elliot Bullen)

  • Q&A

    • Getting to the root of it: Why soil matters

    Soil specialist Alain Plante of the School of Arts & Sciences explains what soil is, how it works, and why its health matters far beyond plant growth.

    3 min. read

    Turf war: Artificial versus real grass
    View of a pile of artificial turf of a soccer field.

    Image: aire images

    Turf war: Artificial versus real grass

    In conversation with Penn Today, mechanical engineer, tennis player, and soccer fan Paulo Arratia discusses the material differences between natural grass and synthetic turf.

    3 min. read

    Why is everything gambling now?
    Hand holding a mobile phone with sports bets lined up.

    Over the last decade, there’s been an explosion in phone-based gambling platforms owing to the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that struck down a federal sports betting ban. Neuroscientist Michael L. Platt says the gambling boom has as much to do with human biology as it does business. 

    (Image: Hispanolist)

    Why is everything gambling now?

    Neuroscientist Michael Platt discusses the biological basis of gambling as it relates to the over proliferation of gambling-based platforms.

    5 min. read

    Proving climate science right
    A young person pouring water over their head.

    Image: Courtesy of Environmental Innovations Initiative

    Proving climate science right

    Research from climate scientist Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science, and colleagues vindicates climate models and reframes the record heat of 2024.

    From Omnia

    2 min. read

    How quickly can a bubble pop?

    How quickly can a bubble pop?

    Assistant professor of physics and astronomy Saurabh Nath designed an “air-loving” membrane that can pop underwater bubbles in milliseconds, while discovering a fundamental law that governs these ephemeral spheres.

    When the Schuylkill swallowed the city
    Two people looking at the flooded highway overpass in Philadelphia after flooding from Hurricane Ida.

    Image: Jessica Kourkounis / Stringer via Getty Images

    When the Schuylkill swallowed the city

    New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn’t a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.

    5 min. read

    The science of winemaking
    Students listen to explanation at winery.

    Students listened to an information session in a vineyard at Cobos winery prior to a sit-down tasting.

    (Image: Kelly Williamson)

    The science of winemaking

    The Biochemical Engineering of Wine course provides a real-world application of engineering principles, teaching students about the science behind the processes involved with making wine.

    3 min. read

    Making ‘light’ work of computing  
    Futuristic digital intelligent chip data processing technology

    Image: Chayanan via Getty Images

    Making ‘light’ work of computing  

    Penn physicists led by Bo Zhen have created hybrid light-matter particles that interact strongly enough to compute, pointing toward ultrafast, low-energy optical AI hardware.

    2 min. read

    What happens when an iceberg melts?
    An iceberg in Iceland.

    Research from Hugo Ulloa, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth & Environmental Science, and Daisuke Noto of Hokkaido University, models how icebergs melt and move in their environments.

    (Image: Gabi Musat / 500px via Getty Images)

    What happens when an iceberg melts?

    With ice balls, lasers, and cameras, School of Arts & Sciences’ Hugo Ulloa recreated a melting iceberg in his lab. This project revealed that icebergs don’t sit passively on the water’s surface but actually release dense, cold water and jet across the surface, churning and mixing everything in their paths.

    From Omnia

    2 min. read