2023
NSF awards up to $21.4M for design of next-gen telescopes to capture earliest moments of universe
October 27, 2023

The National Science Foundation has awarded $3.7 million to the University of Chicago for the first year of a grant that may provide up to $21.4 million for the final designs for a next-generation set of telescopes to map the light from the earliest moments of the universe—the Cosmic Microwave Background.
Storm signals
October 26, 2023

Climate scientist Tiffany Shaw will study whether climate predictions were right, for the right reasons.
This new data poisoning tool lets artists fight back against generative AI
October 24, 2023

In an MIT Technology Review article, CS Prof. Ben Zhao discusses his new tool "Nightshade," which messes up training data in ways that could cause serious damage to image-generating AI models.
Crystals from Apollo mission find moon is 40 million years older than scientists thought
October 24, 2023

New UChicago, Field Museum study finds lunar crystals formed at least 4.46 billion years ago.
The moon is 40 million years older than thought, ancient crystal suggests
October 23, 2023

The moon’s surface formed at least 40 million years earlier than previously thought, according to a new study of an ancient crystal embedded in rock collected by Apollo 17 astronauts. Washington Post article features GeoSci alumna Jennika Greer and professor Philipp Heck.
Chicago region designated US Tech Hub for quantum technologies by Biden-Harris administration
October 23, 2023

The Chicago region has been named an official US Regional and Innovation Technology Hub for quantum technologies by the Biden-Harris administration, a designation that opens the door to new federal funding and recognizes the growing strength of an ecosystem poised to become the heart of the nation’s quantum economy.
Climate change will prompt expansion of farming in northern wilderness
October 19, 2023

New Scientist highlighted the work of former Dept. of the Geophysical Sciences PhD student and postdoc James Franke on shifting agricultural regions under climate change (with Prof. Liz Moyer), and Moyer was quoted.
Research suggests that privacy and security protection fell to the wayside during remote learning
October 19, 2023

A qualitative research study conducted by faculty and students at the University of Chicago and University of Maryland revealed key tensions and breakdowns in the sociotechnical infrastructure of emergency remote learning that contributed to elementary school children’s privacy and data being compromised.
Can language models replace programmers?
October 19, 2023

MarkTechPost article highlights UChicago researchers' SWE-bench framework, which focuses on real-world software engineering issues, like patch generation and complex context reasoning, offering a more realistic and comprehensive evaluation for enhancing language models with software engineering capabilities.
FeetThrough tech guides walking users ... by shocking their feet?
October 13, 2023

New Atlas article features FeetThrough, a prototype being developed by Assoc. Prof. Pedro Lopes.
UChicago researchers identify a novel function of RNA-binding protein RBFOX2 that drives leukemia
October 6, 2023

To understand how RBFOX2 modifies cell function, Chemist Chuan He and colleagues grew malignant hematopoietic stem cells with RBFOX2 deactivated in petri dishes and found that the proliferative capacity of the cells was markedly reduced, indicating that there might be higher expression of RBFOX2 in leukemia cells.
Illinois makes play for billion-dollar National Semiconductor Technology Center
October 5, 2023

In an Axios article, UChicago President Paul Alivisatos comments on the combined efforts of UChicago and University of Illinois to land a new flagship federal center of advanced semiconductor research and manufacturing, saying, "We have a long and deep history of being at the forefront of the study of quantum science, physics and chemistry."
Predicting spin defect formation for use in quantum technologies
October 4, 2023

AzoQuantum article highlights a computational analysis led by Chemistry Prof. Giulia Galli forecasting the circumstances necessary to produce certain spin defects in silicon carbide.
For first time, scientists follow sodium and potassium inside cell organelles
October 4, 2023

UChicago chemists create sensors to track potassium, sodium in organelles.
Phase 1 of M-STAR Center gets investment from National Science Foundation
September 28, 2023

The National Science Foundation has awarded UChicago’s M-STAR Center of Chemical Innovation program $1.8 million as a Phase 1 Research Center. M-STAR, which is short for MXene Synthesis, Tunability and Reactivity, will be designed as a incubator of MXene study and a major nexus for materials science research.