2025
Thirty-one UChicago faculty members receive named, distinguished service professorships in 2025
January 6, 2025
Two PSD faculty members have received named professorships. Hening Lin has been named the James and Karen Frank Family Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Chemistry and the College, and Rebecca Willett has been named the first Worah Family Professor in the Wallman Society of Fellows in the Departments of Statistics and Computer Science and the College.
What is quantum supremacy?
January 2, 2025
We may be on the cusp of quantum supremacy. But what does that actually mean? Bill Fefferman, assistant professor of computer science, weighs in.
The future lifespan of plants just got extended
January 2, 2025
A trio of scientists from UChicago and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel has put forth a new model that pushes the terrestrial biosphere's lifetime out to 1.7 billion years.
A ‘Second Tree of Life’ could wreak havoc, scientists warn
January 2, 2025
Research on so-called mirror cells, which defy fundamental properties of living organisms, should be prohibited as too dangerous, biologists said.
“The consequences could be globally disastrous,” said Jack Szostak, who helped write a 299-page technical report on the risks of the research.
How the AI boom threatens to short-circuit climate action
January 2, 2025
The energy-devouring technology is giving new life to fossil fuels. CS professor Andrew Chien comments.
2024
Astronomers unveil their favorite discovery of 2024
December 24, 2024
Wendy Freedman shares her standout discovery of the year.
What to read and watch over winter break 2024
December 24, 2024
UChicago award winners share their selections for the holidays.
Looking back at 2024 at the University of Chicago
December 24, 2024
UChicago retrospective article features PSD breakthroughs and accolades.
UChicago partners on new National Science Foundation large-scale research infrastructure for education
December 24, 2024
Researchers from Computer Science and DSI have received a $900,000 sub-award for their critical contributions to the NSF SafeInsights project, which aims to build a transformative infrastructure for inclusive education research at a national scale.
DOE awards Fred Chong and his national research team $7.5M to develop a SMART software stack to control quantum computer noise
December 24, 2024
University of Chicago Computer Science Seymour Goodman Professor Fred Chong is part of a national team building software to manage quantum noise, an increasingly relevant problem due to the rapid development of quantum computing technologies.
Saturdays with CSIL — How undergraduates are transforming CS education for local high school students
December 24, 2024
Saturdays with CSIL (Computer Science Instructional Laboratory) focuses on exposing Chicago Public School high school students to computer science at an introductory level, as some CPS students have limited access to CS classes.
The climate app designed to tackle Chatham’s flooding crisis
December 24, 2024
Fourth-year PhD student Kelly Wagman, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory and the Greater Chatham Initiative, develops a community-based app that bridges the gap between the residents’ and the scientists’ needs for flood-reporting resources and data.
UChicago course puts art under the microscope
December 24, 2024
When mixing disciplines, there are some subjects that are much more readily paired—psychology and biology or visual arts and photography. However, one physical science course at the University of Chicago seeks to combine three subjects that aren’t a natural fit on the surface. “The Chemistry of Artists' Materials,” taught by Assistant Instructional Professor Hannah Lant, blends together art, history and science.
How an ‘accidental chemist’ honed his approach at UChicago on the way to a Nobel Prize
December 24, 2024
UChicago alumnus John Jumper was awarded a share of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the AlphaFold project, which uses AI to predict protein structures. Learn more about Jumper's academic and scientific journey.
New technology points to unexpected uses for snoRNA
December 24, 2024
Scientists from UChicago created a new way to study snoRNAs, showing they may serve a surprisingly broad range of functions across many cell types.