News: Faculty

2023

Big Brains: A radical solution to address climate change, with David Keith (Ep. 124)

November 30, 2023

Portrait of David Keith against a brick wall

Solar geoengineering technology holds possibilities and pitfalls, says David Keith, professor of Geophysical Sciences and founding director of the Climate Systems Engineering Initiative at UChicago.


Facebook watches your teens online as they prep for college. How Meta uses the data.

November 29, 2023

Marshini Chetty

In a USA Today article, Assoc. Prof. Marshini Chetty discusses Meta Pixel's tracking efforts on sites required for college applications, saying you could make the argument that these educational sites are “just the same as any other site,” but noting that dealing with kids raises bigger questions about tracking on the web: “Why is there the Meta Pixel? Why are there session recorders?” she said. “What is the place of that on these sites?" Doctoral Candidate Jake Chanenson says, “Some sort of comprehensive federal privacy regulation would be helpful...the last privacy act we had was in the ‘90s"
 


Scientists discover rare 6-planet system that moves in strange synchrony

November 29, 2023

An artist’s illustration of the six newly discovered planets circling their star in resonance.

Scientists, including Rafael Luque and Jacob Bean, have discovered a rare sight in a nearby star system: Six planets orbiting their central star in a rhythmic beat. The planets move in an orbital waltz that repeats itself so precisely it can be readily set to music. A rare case of an “in sync” gravitational lockstep, the system could offer deep insight into planet formation and evolution.

Image by Roger Thibaut (NCCR PlanetS)


LHC physicists can’t save them all

November 17, 2023

As upgrades enable the LHC to produce more and more particle collisions, physicists are using machine learning to keep up with the growing task of sorting through everything. David Miller, an associate professor of Physics and a member of the ATLAS experiment, weighs in.


Mystery over ‘alien objects’ found at the bottom of the ocean deepens after a new theory of eerie metal spheres emerges

November 17, 2023

Patricio Gallardo

KICP Fellow Patricio Gallardo discusses in a U.S. Sun article his doubts over a claim that a sphere found in the Pacific Ocean is of extraterrestrial origin.


AI can steal passwords in virtual reality from avatar hand motions

November 15, 2023

Heather Zheng

In a NewScientist article, CS Prof. Heather Zheng discusses AI's ability to figure out what someone is typing in VR meetings, saying, "You don't even need to know the person. As long as you can get in the same VR room as them, they're done."


Six PSD members named Highly Cited Researchers

November 15, 2023

Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers 2023

Six UChicago physical and mathematical scientists were named in Web of Science's 2023 report of highly cited researchers. According to Web of Science, researchers on the list have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their fields and contribute “disproportionately to extending the frontiers of knowledge and gaining for society innovations that make the world healthier, more sustainable and more secure.” 
 


A crack at solving the asymmetry mystery

November 10, 2023

David DeMille

APS Ramsey Prize winner David DeMille describes his groundbreaking ACME experiment and how it puts the Standard Model to the test.


Records reveal hidden history of female astronomers at Yerkes Observatory

November 9, 2023

Astronomer at the 40-inch refractor telescope of Yerkes Observatory under the 90-foot dome.

UChicago team chronicles dozens of women who worked and made discoveries in early 20th century.


The good, the bad, and the ugly of all that screen time

November 9, 2023

Marshini Chetty

In a WBEZ-FM Chicago audio segment, CS Prof. Marshini Chetty discusses how too much screen time on devices can hurt health by increasing anxiety, depression, and a sedentary lifestyle and how to change that.


A delicate balance

November 9, 2023

Ngô Bảo Châu

An interview with the new chair of Mathematics

Ngô Bảo Châu, the Francis and Rose Yuen Distinguished Service Professor, was named the Department of Mathematics chair, starting July 1, 2023. In this Q&A, he discusses his priorities for the department, the exciting work of his colleagues, and his vision for collaboration.


Machine learning

November 8, 2023

Sarah Sebo, right

High school students in the Collegiate Scholars Program get to know robots, with Assistant Professor of Computer Science Sarah Sebo.


NASA telescopes discover record-breaking black hole

November 8, 2023

Irina Zhuravleva

Phys.org article reviews a paper describing the most distant black hole ever seen in X-rays, on which Astro Asst. Prof. Irina Zhuravleva is an author.


How neural networks can think like humans and why it matters

November 8, 2023

Chenhao Tan

In an AI Business article, CS Asst. Prof. Chenhao Tan says that “being made to model human thought processes is critical for developing AI systems that can be tailored to human needs and preferences so that they can effectively assist humans towards their goals.”


James Hansen’s new climate warning and controversial plan to cool the planet

November 8, 2023

Portrait of David Keith against a brick wall

In a Newsweek article, GeoSci Prof. David Keith discusses his research on solar geoengineering, saying that it is "at best a weak supplement to what we must do to cut emissions," rather than a climate solution in and of itself, adding that the risks of solar geoengineering must be weighed against the risks of continued warming without it.