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Science & Technology
Here Comes the Sun: University of Pennsylvania Awarded DOE Funding to Increase Use of Solar Power
PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have been awarded part of a $22.7 million grant to improve the capture, conversion and use of solar energy. The project is a multi-center effort funded by the Department of Energy and aimed at increasing the amount of solar power in the nation's energy supply.
Penn Physicists Develop a Carbon Nanotube Aeroegel Optimizing Strength, Shape and Conductivity
PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created low-density aerogels made from carbon nanotubes, CNTs, that are capable of supporting 8,000 times their own weight. The new material also combines the strength and ultra-light, heat-insulating properties of aerogels with the electrical conductivity of nanotubes.
Penn Physicists Develop Force Law for Granular Impacts: Sand, Other Granular Matter's Behavior Is Better Defined
PHILADELPHIA -- Sand. A single grain is tiny, but solid, and shares the physical properties of other solid matter. But pack or transport millions of grains together - as modern society does with coffee grounds, flour and industrial chemicals - and granular materials act differently, baffling engineers. They take the shape of their containers and flow freely, like liquids.
University of Pennsylvania Adopts Windows Live @ edu to Deliver Communications Platform to Students
PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania has partnered with Microsoft to enhance the communications platform it offers to many of its students.
Penn's Weiss Tech House Announces Student Inventors Headed to PennVention Competition Finals
PHILADELPHIA -- Ten teams of student inventors have been selected to present their prototypes of innovative technologies at the University of Pennsylvania's third annual PennVention competition on April 6 at Penn's Weiss Tech House. Finalists will compete for more than $60,000 in cash and prizes and a chance to launch their products to market.
Energy Working Group at Penn Hosts Mini-Symposium on Sustainable Energy
WHO: Energy Working Group at Penn, a multi-disciplinary group of University of Pennsylvania scientists and engineersGeorge Crabtree, senior scientist and director of the materials science division of the Argonne National Laboratory Joanne Milliken, director of the U.S. Energy Department hydrogen program
Penn Students' "2nd Best Idea Slam" Invention Competition Set for Feb. 16
WHO: University of Pennsylvania studentsWHAT: "2nd Best Idea Slam" WHEN: Feb. 16, 20071-2:15 p.m.WHERE: University of Pennsylvania Levine Hall 3340 Walnut St.Weiss Tech House, Room 266
MAGPI Hub at University of Pennsylvania Connects to New Internet2 Network
PHILADELPHIA -- The MAGPI advanced networking hub at the University of Pennsylvania has connected to the new Internet2 Network, providing the research and education community in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware with more than 10 times the capacity of its current network and with new on-demand bandwidth capabilities.
Penn Team Bridges the Digital Divide in Cameroon
Penn Team Bridges the Digital Divide in CameroonJan. 30, 2007PHILADELPHIA -- Some students in Cameroon now have computers thanks to a University of Pennsylvania engineering service organization. A six member team of students, faculty and alumni of CommuniTech spent two and a half weeks during the winter break in Cameroon to establish computer labs.
Penn Engineers’ self-healing liquid metal electrode extends life of Li-ion battery alternative
Penn Engineers’ self-healing liquid metal electrode extends life of Li-ion battery alternative
In the researchers’ new anode design, gallium repeatedly melts and solidifies, “healing” the cracks that would otherwise gradually decrease the battery’s ability to hold a charge.
In the News
Popular Science
Like humans, naked mole-rats have regional accents
Robert Seyfarth of the School of Arts & Sciences weighed in on a new study that found naked mole-rat colonies have unique vocal signatures. “Mole-rats have this incredible society,” he said. “It looks like their vocal communication, and the way their brain organizes vocalizations, has evolved to fit the demands of that society.”
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KYW Newsradio (Philadelphia)
The first computer is turning 75 in Philadelphia: 'ENIAC set the stage for everything'
Penn is celebrating the 75th anniversary of ENIAC, an early computer, with a week of virtual presentations and roundtable discussions.
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Wired
As more women enter science, it’s time to redefine mentorship
Danielle Bassett of the School of Engineering and Applied Science spoke about how same-gender mentorship can help aspiring female scientists navigate gender bias. “There’s clear evidence that, for many graduate students, having a shared gender with their mentor is something that’s important to them and allows them to succeed in ways that they couldn’t otherwise, because they have a role model,” she said.
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Daily Mail (U.K.)
Scientists identify the region of the brain associated with risk-taking—and it could explain why some people are more likely to smoke and drink
Gideon Nave of the Wharton School spoke about research he co-authored, which identified areas of the brain linked with risk-taking. “We find that we don’t have only one brain region that is the ‘risk area,’” he said. “There are a lot of regions involved.”
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New Scientist
Extroverts have more success training their dogs than introverts
Lauren Powell of the School of Veterinary Medicine co-led a new study that explored the links between dog training and the personalities of dog owners. The most important factor affecting success, she said, was how bad the dog’s behavior was to begin with, but owner traits seem to play a role, too.
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The New York Times
Businesses aim to pull greenhouse gases from the air. It’s a gamble
Jennifer Wilcox of the School of Engineering and Applied Science spoke about companies pledging to eliminate their carbon emissions within decades. “Carbon removal shouldn’t be seen as a get-out-of-jail-free card,” she said. “It has a role to play, particularly for sectors that are very difficult to decarbonize, but it shouldn’t be an excuse for everyone to keep emitting greenhouse gases indefinitely.”
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NPR
Can Biden’s climate plan spark cooperation in Pa.? Some see possible common ground in jobs, infrastructure
Oscar Serpell of the Kleinman Center on Energy Policy in Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about President-elect Joseph Biden’s plan to transition the country to renewable energy. “The business case has never been stronger, and I think it will continue to get stronger every single year,” Serpell said.
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NPR
Facebook keeps data secret, letting conservative bias claims persist
PIK Professor Duncan Watts is working with Facebook to analyze its content for bias. "Mostly it's mainstream content," he said. "If anything, there is a bias in favor of conservative content."
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NBC News
Your dog may love you, but doesn't love the sight of your face, study finds
Carlo Siracusa of the School of Veterinary Medicine commented on a study that found dogs were more stimulated by seeing other dogs than people. “Mother Nature will not invest in something that is not relevant to survival, either in dog-to-dog or even wolf-to-wolf interactions,” he said. “They use other ways of communicating such as ear position—which can be seen from the front and from behind. The ear position will tell about the mood of the dog. We humans don’t move our ears.”
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CBS Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania program training dogs to sniff out spotted lanternfly eggs
Jennifer Essler, a postdoc in the School of Veterinary Medicine, spoke about a new program that trains dogs to detect the presence of spotted lanternfly eggs. “For the dogs, it’s a game, it’s like anything else. They don’t know that they are saving the planet in any way,” she said.
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