2024
Two UChicago scientists honored with 2024 Department of Energy Early Career Awards
October 17, 2024
Astronomy and Astrophysics Asst. Prof. Austin Joyce has been selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Early Career Research Program. Prof. Joyce will use this opportunity to apply cosmological quantum field theory to understand how the universe evolved and acquired its structure.
New study reveals how Josephson junctions dissipate energy, offering insights to improve superconducting qubit performance
October 17, 2024
In new research paper, co-authored by UChicago Asst. Prof. Andrew Higginbotham, scientists demonstrate that Josephson junctions dissipate energy as photons, directly measuring them using a sensitive bolometer.
How failure has made mathematics stronger
October 17, 2024
In this interview, UChicago Prof. Danny Calegari discusses the role of failure in mathematics and how it propelled his latest essay published in a recent issue of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society.
Alex Drlica-Wagner and Tiffany Shaw have been elected to the American Physical Society’s Fellows
October 17, 2024
Two UChicago faculty members were recognized as 2024 APS Fellows. Prof. Tiffany Shaw was selected for her contributions to atmospheric dynamics and its response to climate change, while Asst. Prof. Alex Drlica-Wagner was honored for his work in observational cosmology, including groundbreaking research in dark matter science.
South Side Science Festival give youngsters a close-up look at STEM
October 17, 2024
At the 2024 South Side Science Festival, UChicago researchers bring their work out from behind the scenes for the public to experience. Through demos, the hope is to spark interest in young minds to pursue work in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Assistant professor of physics Zoe Yan named to the 2024 class of Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering
October 15, 2024
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation announced today the 2024 class of Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering, including UChicago assistant professor of physics Zoe Yan. This year’s class features 20 innovative early-career scientists and engineers who will each receive $875,000 over five years to pursue their research. This year’s class of Fellows is pushing the boundaries of science and innovation in their fields of study, from advances in detecting and treating serious diseases to understanding how species react to changing climates to energy-efficient electronics.
The duality of ice
October 14, 2024
In July 2024, Meghana Ranganathan joined the University of Chicago as an assistant professor in the Department of the Geophysical Sciences. Meghana, who grew up in Dallas, Texas, was previously a NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology, working in their Ice + Climate Group led by Dr. Alexander Robel. The focus of her work was uncovering couplings between brittle and ductile behaviors of ice and their implications for ice sheet change. During that time, she spent three months doing fieldwork in Antarctica. We interviewed Meghana about her interests and experiences.
Three Chicago universities team up to map the brain
October 9, 2024
The University of Chicago, Chicago State University, and the University of Illinois Chicago received a $4.8 million grant from the NIH BRAIN Initiative to build a faster microscope for mapping all the connections in the brain.
Why can’t scientists agree on the age of the universe? Big Brains with Wendy Freedman (Ep. 144)
October 9, 2024
In a new episode of the Big Brains podcast, Prof. Wendy Freedman explains the conflicting research surrounding the Hubble constant and the Standard Model of physics.
UChicago scientists decode key mutation in many cancers
October 9, 2024
UChicago researchers have discovered how a key gene involved in cancer works—which both suggests new treatment options and furthers our understanding of gene expression itself.
New neutrino detector finally in operation, and it could break physics as we know it
October 6, 2024
In a major breakthrough, scientists have spotted elusive neutrinos for the first time using the Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). UChicago Prof. David Schmitz commented on the significant impact of this research.
DSI launches three new research initiatives
October 6, 2024
In an effort to further pursue interdisciplinary research, the DSI announced three new exciting initiatives: AI for Climate (AICE), Data Ecology, and Complementary AI. Read more about the vision and objectives of each of these initiatives.
UChicago researchers demonstrate the quantifiable uniqueness of former president Donald Trump’s language use
October 6, 2024
In a new paper, researchers from the Departments of Computer Science and Political Science and the Harris School of Public Policy collaborated to show how Trump’s use of language is truly distinctive.
Dark energy, explained
October 6, 2024
In this new edition of the Explainer Series, learn about dark energy and how UChicago scholars have pioneered research in this field, starting with UChicago astrophysicist Michael Turner, who coined the term in 1998, all the way to current groundbreaking research.
Silicon Valley renegades pollute the sky to save the planet
October 3, 2024
Entrepreneurs are exploring the potential of using pollutants to combat climate change. In response, scientists are expanding research into stratospheric solar geoengineering, with UChicago recently launching an ambitious new program.