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Science & Technology
Arjun G. Yodh Named Director of Penn's Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter
PHILADELPHIA –- Arjun G. Yodh, a researcher studying condensed matter physics, medical and biophysics and optics has been named director of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter at the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn Biologists Discover How "Silent" Mutations Influence Protein Production
PHILADELPHIA -– Biologists at the University of Pennsylvania have revealed a hidden code that determines the expression level of a gene, providing a way to distinguish efficient genes from inefficient ones.
First Results from Penn's Balloon-Borne Telescope BLAST: Extragalactic Survey Reveals Half the Universe's Starlight
PHILADELPHIA –- After two years spent analyzing data from BLAST, the Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Sub-millimeter Telescope, physicists are releasing the first results.
Visual Learners Convert Words to Pictures in the Brain And Vice Versa, Says Penn Psychology Study
PHILADELPHIA –- A University of Pennsylvania psychology study, using functional magnetic resonance imaging technology to scan the brain, reveals that people who consider themselves visual learners, as opposed to verbal learners, have a tendency to convert linguistically presented information into a visual mental representation.
In the News
Science News
A new insulation material is practically weightless yet still durable
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Deep Jariwala commented on a new, nearly weightless insulation material made of porous aerogel capable of withstanding temperature shifts of over 1,000 degrees Celsius. “It’s notoriously hard to make materials that are not just lightweight but can also be heavily heat resistant.”
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Christian Science Monitor
Have you heard the buzz? Honeybees can count
Elizabeth Brannon and postdoc Rosa Rugani of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed new research about honeybees’ ability to add and subtract numbers. Brannon said bees use ratios, rather than exact digits, to understand quantities. “When animals are comparing two numerical values, they’re much better if they differ by a large ratio than if they differ by a very small ratio,” she said.
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Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane (WHYY-FM)
Protecting your privacy online
The Annenberg School for Communication’s Joseph Turow joined a conversation on about data mining and online privacy.
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The Conversation
People don’t trust blockchain systems—Is regulation a way to help?
The Wharton School’s Kevin Werbach wrote about blockchain and the contradiction between its “allegedly trust-less technology and its trust-needing users.”
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The Hill
The false trade-offs of personal data protection
The Annenberg School for Communication’s Joseph Turow was cited for his research, which found that most Americans don’t believe trading data for discounts is “a square deal.”
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Gizmodo
Blue pigment in 1,000-year-old teeth links women to the production of medieval manuscripts
The Libraries’ Nicholas Herman offered commentary on a study that used bio-archaeology to identify ultramarine in the dental tartar of an 11th-century woman in rural Germany. “Only by looking very closely at new kinds of evidence can we begin to discover the true importance of female artisans,” said Herman.
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Technical.ly Philly
For a glimpse into the future, look at aerial robotics
An event about aerial robotics with the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s dean Vijay Kumar is featured.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Are bigger brains smarter? Barely, says study led by Penn scholar
A new study co-led by the Wharton School’s Gideon Nave and the School of Arts and Sciences’ Joseph Kable found that brain size has a slight, but ultimately insignificant, correlation to intelligence.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
PGW plan for liquified natural gas facility in Southwest Philadelphia clears hurdle
Christina Simeone of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy discussed the possible environmental impact of the creation of a new liquified natural gas (LNG) facility in Southwest Philadelphia. “The environmental benefit will happen if LNG displaces diesel or fuel oil,” she said. “But it’s just not clear until there’s a client base who is going to be the end user of this gas.”
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Popular Science
Cell phones pose plenty of risks, but none of them are cancer
Reviewing the results of a study exploring the relationship between cell phones and cancer, Kenneth Foster of the School of Engineering and Applied Science remains unconvinced of potential dangers. “Health agencies are saying that if there’s something there, it’s probably so small that there’s not likely to be a large effect on the population,” Foster said.
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