5/19
Science & Technology
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.
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.
From corals to humans, a shared trigger for sperm to get in motion
From corals to humans, a shared trigger for sperm to get in motion
Coral sperm require a specific pH to move, according to research from the School of Arts & Sciences, which identifies a signaling pathway that is shared by organisms including humans. The results inform how corals may fare with climate change.
Penn senior Max Wragan named George J. Mitchell Scholar
Penn senior Max Wragan named George J. Mitchell Scholar
Senior Max Wragan, a neuroscience major and chemistry minor, has been selected for a George J. Mitchell Scholarship, which covers one academic year of postgraduate studies in Ireland, including stipends for living and travel expenses.
Taking a closer look at cryptocurrency
Taking a closer look at cryptocurrency
Experts across the University share their thoughts on how cryptocurrency has globally transformed businesses, research, and the environment.
In the brain’s cerebellum, a new target for suppressing hunger
In the brain’s cerebellum, a new target for suppressing hunger
A research team led by J. Nicholas Betley in the School of Arts & Sciences has identified an entirely new way the brain signals fullness after eating. The findings offer a novel target for therapies that could dramatically curb overeating.
Novel gene therapy for hemophilia A
Novel gene therapy for hemophilia A
The multicenter study, led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, showed improved and sustained production of a needed clotting factor and reduced bleeding events.
In the News
NBC News
Triceratops tussle: ‘Big John’ skull shows signs of battle, scientists say
Julie Engiles of the School of Veterinary Medicine commented on new research regarding triceratops anatomy, calling the team’s methodology “elegant and thorough.”
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Scientific American
Where rising seas threaten drinking water, scientists look for affordable solutions
Research led by Allison Lassiter of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design aims to identify water systems along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that are vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. “Besides being unpleasant to drink, salinized water can harm vulnerable populations, including people with hypertension and pregnant women,” she said.
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The New York Times
Ty Haney is doing things differently this time
Kevin Werbach of the Wharton School said “web3,” a block-chain-centered iteration of the internet, won’t be as democratized or utopian as some believe. “There’s a web3 that’s out there which is wonderful and trying to make the world a better place, but just by labeling something web3, it doesn’t mean power dynamics will magically reverse,” Werbach said.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Got an idea to address the impacts of climate change along the Delaware? You could win money to make it happen
The Penn Program in Environmental Humanities’ Ecotopian Toolkit competition is soliciting proposals for tools to help the greater Philadelphia region address impacts of climate change. “One of the things that the project is really keen to develop is helping Philadelphians, and people really across the whole watershed, understand the ways that the water really connects to them and to their lives,” said Bethany Wiggin.
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Scientific American
Why some fluids flow slower when pushed harder
Paulo Arratia of the School of Engineering and Applied Science commented on a study that explored how fluids flow under different pressures. “Visualizing flow inside a 3-D porous media literally gives a window into something that was impossible to see,” he said. “If you could actually see the molecules stretching and recoiling, that would be wonderful [to] connect the molecular point of view to the microscopic.”
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Popular Science
Even dinosaurs couldn’t escape the sniffles
Ali Nabavizadeh of the School of Veterinary Medicine commented on research that found evidence of respiratory infections in dinosaurs. “This paper provides yet another piece of evidence to show just how modern dinosaurs—the birds—are biologically so similar to their extinct non-avian dinosaurian relatives, even to the point of showing similar diseases,” he said.
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ABC News
Why the global chip shortage threatens the economy, national security and Americans’ ‘status quo’
Morris Cohen of the Wharton School spoke about the semiconductor shortage. "Most consumers didn't know and didn't care where their chips came from: 'You turn the car on, it should go, I don't really care who made the chip and what country it was built in,'" he said. "But now, all of a sudden, these issues become really important, and so I think we become more sensitized to how dependent we are, how interdependent we are, how things can be disrupted."
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BuzzFeed.com
Congress is trying to figure out what to do about crypto’s colossal carbon footprint
Zane Griffin Talley Cooper, a doctoral candidate in the Annenberg School for Communication, said “proof of work” algorithms used to mine and trade cryptocurrencies need to be “intensely regulated.”
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The Guardian
The inner lives of cats: what our feline friends really think about hugs, happiness and humans
Carlo Siracusa of the School of Veterinary Medicine said cats are capable of bonding with people, contrary to claims that they’re merely using their owners for food and shelter. “Humans hug and kiss. Dogs become very excited and jump around. Cats don’t do anything like that. They are much more elegant,” he said. “They approach us. They bump their heads. Then they have some contact with us and walk away.”
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Wired
Can a digital reality be jacked directly into your brain?
Researchers led by Daniel Yoshor of the Perelman School of Medicine are developing better electrode arrays, which are used to induce neural activity. Current arrays approved for human use are bulky and contain around 1,000 electrodes, whereas the arrays Yoshor and colleagues are working on would have 64,000 electrodes, and eventually 1,000,000 electrodes.
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