Science & Technology

Solar panels with sunlight shining on the top right corner.

Marrying models with experiments to build more efficient solar cells

Penn chemist Andrew M. Rappe, in collaboration with former postdoc Arvin Kakekhani and researchers at Princeton University, has gained insight into how the molecular make up of solar cells can affect their properties and make them more efficient.

Luis Melecio-Zambrano , Michele W. Berger ・

Sarah Sterinbach

Combating urban heat

Through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, rising junior Sarah Sterinbach has spent the summer learning about the policies Philadelphia has used to protect its citizens from extreme heat and how those efforts might improve in the future.

Luis Melecio-Zambrano ・

Wharton graduate Saif Khawaja

A fish harvest that’s more sustainable—and tastier, too

December graduate Saif Khawaja’s President’s Sustainability Prize is helping him build Shinkei Systems, a company that has developed a robotics-based system for minimizing waste in the fishing industry.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

Fluorescent microscopy against a black background shows a layer of green flecks over a mix of blue and red labeled cells

Progress toward a stem cell–based therapy for blindness

A multi-institutional effort led by researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine is taking steps to develop an effective technique to regenerate photoreceptors cells and restore sight in people with vision disorders.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

An illustration of an old television with a person in sunglasses on it. On top sits a laptop computer with an arm reaching out past the screen, holding a rolled up newspaper. Another newspaper lays flat on top of the screen.

TV news top driver of political echo chambers in U.S.

Duncan Watts and colleagues found that 17% of Americans consume television news from partisan left- or right-leaning sources compared to just 4% online. For TV news viewers, this audience segregation tends to last month over month.

Michele W. Berger ・

Penn Dental Medicine professor Shuying Yang

Intervening to stop bone loss

A study led by Shuying (Sheri) Yang of the School of Dental Medicine identified a new role for a protein that keeps osteoclasts—the cells that break down bone—in check, and may guide the development of new therapies to counter bone loss.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

Scientists Erynn Johnson and Aja Carter use a 3D printer to make shell shapes

Mentorship strategies to boost diversity in paleontology

Drawing on research as well as their experiences as women of color in paleontology, Aja Carter and Erynn Johnson, who earned doctoral degrees from Penn, coauthored a paper offering advice for making the field more inclusive.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・



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 Guardian

Innovating responsibly with generative AI

Michael Kearns of the School of Engineering and Applied Science explains some of the best practices to help leaders responsibly build generative AI.

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