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Science & Technology
Penn scientist Nader Engheta wins the Benjamin Franklin Medal
Penn scientist Nader Engheta wins the Benjamin Franklin Medal
The H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering is awarded for his advances in engineering and physics.
OCTOPUS, an optimized device for growing mini-organs in a dish
OCTOPUS, an optimized device for growing mini-organs in a dish
With OCTOPUS, Dan Huh’s team expands organoid research with a platform superior to conventional gel droplets, allowing researchers to replicate biological systems outside of the body.
New cell characterization method hints at reasons for resistance to cancer therapies
New cell characterization method hints at reasons for resistance to cancer therapies
Penn experts have developed new analysis tool that combines a cell’s unique gene expression data with information about the cell’s origins. The method can be applied to identify new cell subsets throughout development and better understand drug resistance.
How sex differences may influence lung injury
How sex differences may influence lung injury
Comparing lung cells from male and female mice, School of Veterinary Medicine scientists found gene expression differences that may explain why older males are at a higher risk than females for worse outcomes from COVID-19 and similar diseases.
Identifying a vulnerability in critical spacecraft networks
Identifying a vulnerability in critical spacecraft networks
Penn Engineering’s Linh Thi Xuan Phan and a team of researchers have identified a critical security flaw in the networking approach used in aerospace and other safety-critical systems.
The art and science of video game development
The art and science of video game development
In the group UPGRADE, students take an interdisciplinary approach to game creation.
Kirigami technique hints at promising outcomes for breast reconstruction
Kirigami technique hints at promising outcomes for breast reconstruction
Penn researchers have developed a new technique for aiding in the reconstruction of breast tissue following a mastectomy.
Wormhole-like dynamics
Wormhole-like dynamics
Theoretical physicists Vijay Balasubramanian and Jonathan Heckman of the School of Arts & Sciences speak with Penn Today to explain the implications of new research claiming to have observed wormhole-like teleportation on a quantum computer.
What secrets might 2-million-year-old DNA hold?
What secrets might 2-million-year-old DNA hold?
Scientists from Denmark recently extracted and sequenced the oldest-ever DNA, from permafrost in Greenland, revealing a robust ecosystem of 135 species. Penn Today spoke with four faculty members about the potential power of ancient DNA.
Turning carbon emissions into rocks
Turning carbon emissions into rocks
In Penn’s Clean Energy Conversions Lab, researcher Peter Psarras and colleagues are repurposing waste from industrial mines, storing carbon pulled from the atmosphere into newly formed rock.
In the News
NPR
‘Everybody is cheating’: Why this teacher has adopted an open ChatGPT policy
Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School has formally adopted an A.I. policy into his syllabus in order to teach his students to adapt to new tools while also using them responsibly.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Franklin Institute is honoring pioneers in fields from climate change to cancer research, including two with Philly roots
The Franklin Institute is honoring Nader Engheta of the School of Engineering and Applied Science for inventing new composite “metamaterials” that could be used to make ultrafast computers of the future.
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Smithsonian Magazine
Oceans break record for highest temperatures four years in a row
A co-authored study by Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences finds that the world’s oceans have hit their warmest temperatures on record for the fourth year in a row.
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Associated Press
Tackling threat of mudslides in soaked California
Douglas Jerolmack of the School of Arts & Sciences says that debris basins can be costly, becoming overwhelmed by new landslides or mudslides that have been worsened by climate change.
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The New York Times
Don’t ban ChatGPT in schools. Teach with it
Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School says that teachers need to figure out how to adjust to tools like large language models, which aren’t going to get less capable in the next few years.
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Axios
Ocean heat content hits record high, a sign of global warming
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that ocean-heat content continues to consistently set records every year, separate from surface warming factors like El Niño.
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FinTech News (Switzerland)
The implications of ChatGPT and AI models on fintech and banking
Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School says that ChatGPT is a tipping point for AI, proof that the technology can be useful to a broader population.
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Scientific American
Audio astronomy unlocks a universe of sound
College of Arts and Sciences fourth-year Sarah Kane discusses her use of data analysis and machine learning to circumvent her blindness in studying astronomy.
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Technical.ly Philly
These Philly profs working on VR education, deepfake spotters, and tiny robots make predictions for next-gen tech
Mark Miskin of the School of Engineering and Applied Science is using tools from the semiconductor industry to develop nanotechnologies for microscopic robots.
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BBC Science Focus
What are white, pink and brown noise?
A review article by Penn researchers found that outcomes from sleep studies on white and pink noise vary wildly.
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