11/15
Science & Technology
Dark Energy Survey makes public catalog of nearly 700 million astronomical objects
With the goal of understanding dark energy and the accelerating expansion of the universe, DES released six years of data, representing one of the largest galaxy surveys published to date.
A new regime for analyzing properties of topological materials
A pair of studies demonstrates how two related metal alloys, cobalt monosilicide and rhodium monosilicide, can convert light into electric current efficiently thanks to their topology.
Climate change doesn’t spare the smallest
Climate change doesn’t spare the smallest
Changing conditions have taken a toll on insects in the tropics, according to research by School of Arts & Sciences biologists Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs. But education and science offer a path forward, they say.
Applying physics expertise to making smiles brighter
Applying physics expertise to making smiles brighter
With a background in physics and material science, Yu Zhang has joined the School of Dental Medicine to advance the way dentists restore oral health.
Brandon Gonzalez finds creativity in engineering energy efficiency
Brandon Gonzalez finds creativity in engineering energy efficiency
From a Nintendo Gameboy to engineering, a passion for energy engineering and creative problem solving has been the path for the Penn Engineering student.
One step closer to an at-home, rapid COVID-19 test
One step closer to an at-home, rapid COVID-19 test
The lab of César de la Fuente is working on a paper-based biosensor that could provide results in minutes. Clinical trials began Jan. 5.
A how-to guide for COVID-19 testing at Penn
A how-to guide for COVID-19 testing at Penn
With the launch of Penn Cares, Penn Today provides additional details on the new testing program, how eligible members of the Penn community can enroll, and how the testing procedure works.
Seeing clearly through the fog of war
Seeing clearly through the fog of war
In a new book, science historian M. Susan Lindee of the School of Arts & Sciences explores the interplay between scientific progress and violence in modern war.
New strategies for designing electroluminescent materials
A collaborative team of materials scientists and theoretical chemists provide hybrid perovskite nanoparticles that are high-efficiency light emitters by using a comprehensive defect-suppression strategy.
Gut cells sound the alarm when parasites invade
Gut cells sound the alarm when parasites invade
A chain reaction led by cells lining the intestines tips the immune system off to the presence of the parasite Cryptosporidium, according to a study led by researchers in the School of Veterinary Medicine.
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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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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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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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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