Through
5/19
Science & Technology
Language Structure Is Partly Determined by Social Structure, Says Penn Psychology Study
PHILADELPHIA –- Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Memphis have released a new study on linguistic evolution that challenges the prominent hypothesis for why languages differ throughout the world.
Penn Biologists Explain How Organisms Can Tolerate Mutations, Yet Adapt and Survive Environmental Change
PHILADELPHIA –- Biologists at the University of Pennsylvania studying the processes of evolution appear to have resolved a longstanding conundrum: How can organisms be robust against the effects of mutations yet simultaneously adaptable when the environment changes?
American Institute of Architects Honors Penn’s Skirkanich Hall With Design Award
PHILADELPHIA –- Skirkanich Hall, home to the Bioengineering Department in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, has received the 2010 Institute Honor Award for Architecture from the American Institute of Architects.
Mukesh D. Ambani Awarded Inaugural Dean’s Medal From the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science
PHILADELPHIA –- Mukesh D. Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd., has been awarded the inaugural Dean’s Medal from Eduardo Glandt, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Penn Awarded Funding for Critical Zone Observatory Project
PHILADELPHIA –- Environmentalists from the University of Pennsylvania have been awarded a $4.35 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a Critical Zone Observatory in Puerto Rico.
Penn Study Shows Antidepressants Work Best for Severe Depression, Provide Little to No Benefit Otherwise
PHILADELPHIA –- A study of 30 years of antidepressant-drug treatment data published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the benefit of antidepressant medication compared with placebo may be minimal or nonexistent in patients with mild or moderate symptoms.
Genetic Study Led by University of Pennsylvania and Cornell Clarifies African and African-American Ancestry
PHILADELPHIA –- People who identify as African-American may be as little as 1 percent West African or as much as 99 percent, just one finding of a large-scale, genome-wide study of African and African-American ancestry released today.
Penn Researchers Find Reproductive Germ Cells Survive and Thrive In Transplants, Even Among Species
PHILADELPHIA –- Reproductive researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have succeeded in isolating and transplanting pure populations of the immature cells that enable male reproduction in two species—human spermatogonia and mouse gonocytes.
Antidepressants May Change Personality, Leading to Reduced Depression, Says Penn Collaboration
PHILADELPHIA –- Examining data obtained from a University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University psychology study, researchers at these universities and Northwestern University have reported the first placebo-controlled evidence that antidepressant medications—particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs—can substantially change patients’
Researchers Say Cooperation Is Key to Reducing Greenhouse Gases
PHILADELPHIA — A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Delaware shows that cooperation between local and regional governments and organizations is crucial to achieve carbon-reduction goals being negotiated in the Copenhagen Conference of the Parties, or COP15, summit.
In the News
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Business Insider
The universities already offering AI degrees, from Penn to Carnegie Mellon
In February, Penn became the first Ivy League school to announce an undergraduate degree in AI, featuring remarks from Robert Ghrist of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
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Axios
Real vs. fake Christmas trees: The great debate, explained
Lorena Grundy of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that the debate between real and fake Christmas trees isn’t as black and white as it’s being portrayed.
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