News

2026

Could we mitigate super El Niños by artificially changing the climate? A new study indicates yes.

July 20, 2026

Earth is currently experiencing an occurrence of the El Niño climate pattern.

Researchers used computer models to see what would have happened had scientists caused marine cloud brightening in the face of strong past El Niños.


Why analytic superiority matters most in the AI race

July 20, 2026

Integrating artificial intelligence into military operations to maintain analytic superiority is a crucial step toward meeting defense goals. Many foreign countries, including China, are experimenting with more flexible models that may take less time and

Integrating artificial intelligence of varying capacities may outshine investing in the most powerful models. Op-ed co-authored by Robert Grossman, the Frederick H. Rawson Distinguished Service Professor in Medicine and Computer Science and the Jim and Karen Frank Director of the Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago.


AI-enhanced rare-event sampling helps predict extreme weather

July 20, 2026

Characterizing rare weather events Researchers have developed an AI-boosted rare-event sampling framework to predict the frequency of heatwaves.

The frequency of extreme weather events can be predicted more accurately than presently possible by combining artificial intelligence (AI) with physical climate modelling, using a protocol called rare-event sampling. Researchers used the approach to model extreme heat events such as the one currently roasting Europe, but they believe it could also be applicable to many other extreme events in climate science.


Milky Way’s galactic immigrant: How ten students found a nearly pristine extragalactic star

July 20, 2026

Students found a star in our galaxy so pure that  scientists say it should not exist here.

A few million years after the Big Bang, a nearly pure star formed within the ancient gas clouds of the Large Magellanic Cloud. This satellite galaxy currently orbits the Milky Way. The star formed primarily from primordial hydrogen and helium gas before early supernova explosions could enrich the local universe with heavier metallic elements. Billions of years later, ten undergraduate students at the University of Chicago identified the rare celestial object within an astronomical data archive.


Stuart Rowan named Interim Dean of the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

July 20, 2026

Photo of Stuart Rowan.

Stuart Rowan, the Director of UChicago PME’s Institute for Materials and Sustainability (IMS), the Barry L. MacLean Professor for Molecular Engineering Innovation and Enterprise, and Professor of Chemistry, has been named Interim Dean of UChicago PME.


South Pole Telescope analysis releases new catalog of more than 7,000 galaxy clusters

July 20, 2026

The South Pole Telescope takes advantage of the incredibly clear skies of Antarctica to map the sky. The collaboration has released a new catalogue of clusters of galaxies in the universe.

New cosmic census, led by Argonne and UChicago, shows how universe grew and changed.


When chatbots come to class: how high school students are navigating the new AI frontier

July 20, 2026

Photo of a policy sheet for use of ChatGPT.

New research reveals how high school students are adapting to the classroom arrival of AI tools like ChatGPT, facing fragmented policies and unclear boundaries.


DSI partners with SkAI and NITMB to host fifth annual AI+Science Summer School

July 20, 2026

Some of the week’s participants pose for a group photo.

Introducing a new generation of interdisciplinary trainees to the expanding field of AI+Science, Schmidt Fellows, organizers, and speakers built a community across disciplines and institutions.


UChicago receives W. M. Keck Research Program grant to study nonreciprocal interactions

July 14, 2026

Experimental platforms the project employs to probe nonreciprocal matter; optically trapped nanoparticles, magnetically activated microspinners

W. M. Keck Foundation awarded UChicago $1.3M for the project, “Non-Reciprocal Matter,” led by Heinrich Jaeger, the Sewell Avery Distinguished Service Professor in Physics, the James Franck Institute, and the College.


Quantum Horizons aims to open up the quantum landscape

July 14, 2026

Over three days of talks, lectures and networking, the Quantum Horizons conference brought more than 265 in-person and online attendees to the University of Chicago, representing 118 different institutions across the nation.

Biennial conference is aimed at democratizing quantum technologies and opportunities.


Jupiter may contain far more oxygen than the Sun, New study reveals

July 14, 2026

Image of Jupiter

New simulations reveal that Jupiter contains significantly more oxygen than the Sun, offering fresh clues about how the giant planet, and the early solar system, formed.


Artificial ‘leaf’ powers wireless biomedical device

July 6, 2026

UChicago PME alumnus Pengju Li, now a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University, examines the surface structures of the artificial leaf device while it is immersed in saline.

A UChicago research team created a nanoplasmonic material that harvests light energy for biomedical sensing and stimulation.


6 pivotal moments in 250 years of US chemistry

July 6, 2026

An image consisting of 8 prominent American figures and various background images spanning different industries.

Prof. Laura Gagliardi on pivotal moments in US chemistry.


Energy Technologies Initiative to receive new leadership

July 6, 2026

Prof. Stuart Rowan will serve as the new leader of the Energy Technologies Initiative.

Stuart Rowan will serve as the new leader, while the Founding Faculty Director Shirley Meng will continue leading the Energy Transition Network.


A new technology to save cooling power could give data centers a boost

July 6, 2026

An image showing a digitized version of computer processing.

A new study finds that storing cold water used to cool data centers underground could increase IT power capacity by 9.8 percent across three U.S. markets, with gains as high as 11 percent in Arizona's hot, dry climate.