11/15
Science & Technology
Nature-inspired designs give rise to stronger, lighter systems
Nature-inspired designs give rise to stronger, lighter systems
Weitzman’s Masoud Akbarzadeh discusses a recent multidisciplinary study that draws inspiration from dragonfly wings to redesign a Boeing 777 to be lighter, stronger, and more sustainable.
AI-guided brain stimulation aids memory in traumatic brain injury
AI-guided brain stimulation aids memory in traumatic brain injury
A collaborative study shows that targeted electrical stimulation in the brains of epilepsy patients with traumatic brain injury improved memory recall by 19%.
Holman Biotech Commons meets the evolving needs of campus
Holman Biotech Commons meets the evolving needs of campus
Resources at the Penn Libraries’ Holman Biotech Commons are available to the entire Penn community to support research, collaboration, and innovation.
Balancing dentistry and engineering to bring new innovations to the clinic
Balancing dentistry and engineering to bring new innovations to the clinic
Kyle Vining of the School of Dental Medicine and the School of Engineering and Applied Science discusses his unique dual career path and why we need more crosstalk between clinicians and researchers.
The art and science of ‘living-like’ architecture
The art and science of ‘living-like’ architecture
Collaborators from Penn Engineering and the Stuart Weitzman School of Design have created “living-like” bioactive interior architecture designed to one day protect us from hidden airborne threats.
Using marine bacteria to detoxify asbestos
Using marine bacteria to detoxify asbestos
Researchers from the School of Arts and Sciences have shown that bacteria from extreme marine environments can reduce asbestos’ toxic properties.
How climate change affects roses
How climate change affects roses
In a Q&A, Erin Conley of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens explains how climate change affects rose growth, as well as what’s new in the Morris’ rose garden.
Climate change’s impact on extreme weather events
Climate change’s impact on extreme weather events
Michael Mann and collaborators investigated the effects of climate change on the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events like wildfires, and found that “worst-case” scenario could lead to significant increases in all three.
Challenges and advances in brain-computer interfaces
Challenges and advances in brain-computer interfaces
Following FDA approval for tech startups to begin human clinical trials for brain-computer interfacing technologies, Penn Today met with Anna Wexler of the Perelman School of Medicine to discuss the promising possibilities and potential pitfalls of neurotechnology.
A novel method for squeezing molecules together could significantly reduce chemical manufacturing waste
A novel method for squeezing molecules together could significantly reduce chemical manufacturing waste
Penn engineers collaborated on an effort that would lessen the negative environmental impact of chemical production.
In the News
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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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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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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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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Interesting Engineering
U.S. achieves billion-fold power-saving semiconductor tech; could challenge China
A collaborative effort by Ritesh Agarwal of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues has made phase-change memory more energy efficient and could unlock a future revolution in data storage.
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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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