News

Nobel Laureate Tsung-Dao Lee passed away on August 4th. His research overturned the law of conservation of parity, which had been considered a fundamental law of nature for decades. Lee completed his graduate work at the University of Chicago.
 

Nobel winner Thomas Cech’s new book The Catalyst explores the discoveries that helped position RNA research at the center of biotechnology. UChicago’s Jack Szostak is amongst the group of scientists who helped expand essential RNA research. 

A team of scientists from the University of Chicago and MIT may have solved the decades-old mystery. A new breakthrough study reveals why the moon has a (very thin) atmosphere.

Chemistry Graduate Student Lauren McNamara has been recognized with the 2024 Merck Research Award. McNamara, who works as part of the John Anderson Lab, will be recognized at the American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee (WCC) luncheon in the fall and will present her research at a symposium in August. 

Chameleon, an experimental testbed for computer science research, has been awarded $12 million to operate a facility to support computer science research on edge, cloud, and AI. Led by Senior Scientist Kate Keahey from Argonne National Laboratory, Chameleon has been a cornerstone of CS research and education for nearly a decade.

Startup PsiQuantum, a Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) corporate partner, will construct a 300,000-square-foot Quantum Computer Operations Center on the state’s groundbreaking campus at the site of the former US Steel South Works plant on Chicago’s Southeast Side. PsiQuantum will partner with the University of Chicago to collaborate on research projects and explore opportunities to develop educational programs in quantum applications.

Assistant Professor Aloni Cohen, second-year PhD student Gabe Schoenbach, and postdoc Alexander Hoover recently posted a paper that extends the theory of watermarking outputs of language models. One of the main goals of watermarking language models involves embedding detectable signals within the outputs of language models such as ChatGPT.

Researchers from UChicago and Northwestern developed a new ultrasensitive DNA-based test that can detect cancer from small fragments of DNA circulating in the blood. Among this team of scientists is John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor of Chemistry Chuan He, a leading expert in the field of epigenomics.

UChicago researchers set out to use computer simulation to better understand what happens to actin filaments under tension and how they recruit proteins to repair damage when it occurs. This led to a discovery that changes our understanding of the fundamental properties of the actin cytoskeleton.

As the Palomar Observatory closes the doors of its esteemed restaurant, scientists reminisce about the kitchen that served astronomers for decades. University of Chicago astronomer Wendy Freedman recalls memorable dinners at the observatory with special guests like Sidney Poitier and Johnny Carson.

The data centers that form the backbone of cloud computing require vast amounts of electricity and water to operate. As a result, these centers have a significant impact on the environment. Professor of Computer Science Andrew Chien comments on the issue in this audio piece, discussing the future of data centers and the steps needed to prevent them from further contributing to climate change.

David Keith, UChicago Geophysical Sciences Professor and Founding Faculty Director of the Climate Systems Engineering initiative, has a proposal to slow global warming: he wants to spray a pollutant into the sky to block some sunlight. He says the benefits would outweigh the danger.

Machine unlearning techniques cleanse generative AI models of unwanted elements. A recent collaborative study that included University of Chicago scientists highlights a troubling trade-off: while striving to purge irrelevant data, these techniques can severely impair the AI’s basic cognitive functions.

New online safety bills aim to make online spaces friendlier for children by banning ads targeted to them and preventing personal data collection from any underage users. Marshini Chetty, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at UChicago, comments on the role of parent supervision to ensure a child is using the internet safely. 

After CrowdStrike's massive computer outage, businesses are considering how significant their technology vulnerabilities are. UChicago professor Grant Ho comments on the errors that might have led to the outage.