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Teaching climate change communication, from the classroom to a conference of journalists
Michael Mann at a podium and Kathleen Hall Jameson beside him teaching a course at Penn.

The class included writing a letter to the editor, op-ed, and fact-check. “We threw a lot at them, we’re asking a lot of them, but I feel like they’re rising to the occasion,” Mann said.

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Teaching climate change communication, from the classroom to a conference of journalists

Michael Mann and Kathleen Hall Jamieson are co-teaching the Climate Change and Communication course this spring, tied to the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference, held this year at Penn.
2024 tropical cyclone prediction
View of Hurricane Ida from space with satellite visible above orbit.

An image of Hurricane Ida taken aboard the International Space Station shortly before the Category 4 storm made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2021. It marked the ninth named hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic season. As such storms increase in both frequency and intensity, Penn researchers argue that the resilience methods used in the past won’t work in the future.

 (Image: European Space Agency)

2024 tropical cyclone prediction

Michael Mann and colleagues predict a record-breaking 33 named storms for the 2024 North Atlantic hurricane season. It is the highest count ever projected.
What the EPA limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in water mean
A glass of water being poured.

Image: iStock/Byjeng

What the EPA limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in water mean

Brianne Callahan of the Water Center explains the new regulations on PFAS, plus how they might affect consumer water bills, health, and more.

Michele W. Berger

Understanding the Northeast earthquake
Photograph of a seismograph reading following an earthquake.

Last week people in the Northeast experienced a rare earthquake that registered a magnitude of 4.8. To learn more about the mechanics of earthquakes and this occurrence, Penn Today spoke with David Goldsby of the School of Arts & Sciences and Robert Carpick of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

(Image: iStock/allanswart)

  • Q&A

    • Understanding the Northeast earthquake

    Last week, people in the Northeast experienced a rare earthquake that registered a magnitude of 4.8. Penn Today spoke with David Goldsby of the School of Arts & Sciences and Robert Carpick of the School of Engineering and Applied Science about the event.
    Total solar eclipse
    the solar eclipse surrounded by its corona

    Sliski's composite image of the solar eclipse, with plumes located above and below the poles of the stars, red prominences located near the edge of the sun (at 11 and 8 o'clock), and with one extensions each to the east and west of the solar disc. This data will be compared to predictive models to better refine the current understanding of the sun (Image credit: David Sliski). 

    Total solar eclipse

    Gary Bernstein and Bhuvnesh Jain speak with Penn Today about the significance of the coming total eclipse.
    Once a spy satellite, now a telescope with an eye on the cosmos
    spy satellite in lab with blue background

    (On homepage) Engineers at Ball Aerospace, one of Roman’s industrial partners, installed and aligned the element wheel assembly into the observatory’s Wide Field Instrument. The assembly will help Roman solve some of the most profound mysteries in astrophysics. When light bounces off and is concentrated by the main and secondary mirrors of Roman, it will move through a component called the element wheel. After being focused and filtered, this light will hit a big array of sensors that captures the light to form an image. Depending on their research needs, astronomers can use special science filters to pick out certain types of light for their studies.

    (Image: Courtesy of Ball Aerospace)

    Once a spy satellite, now a telescope with an eye on the cosmos

    Researchers from Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences are part of a collaboration to develop Hubble’s wide-eyed cousin, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
    Dark Energy Survey uncovers clues to universe’s complexity
    an image of a spiral galaxy

    An image of NGC 1365 collected by the Dark Energy Survey. Also known as the Great Barred Spiral Galaxy, NGC 1365 is an example of a spiral galaxy and is located about 56 million light-years away. (Image: DECam, DES Collaboration)

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    Dark Energy Survey uncovers clues to universe’s complexity

    The decade-long effort reveals findings consistent with standard cosmological models, but open to more complex interpretations.
    A ‘vibrant nexus’ for research and discovery in the physical sciences
    the exterior of the david rittenhouse laboratory

    As part of a $750M investment in science, engineering, and medicine, Penn has committed to constructing a new Physical Sciences Building and updating the David Rittenhouse Laboratory.

    A ‘vibrant nexus’ for research and discovery in the physical sciences

    With the construction of a new Physical Sciences Building and updates to the David Rittenhouse Laboratory, Penn will create a modernized physical sciences quadrant that integrates state-of-the-art research in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and engineering.

    Erica K. Brockmeier

    A microscopic worm may shed light on how we perceive gravity
    Micrsoscopic view of Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living transparent nematode, about 1 mm in length

    Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living transparent roundworm, about 1 mm in length.

    A microscopic worm may shed light on how we perceive gravity

    C. elegans shares more than half of its genes with humans, allowing genetic studies to give insight into which genes are responsible for similar traits in humans, such as pinpointing molecular pathways responsible for gravitaxis, the ability to move in response to gravity.

    From Penn Engineering Today