News: Faculty

2019

​Neutrinos lead to unexpected discovery in basic math

November 15, 2019

From left: Xining Zhang, Peter Denton and Stephen Parke in front of the formula they discovered.

Quanta Magazine highlights three physicists--Stephen Parke of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Xining Zhang of the University of Chicago and Peter Denton of Brookhaven National Laboratory—who discovered a new mathematical formula while studying neutrinos. 


How hackers could use Wi-Fi to track you inside your home

November 15, 2019

Illustration that shows how inexpensive devices can turn Wi-Fi signals into motion detectors.Illustration contains two sections, Near and Far. Both sections contain an anchor (WiFi Anchor), an individual, a couch, and a sniffer.

A new study from University of Chicago and University of California, Santa Barbara researchers finds that external attackers can use inexpensive technology to turn Wi-Fi signals into motion detectors, monitoring activity inside a building without being detected themselves. 

 With only a small, commercially available Wi-Fi receiver, an attacker from outside the target site can measure the strength of signals emitted from connected devices and monitor a site remotely for motion, sensing whether a room is occupied. The research, led by leading UChicago computer scientists Heather Zheng and Ben Zhao, reveals the technique of these attacks as well as potential defenses. 


​Mathematician named Fellow of the AMS

November 5, 2019

Lek-Heng Lim, Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics, has been named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) for "contributions to applied mathematics, particularly numerical linear algebra." The Fellows of the AMS designation recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication, and utilization of mathematics. 


​Theorists discover the ‘Rosetta Stone’ for neutrino physics

October 24, 2019

Picture of the world's first neutrino observation in a hydrogen bubble chamber.

Three physicists at the University of Chicago and two national laboratories have discovered a fundamental identity in linear algebra—based on studying particle physics. 


​Astronomers use giant galaxy cluster as X-ray magnifying lens

October 16, 2019

Picture of Magellan Telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile at night with the night sky full of stars.

Astronomers at the University of Chicago, MIT and elsewhere have used a massive cluster of galaxies as an X-ray magnifying glass to peer back in time, to nearly 9.4 billion years ago. In the process, they spotted a tiny dwarf galaxy in its very first, high-energy stages of star formation


Alternate reality game to encourage students to think critically about climate change

October 10, 2019

UChicago faculty designed an alternate reality game, Terrarium, to help students develop innovative proposals about climate change and practice the kind of rigorous inquiry at the heart of UChicago's core values.  


​Researchers develop blood tests to detect diabetic complications and cancer

October 7, 2019

Gloved hand holding two full vials of blood samples

University of Chicago Prof. Chuan He partnered with Northwestern Assoc. Prof. Wei Zhang to develop a simple blood test that accurately detects whether patients with diabetes have developed vascular complications, which are responsible for about two-thirds of diabetes deaths. 


​Nearly a decade in the making, exoplanet-hunting instrument installed in Hawaii

October 4, 2019

MAROON-X team members wearing and Gemini Observatory staff wearing helmets standing in front of the Gemini North telescope with the MAROON-X unit.

Jacob Bean, associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago, led a project to build and install an innovative instrument that will scan the skies for new exoplanets—worlds in other solar systems that could potentially host life. Over the past eight years, Bean and his team had designed and built the instrument, called MAROON-X; this summer they finally attached it to a telescope at the Gemini Observatory at the top of Mauna Kea, Hawaii. 


Researchers at the University of Chicago seek to shape emerging field of AI

October 2, 2019

Prof. Willet presenting slides on AI and data science foundations in front of audience

AI technology is increasingly used to open up new horizons for scientists and researchers. At the University of Chicago, researchers are using it for everything from scanning the skies for supernovae to finding new drugs from millions of potential combinations and developing a deeper understanding of the complex phenomena underlying the Earth’s climate. 

 


Dust from a giant asteroid crash caused an ancient ice age

September 18, 2019

Illustration of an asteroid collision

A new study by a group of scientists including a University of Chicago professor argues that the ice age was caused by global cooling, triggered by extra dust in the atmosphere from a giant asteroid collision in outer space. 


How Will Quantum Computing Change Our Society?

September 18, 2019

Illustration of blue grid lines

Forbes features Prof. Fred Chong's Quora response to the question: how will quantum computing change our society? He discusses possible technological advancements using quantum computing, including providing new means for encrypting and securely communicating data. 


Introducing New Faculty in the Physical Sciences Division

September 16, 2019

Physical Sciences data map logo

Fifteen faculty members across five departments joined the Physical Sciences Division this fall. Read more about their research interests and backgrounds.


Mining historical glass slides for astronomical data

September 12, 2019

Black and white polaroid from 10/6/1901 depicting black splotches, a test image from the pilot study on mining astronomical data from historical glass slides.

The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics is partnering with the University of Chicago Library to run a pilot study to determine how to scan 175,000 photographic glass plate slides from Yerkes Observatory in a way that will facilitate meaningful scientific inquiry.  


UChicago mathematician, physicists win $3 million ‘Oscars of science’

September 6, 2019

Headshot of Alex Eskin

Prof. Alex Eskin, a UChicago mathematician who co-proved a “magic wand theorem” has been awarded one of the $3 million Breakthrough Prizes. 

The Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, of which the University of Chicago is a partner, received the prize for creating the first image of a black hole earlier this year.  Michael Levin, an associate professor of physics studying quantum condensed matter physics, was also awarded the New Horizons Prize along with three other physicists. 


Computer scientist integrates technology with anatomy

September 4, 2019

Picture of Marco Kaisth, class of 2021, in spacious lab room playing with a theremin.

Asst. Prof. Pedro Lopes reimagines the role of “human” in human-computer interaction. Some of Lopes's projects consider how humans respond to computers being in control of their anatomy.