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Science & Technology
Color-Changing “Blast Badge” Detects Exposure to Explosive Shock Waves
PHILADELPHIA - Mimicking the reflective iridescence of a butterfly's wing, investigators at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a color-changing patch that could be worn on soldiers' helmets and uniforms t
New Technique Created at Penn Allows Researchers to Study Cell Forces in 3-D
PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created a revolutionary new technique that will allow scientists to accurately measure the forces cells exert as they move through a three-dimensional environment.
Penn Research Indicates Light Bending by a Black Hole May Offer Proof of Extra Dimensions
PHILADELPHIA –- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania report that a new test for measuring the ability of gravity to bend light seen from distant stars around large objects like black holes may offer proof of the existence of extra dimensions in the universe.
Penn Graduate School of Education Opens Business Plan Competition Submissions; Top Prize $25,000
PHILADELPHIA –- The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and the Milken Family Foundation have announced that the 2011 Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition is open for submissions.
University of Pennsylvania Scientists Develop Method for Detecting MicroRNA From Living Cells
PHILADELPHIA -– Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new electronic method for detecting microRNA isolated from living cells. MicroRNAs are a class of small biomolecules that control gene expression into proteins, the “workers” of the cell.
Penn Graduate Student Identifies New Species of Plant-Eating Dinosaur: Kukufeldia Tigatensis
PHILADELPHIA –- A fossil found more than 150 years ago has now been identified as the remains of a new species of dinosaur, the herbivore Kukufeldia tigatensis.
MAGPI’s First Annual Content Provider Carnival Is Coming to Town – Virtually
Step Right Up, Step Right Up -- for the First Annual MAGPI Content Provider Carnival where 22 amazing distance learning content providers will come together all under one virtual tent via live webcast to schools across the country!!
Penn Bioengineers Awarded DoD Grant to Study the Neuronal Effects of Blasts, Tackles and Collisions
PHILADELPHIA –- A collaboration of biologists and bioengineers, including researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, has received a $6.25 million, 5-year grant from the Department of Defense to study the effects of blast waves on the neural circuitry of the brain.
National Institutes of Health Honors Two Penn Researchers With 2010 New Innovator Awards
PHILADELPHIA –- University of Pennsylvania researchers Ritesh Agarwal and Patrick Seale have been honored with the New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health, providing each with $1.5 million to support their research
Penn Biologists Say Species Accumulate on Earth at Slower Rates Than in the Past
PHILADELPHIA –- Computational biologists at the University of Pennsylvania say that species are still accumulating on Earth but at a slower rate than in the past.
In the News
Here’s why experts don’t think cloud seeding played a role in Dubai’s downpour
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that many people blaming cloud seeding for Dubai storms are climate change deniers trying to divert attention from what’s really happening.
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Can we stop AI hallucinations? And do we even want to?
Chris Callison-Burch of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that auto-regressive generation can make it difficult for language learning models to perform fact-based or symbolic reasoning.
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“Record-shattering” heat wave in Antarctica — yep, climate change is the culprit
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that persistent summer weather extremes like heat waves are becoming more common as people continue to warm the planet with carbon pollution.
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How the solar eclipse will affect solar panels and the grid
Benjamin Lee of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that the electrical grid will have to figure out how to match supply and demand during brief windows where the energy source goes away.
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Scientists struggle to explain ‘really weird’ spike in world temperatures
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that tendencies to exaggerate climate science in favor of “doomist” narratives helps no one except the fossil fuel industry.
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Spring is here very early. That’s not good
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that plant-flowering, tree-leafing, and egg-hatching are all markers associated with spring that are happening sooner.
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Can your personal medical devices be recycled?
A lab at the School of Engineering and Applied Science led the development of a COVID test made from bacterial cellulose, an organic compound.
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Could Florida electric bills go up because of a fuel made from manure?
Danny Cullenward of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that federal and California state subsidies have led to a gold rush of companies trying to get into the business of renewable natural gas around the country.
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Why don’t we just ban fossil fuels?
Joseph Romm of the School of Arts & Sciences says that stronger action against fossil fuels is essential to save the planet.
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Students can soon major in AI at this Ivy League university—it’ll prepare them for ‘jobs that don’t yet exist’
The Raj and Neera Singh Program in Artificial Intelligence at Penn will be the first AI undergraduate engineering major at an Ivy League school, led by George Pappas of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
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