Science & Technology

Learning about ethics of design through 'the dark side'

This weekend, two Penn professors will present “Unethical Machines,” a gallery show of student projects that combine art, technology and "bad behavior" aimed at exploring the ethics of surveillance, privacy and the sanctity of personal information.

Evan Lerner

Penn’s UPStart program celebrates a year of innovation

To Michael Cleare, executive director of Penn’s Center for Technology Transfer (CTT), it’s not enough that the University is a hotbed of scientific research. If all that knowledge is to be truly meaningful, it must make its way off campus.

Evan Lerner

Five University of Pennsylvania Professors Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

PHILADELPHIA –- Five University of Pennsylvania faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  They are among 212 new Fellows and 16 Foreign Honorary Members recognized as some of the world’s most accomplished leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities and the arts. The new AAAS Fellows at Penn are:

Jacquie Posey

Summer Camp at Penn Museum: "Anthropologists in the Making"

This summer, adventurous children ages 7 through 13 can experience a unique day camp that takes them through time and across continents at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology on Penn's campus in Philadelphia.

Pam Kosty

Creating Canopy: Penn, Philadelphia Partner to Distribute Free Trees to University Homeowners

PHILADELPHIA – As the first institution to take part in Philadelphia’s Creating Canopy program, the University of Pennsylvania is partnering with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to distribute to faculty and staff homeowners in the city 300 free trees to plant on their property.             

Julie McWilliams, Patrick Morgan



In the News


Yahoo! News

Should generative AI tools be restricted in the workplace over security?

According to a report by security researchers from Penn and hardware conglomerate Cisco, DeepSeek’s AI model is vulnerable to jailbreaking.

FULL STORY →



SciTechDaily

Scientists found a brain switch that could turn anxiety on and off

A study by postdoc Pei Wern Chin of the School of Arts & Sciences found that anxiety behaviors in mice could be controlled by either stimulating or inhibiting the neurons that release serotonin in the cerebellum.

FULL STORY →



Newsweek

Cancer breakthrough as ‘speckles’ may reveal best treatment

A paper co-authored by PIK Professor Shelley Berger finds that patterns of “speckles” in the heart of tumor cells could help predict how patients with a common form of kidney cancer will respond to treatment options.

FULL STORY →



ARS Technica

When does your brain think something is worth the wait?

Research by Joe Kable of the School of Arts & Sciences and colleagues finds that subjects with damage to certain regions of the prefrontal cortex are less likely to wait things out.

FULL STORY →



CNN

What officials are doing—and suggesting—to learn more about the possible drone sightings

Dean Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that the main difficulties in detecting and tracking drones stem from their small size, agility, and potential for autonomous operation.

FULL STORY →



CNN

Why you shouldn’t try to shoot down a suspected drone

Dean Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that shooting at potential drones could lead to missed shots, stray bullets, or accidents that result in hazardous outcomes far beyond the intended action.

FULL STORY →



Project Syndicate

Guernica is always with us

Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the U.S. election results will likely make stabilizing global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius impossible.

FULL STORY →



HealthDay

In mouse studies, new hope against a dangerous complication of pregnancy

Doctoral student Kelsey Swingle in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues are using mRNA molecules to treat pre-eclampsia, a common pregnancy complication.

FULL STORY →



Newsweek

What New Jersey’s mystery drones could actually be, according to experts

Dean Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied believes that mystery drones in New Jersey are part a U.S. government operation rather than being sent by a foreign state actor.

FULL STORY →



New Scientist

Pre-eclampsia could be treated with mRNA technology

Michael Mitchell and Ph.D. student Kelsey Swingle of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues are using mRNA molecules to treat pre-eclampsia, a common pregnancy complication.

FULL STORY →