10/23
Science & Technology
Inspired by the human heart, Penn Engineers design tear-resistant soft material
Inspired by the human heart, Penn Engineers design tear-resistant soft material
Engineers have designed a soft material for robotics, medical devices, and wearable technologies that are both tear-resistant and able to resist deformation.
Testing, treatments, and more: A glossary for year three of the pandemic
Testing, treatments, and more: A glossary for year three of the pandemic
Penn Today adds a new installment to this series aimed at making sense of the language around COVID-19.
PIK Professor Kevin Johnson: Informatics evangelist
PIK Professor Kevin Johnson: Informatics evangelist
The Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor with appointments in Penn Engineering and the Perelman School of Medicine on forging his own path in the fields of health care and computer science.
Penn Abroad: Rising senior Ricardo Del Rio in Switzerland
Penn Abroad: Rising senior Ricardo Del Rio in Switzerland
Rising senior Ricardo Del Rio, an electrical engineering major in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, studied at ETH Zurich during the spring semester.
Deconstructing the mechanics of bone marrow disease
Deconstructing the mechanics of bone marrow disease
A new understanding of how mechanical features of bone marrow affect resident immune cells in a fibrotic cancer points to future therapeutic strategies for cancers and fibrotic diseases.
Music-making and the flow of aerosols
Music-making and the flow of aerosols
If simply breathing can spread the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others nearby, what about blowing into a tuba? Researchers from the School of Engineering the School of Arts & Sciences used fluid mechanics to study the movement of aerosols generated by musicians.
The Higgs boson discovery, 10 years later
The Higgs boson discovery, 10 years later
Penn physicist Elliot Lipeles reflects on the past, present, and future of physics, from the discovery of the Higgs boson to theories about new subatomic particles.
In the pursuit of scientific truth, working with adversaries can pay off
In the pursuit of scientific truth, working with adversaries can pay off
The Adversarial Collaboration Project, run by Cory Clark and Philip Tetlock, helps scientists with competing perspectives design joint research that tests both arguments.
A cleaner, greener airport of the future
A cleaner, greener airport of the future
Six students from across the University presented their vision of an airport equipped with carbon-capturing technology and an electrified vehicle fleet at a NASA competition, garnering the “Most Intriguing Concept” award.
Shapeshifting microrobots can brush and floss teeth
Shapeshifting microrobots can brush and floss teeth
In a proof-of-concept study, researchers from the School of Dental Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Science shows that a hands-free system could effectively automate the treatment and removal of tooth-decay-causing bacteria and dental plaque.
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →