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Science & Technology
From the bench to bedside, boardroom, and beyond
From the bench to bedside, boardroom, and beyond
Penn’s Life Sciences & Management program empowers the next generation of biotechnology leaders with an education in both business and the natural sciences.
With unprecedent threats to nature at hand, how to turn the tide
With unprecedent threats to nature at hand, how to turn the tide
One million plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction due to human activity, according to a U.N. assessment issued earlier this month. Here, experts highlight the report’s major messages and offer ideas for moving from inertia to action to stem threats to biodiversity.
A new way to fly, built up from the nanoscale
A new way to fly, built up from the nanoscale
Super-thin “nanocardboard” can levitate using only the power of light, opening the door to tiny flying machines with no moving parts.
A link between mitochondrial damage and osteoporosis
A link between mitochondrial damage and osteoporosis
In healthy people, a tightly controlled process balances the activity of osteoblasts, which build bone, and osteoclasts, which break it down. Damage to cells’ mitochondria can make that process go awry, meaning exposure to cigarette smoke, alcohol, environmental toxins can increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Putting mussels to the test
Putting mussels to the test
With a mussel hatchery in the future for the Schuylkill River, students in Byron Sherwood’s field biology course used scientific rigor to ask how effectively these filter feeders might render the water clean.
For Philly Tech Week, a showcase for cutting-edge robots
For Philly Tech Week, a showcase for cutting-edge robots
Penn students, faculty, and affiliated entrepreneurs showed off their latest legged robots, drones, automated driving systems, and more at the Pennovation Center as part of the annual celebration of the tech industry in Philadelphia.
A course that showcases the prevalence, and power, of math
A course that showcases the prevalence, and power, of math
The Mathematics in the Media course helps students understand how to use fundamental mathematical approaches to solve real-world problems in a data-driven world.
At Weiss Tech House, a race from idea to prototype in one semester
At Weiss Tech House, a race from idea to prototype in one semester
The student-run incubator hosted its first hardware accelerator this spring, offering cash, mentoring, and access to specialized equipment to four teams.
Cohort of PIP/PEP winners celebrate at luncheon
Cohort of PIP/PEP winners celebrate at luncheon
Nine students received handcrafted certificates at the annual luncheon, held May 3, that recognizes the work of graduating seniors awarded the President’s Engagement and Innovation prizes.
Two Penn faculty elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Two Penn faculty elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Eugene Mele of the School of Arts and Sciences and Nancy Speck of the Perelman School of Medicine are welcomed into the Academy for their “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”
In the News
Gizmodo
This freaky robotic fish is powered by ‘blood’
James Pikul of the School of Engineering and Applied Science co-authored a study in which researchers developed a soft, robotic lionfish powered by a blood-like compound. “This robot blood is our first demonstration of storing energy in a fluid that is normally only used for actuation,” he said.
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Scientific American
How the mind emerges from the brain’s complex networks
Danielle Bassett of the School of Engineering and Applied Science co-authored an article about network neuroscience, which allows us to see the origins of mental activity in the brain. One day, they write, “a neuroscientist who knew all the principles of brain function and everything about someone’s brain could predict that person’s mental conditions—the future, as well as the past, would be present inside the person’s mind.”
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The Guardian
Reversible superglue proves strong enough to hold average man
Shu Yang and colleagues from the School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new glue from hydrogel, inspired by snail slime. “The mucus [snails] produce is a viscous liquid, but when it dries they become firmly stuck,” said Yang.
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Scientific American
Domestication made dogs’ facial anatomy more fetching to humans
James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine said humans may have bred dogs to appear more infantile over time. “We are innately predisposed to respond with a kind of nurturing behavior towards certain physical characteristics,” he said. “Over time, [humans selected] for traits that satisfy that parental nurturing response.”
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WBUR Boston
What Puerto Rico’s monkeys post-Maria teach us about survival
PIK Professor Michael Platt joined a conversation about surviving trauma and Puerto Rico’s “monkey island.”
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Nature
A DIY approach to automating your lab
Brian Chow of the School of Engineering and Applied Science led a team of Penn undergrads in developing a low-cost plate reader for teaching labs using open-source automation software. “Philosophically, I believe in supporting the open-source-hardware community,” he said.
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Axios
A contest to beat geopolitical ‘superforecasters’
PIK Professor Philip Tetlock was cited for his “gold standard” performance in a 2015 forecasting contest. Contestants in this year’s contest will have access to all the data on Tetlock’s team’s winning methodology.
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Technical.ly Philly
Leggy bots, flying bots, building bots: Here’s what Penn’s robotics hub is up to
School of Engineering and Applied Science students past and present, including Gavin Kenneally, Daniel Mellinger, Divya Ramesh, Mickey Whitzer, and Chao Liu, were highlighted for their work at the Pennovation Center. Their efforts were showcased at Philly Tech Week.
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Vice
We are not prepared for the next generation of CGI food
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Chenfanfu Jiang; postdoc Ming Gao; Ph.D. students Joshuah Wolper, Yu Fang, and Minchen Li; and undergrad Jiecong Lu have developed two new approaches to animating dynamic fractures, like bread tearing or cars crashing.
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The New York Times
The microbots are on their way
Marc Miskin of the School of Engineering and Applied Science spoke about his cell-sized microbots, which may one day be used for a variety of purposes ranging from measuring brain networks to cleaning cellphone batteries.
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