11/15
Science & Technology
A topological phenomenon could light the path toward faster optical communications
A topological phenomenon could light the path toward faster optical communications
A new study led by University of Pennsylvania physicist Bo Zhen investigated topological phenomena in open, or non-Hermitian, physical systems which could potentially lead to faster connection speeds in optical communications.
Energy podcast brings esoteric, provocative topics down to earth
Energy podcast brings esoteric, provocative topics down to earth
A little more than a year into its podcast series, the Kleinman Center has hit its stride, bringing interesting and intriguing energy-related topics to a broad audience. Now, the key is to keep the momentum going.
By river, ocean, or wind, rocks round the same way
By river, ocean, or wind, rocks round the same way
Observations from Puerto Rican river rocks, New Mexican sand grains, Italian ocean pebbles, and the lab lent Douglas Jerolmack and his team insight into a general geophysical process.
Linking teen driving behaviors to ADHD, other mental health factors
Linking teen driving behaviors to ADHD, other mental health factors
Teen drivers are three times more likely to get into a fatal crash than their more-experienced counterparts. New research found a link between mistakes these new drivers make and self-reported ADHD.
Making Mongolian ger dwellings more energy-efficient
Making Mongolian ger dwellings more energy-efficient
Gers, called yurts in Russian, are the traditional one-room round, tent dwellings of Mongolian herders. In the last twenty years, about half of Mongolia’s population has settled in permanent “ger districts” around the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, bringing their nomadic tents with them.
Being hungry shuts off perception of chronic pain
Being hungry shuts off perception of chronic pain
Finding food is a necessary survival skill, but so is avoiding pain. Research led by J. Nicholas Betley and postdoctoral researcher Amber Alhadeff showed that being hungry activates a neural pathway that inhibits the sensing and responding to chronic pain. The findings offer up new targets for treating pain.
Bike lanes experiment measures cyclist response to infrastructure design
Bike lanes experiment measures cyclist response to infrastructure design
A PennDesign pilot study tracks riders in urban bike lanes to visualize a safer redesign.
Crowd-sourced map showcases campus accessibility in real time
Crowd-sourced map showcases campus accessibility in real time
Mark Bookman and Alice McGrath are on a quest to map physical and social barriers across campus. The goal is a crowd-sourced platform that automatically updates to present a real-time user accessibility resource.
The future of technology
The future of technology
As new technologies emerge, they bring with them new ethical challenges. The topic of the future of technology was front and center on day three of the Penn Teach-in.
Remembering Hawking: Q&A with Vijay Balasubramanian
Remembering Hawking: Q&A with Vijay Balasubramanian
Stephen Hawking, one of history’s most influential physicists, spent his life grappling with mysteries of the universe. Vijay Balasubramanian of the School of Arts and Sciences shared some of his memories of Hawking and discussed the impact the Briton had on scientists and nonscientists alike.
In the News
Scientific American
Grumpy voters want better stories. Not statistics
In a Q&A, PIK Professor Duncan Watts says that U.S. voters ignored Democratic policy in favor of Republican storytelling.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Climate policy under a second Trump presidency
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses how much a president can do or undo when it comes to environmental policy.
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Salon.com
Exxon CEO wants Trump to stay in Paris climate accord
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences voices his concern about the possibility that the U.S. could become a petrostate.
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Interesting Engineering
Superhuman vision lets robots see through walls, smoke with new LiDAR-like eyes
Mingmin Zhao of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues are using radio signals to allow robots to “see” beyond traditional sensor limits.
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Technical.ly Philly
A sneak peek inside Penn Engineering’s new $137.5M mass timber building
Amy Gutmann Hall aims to be Philadelphia’s next big hub for AI and innovation while setting a new standard for architectural sustainability.
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Associated Press
Amid Earth’s heat records, scientists report another bump upward in annual carbon emissions
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that total carbon emissions including fossil fuel pollution and land use changes such as deforestation are basically flat because land emissions are declining.
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The Wall Street Journal
How can we remove carbon from the air? Here are a few ideas
Jennifer Wilcox of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that the carbon-removal potential of forestation can’t always be reliably measured in terms of how much removal and for how long.
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Associated Press
California air regulators approve changes to climate program that could raise gas prices
Danny Cullenward of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that many things being credited in California’s new climate program don’t help the climate.
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Times of India
Self shocks turn crystal to glass at ultralow power density: Study
A collaborative study by researchers from the School of Engineering and Applied Science has shed new light on amorphization, the transition from a crystalline to a glassy state at the nanoscale.
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The Independent
Climate scientists fear Trump will destroy progress in his second term – and the outcome could be ‘grim’
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that a second Trump term and the implementation of Project 2025 represents the end of climate action in this decade.
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