10.21
Science & Technology
Ice cream conundrum
The refreshing delight of ice cream on a hot summer day has its dangers: tooth sensitivity and the familiar feeling of “brain freeze.” Scientists break down the causes of the discomfort we are so willing to endure.
Philly as a lab, classroom, and collaborator
Philadelphia’s rich history and forward momentum make it ripe for scientific inquiry for a number of Penn schools and departments, from urban and population studies to medicine and anthropology.
Serving those who serve
In preparation for a career as a physician with the Military Health System, Ryan Leone is spending his summer in Falls Church, Va., interning with the Defense Health Agency.
A ‘smart-connected cup’ to fight Zika
By combining a a Thermos, a microfluidics chip and a smartphone, researchers have found a way to bring Zika testing to sites where clinical laboratories aren’t present but diagnostics are needed.
Progress in addressing a severe skin disease that affects dogs and humans
Both dogs and humans can suffer from ichthyosis, a disorder that makes the skin dry, scaly, and prone to secondary infections. A new study has uncovered new details about the disease, and moves toward developing a topical therapy.
Frigid polar oceans, not coral reefs, are hot spots for formations of fish species
Tropical waters contain a dazzling diversity of fish species compared to colder ocean areas. Yet a new study paradoxically indicates that the colder waters are home to the highest species formation rates.
Using statistics to uncover the truth about individual cells
Researchers at Penn have developed a better method for interpreting data from single-cell RNA sequencing technologies.
ModLab’s ‘SMORES’ are expanding robot autonomy
A self-assembling modular robot for extreme shapeshifting (SMORES) is designed to experience environmental features and modify its movement and function in response, bringing a new level of autonomy to the world of robotics.
Making complex 3-D surfaces with 2-D sheets
Using liquid crystal elastomer, researchers are able to transform 2-dimensional rubber-like sheets into malleable, three-dimensional shapes, with a precise amount of control for various shape sequences.
Looking to the stars
This year's Simons Observatory Collaboration conference included a community star party that consisted of a panel, a mixer with astronomers, and stargazing.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn physicists win $3 million Breakthrough Prize
The School of Arts and Sciences’ Charles Kane and Eugene Mele have been awarded the 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their work developing a two-dimensional topological insulator, which forces electrons to travel in an orderly fashion. The material could some day be used to improve energy efficiency.
FULL STORY →
Smithsonian Magazine
Scientists break the rules of reproduction by breeding mice from single-sex parents
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Marisa Bartolomei offered commentary on same-sex reproductive experiments, which have proven easier in bimaternal than bipaternal pairings.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
Guess what these young dinosaurs ate when their parents weren’t looking
Peter Dodson of the School of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences offered commentary on young dinosaurs’ ability to independently forage for vegetation. “It seems like a pretty fair bet that there wasn’t parental care,” said Dodson.
FULL STORY →
The New York Times
Life with no males? These termites show that it’s possible
Tanya Dapkey of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed asexual termites, saying there was much to learn from “societies in nature run without any input from males.”
FULL STORY →
WHYY (Philadelphia)
A Philly-Pittsburgh Hyperloop? State House resolution calls for feasibility study
Megan Ryerson of the School of Design discussed the feasibility and wisdom of investing in Hyperloop lines between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. “… It could really change the distribution of economic activities across cities that, right now, we think of as so distant,” said Ryerson.
FULL STORY →
National Geographic
This tiny fish can recognize itself in a mirror. Is it self-aware?
PIK Professor Michael Platt commented on an animal sentience study. While he found the research “fascinating and well-executed,” he pointed out that the study doesn’t necessarily confirm that animals have a human-like sense of self.
FULL STORY →
Quartz India
Google sees gold in Indian languages
The Wharton School’s Kartik Hosanagar weighed in on Nevlekha, a new platform from Google that uses AI to render PDFs in Indian languages editable, making them easier to share online. “It’s only one of a series [of moves] Google will need if it hopes to penetrate the hundreds of millions of Indians,” said Hosanagar.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
Should Philly join New York City in capping Uber and Lyft?
Erick Guerra of the School of Design weighed in on the effects of ride-sharing apps on cities, saying, “I’m confident Uber and Lyft have contributed in some small way to the increase in congestion but not nearly as much as the economic growth and increase in population.”
FULL STORY →
Independent
Radio: Incredible dignity in the face of a terrible tragedy
Lauren Sallan of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed “mass extinction events,” defined as “an event that wipes out biodiversity at orders of magnitude far above what we call ‘background extinction’—wiping out, say, 60 percent of species or species that wouldn't be expected to die off.”
FULL STORY →
“PBS NewsHour”
An 11-year-old changed election results on a replica Florida state website in under 10 minutes
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Matt Blaze discussed a hacking experiment, saying it was “not surprising that these precocious, bright kids would be able to do it because the websites that are on the internet are vulnerable…. What was interesting is just how utterly quickly they were able to do it.”
FULL STORY →