11/15
Science & Technology
Investing in Penn’s data science ecosystem
Investing in Penn’s data science ecosystem
Through the Innovation in Data Engineering and Science Initiative, Penn aims to become a leader in data-driven approaches that can transform scientific discovery, engineering research, and technological innovation.
University professorships for Konrad Kording, George Demiris
University professorships for Konrad Kording, George Demiris
Kording, a data scientist who studies the brain, will become the Nathan Francis Mossell University Professor. Demiris, a gerontologist who studies IT to support older adults, will become the Mary Alice Bennett University Professor.
A chewing gum that could reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission
A chewing gum that could reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission
In experiments using saliva samples from COVID-19 patients, the gum, which contains the ACE2 protein, neutralized the virus, according to research led by School of Dental Medicine scientists.
Changing the identity of cancer cells to eliminate them
Changing the identity of cancer cells to eliminate them
A team led by the School of Veterinary Medicine’s M. Andrés Blanco has uncovered a new target for treating certain blood cancers that works by removing an obstacle to their maturation.
An investment in energy and sustainability ‘for the survival of humanity’
An investment in energy and sustainability ‘for the survival of humanity’
Significant new support for research and hires will bolster Penn’s existing strengths in developing the energy and sustainability solutions of the future.
A record-breaking year for innovation
A record-breaking year for innovation
With its highest number of patents issued, commercial agreements, corporate-sponsored research funding, and licensing revenue receipts in a single period, the Penn Center for Innovation experienced a landmark fiscal year.
Putting community first, in a new social justice initiative
Putting community first, in a new social justice initiative
The Community Collaboratory for Co-Creation, led by Penn Nursing and Penn Engineering, will focus on research, education, and community engagement and outreach.
A better estimate for tick numbers with ‘citizen science’ data
A better estimate for tick numbers with ‘citizen science’ data
A team led by School of Arts & Sciences biologists found a way to account for biases in data collected by members of the public, using it to create a comprehensive abundance map of the tick responsible for transmitting Lyme disease.
Social media bots may appear human, but their similar personalities give them away
Social media bots may appear human, but their similar personalities give them away
A new engineering study examines how social media bots disguise themselves to interact with genuine accounts on social media platforms, while suggesting a new strategy for how to detect them.
Before geoengineering, some fundamental chemistry
Before geoengineering, some fundamental chemistry
Research led by Joseph S. Francisco of the School of Arts & Sciences examines the chemistry of a proposal to curb climate change’s effects—creating a sunshade in the upper atmosphere made of sulfuric acid—and finds that there’s more work to do to successfully pull off such a feat.
In the News
Scientific American
Grumpy voters want better stories. Not statistics
In a Q&A, PIK Professor Duncan Watts says that U.S. voters ignored Democratic policy in favor of Republican storytelling.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Climate policy under a second Trump presidency
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses how much a president can do or undo when it comes to environmental policy.
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Salon.com
Exxon CEO wants Trump to stay in Paris climate accord
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences voices his concern about the possibility that the U.S. could become a petrostate.
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Interesting Engineering
Superhuman vision lets robots see through walls, smoke with new LiDAR-like eyes
Mingmin Zhao of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues are using radio signals to allow robots to “see” beyond traditional sensor limits.
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Technical.ly Philly
A sneak peek inside Penn Engineering’s new $137.5M mass timber building
Amy Gutmann Hall aims to be Philadelphia’s next big hub for AI and innovation while setting a new standard for architectural sustainability.
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Associated Press
Amid Earth’s heat records, scientists report another bump upward in annual carbon emissions
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that total carbon emissions including fossil fuel pollution and land use changes such as deforestation are basically flat because land emissions are declining.
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The Wall Street Journal
How can we remove carbon from the air? Here are a few ideas
Jennifer Wilcox of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that the carbon-removal potential of forestation can’t always be reliably measured in terms of how much removal and for how long.
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Associated Press
California air regulators approve changes to climate program that could raise gas prices
Danny Cullenward of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that many things being credited in California’s new climate program don’t help the climate.
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Times of India
Self shocks turn crystal to glass at ultralow power density: Study
A collaborative study by researchers from the School of Engineering and Applied Science has shed new light on amorphization, the transition from a crystalline to a glassy state at the nanoscale.
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The Independent
Climate scientists fear Trump will destroy progress in his second term – and the outcome could be ‘grim’
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that a second Trump term and the implementation of Project 2025 represents the end of climate action in this decade.
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