10/23
Science & Technology
The hidden costs of AI: Impending energy and resource strain
The hidden costs of AI: Impending energy and resource strain
AI models like ChatGPT have seen notable improvements, but some people are concerned about the societal impacts these new technologies may bring. Deep Jariwala and Benjamin C. Lee discuss energy and resource problems with AI computing.
What can network theory offer public health?
What can network theory offer public health?
Penn Engineering’s Shirin Saeedi Bidokhti and Saswati Sarkar have produced a suite of studies that apply techniques from network and information theory to pandemic control and prevention.
Genomics reveals a complex human history in Africa
Genomics reveals a complex human history in Africa
An international team of researchers led by Penn geneticists sequenced the genomes of 180 indigenous Africans. The results shed light on the origin of modern humans, African population history, and local adaptation.
Engineered magic: Wooden seed carriers mimic the behavior of self-burying seed
Engineered magic: Wooden seed carriers mimic the behavior of self-burying seed
Researchers from Penn Engineering have developed a seed carrier, fashioned from wood veneer, that could enable aerial seeding of difficult-to-access areas, and could be used for a variety of seeds or fertilizers.
U.S. census data vulnerable to attack without enhanced privacy measures
U.S. census data vulnerable to attack without enhanced privacy measures
A new PNAS study shows that statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau can be reverse engineered to reveal protected information about individual respondents.
Targeted prenatal therapy addresses long-standing gap in health equity
Targeted prenatal therapy addresses long-standing gap in health equity
Penn engineers have developed a successful delivery system of mRNA to placental cells to treat preeclampsia at its root.
Rewiring blood cells to give rise to precursors of sperm
Rewiring blood cells to give rise to precursors of sperm
School of Veterinary Medicine researchers teamed with scientists at the University of Texas at San Antonio to transform blood cells to regain a flexible fate, growing into a precursor of sperm cells.
Advancing research and education to push forward oral health excellence
Advancing research and education to push forward oral health excellence
Since joining the School of Dental Medicine faculty in 2019, Sinem Esra Sahingur has launched two new master’s programs, expanded student research, and continued to pursue her own research program on immune regulation.
New insights into the mechanisms of tumor growth
New insights into the mechanisms of tumor growth
A team of researchers led by the School of Arts & Science’s Wei Guo characterize the molecular pathways that play a major role in tumorigenesis, findings that could lead to better diagnostic tools for cancer and new targeted therapies.
Three Penn faculty named 2023 Sloan Research Fellows
Three Penn faculty named 2023 Sloan Research Fellows
Edgar Dobriban, Robyn E. Sanderson, and Ben Scholl are honored as early-career researchers and scholars for their accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become leaders in their fields.
In the News
The Guardian
Corporations using ‘ineffectual’ carbon offsets are slowing path to ‘real zero’, more than 60 climate scientists say
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences signed a pledge asserting that corporate carbon offsets are ineffectual and hinder the energy transition.
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Bloomberg
More companies ditch junk carbon offsets but new buyers loom
Danny Cullenward of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that there needs to be broader accountability for false statements in voluntary carbon markets.
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The Conversation
Many wealthy members of Congress are descendants of rich slaveholders — new study demonstrates the enduring legacy of slavery
A co-authored study by Ph.D. student Neil Sehgal of the School of Engineering and Applied Science found that legislators who are descendants of slaveholders are significantly wealthier than members of Congress without slaveholder ancestry.
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Salon.com
Climate change despair has never been higher — but experts say hope is still possible
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the obstacles to avert critical planet warming are entirely political, rather than physical or technological.
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KYW Newsradio (Philadelphia)
Crumbling America: The infrastructure crossroads
Howard Neukrug of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses where America’s water infrastructure needs to be shored up and what improvements can be made to aging pipes and unreliable delivery mechanisms.
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New Republic
Who’s going to tell Harris the truth about carbon markets?
Danny Cullenward of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says there’s no guarantee that trees planted to offset carbon emissions will stay standing indefinitely.
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The Wall Street Journal
Gavin Newsom raises gas prices again
Danny Cullenward of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design estimates that California gas prices could climb 65 cents a gallon in the near term and by nearly $1.50 by 2035.
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Inside Climate News
Hurricane threat poised to keep rising, experts warn
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that every Celsius degree of warming increases maximum winds in the strongest storm by about 12%, equating to a 40% increase in wind damage.
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MSNBC
Climate expert on Hurricane Milton’s rapid intensification as ‘extreme weather becomes more extreme’
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Hurricane Milton's rapid intensification is part of a trend fueled by climate change.
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The Wall Street Journal
Why robots are getting less work at U.S. factories
Researchers at Penn are developing microrobots that can clean teeth and high-tech dental implants to fight off bacteria through red light therapy.
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