News: Research

2025

Mina Lee, University of Chicago professor “AI is a partner in thinking together”

June 12, 2025

Professor Mina Lee of the University of Chicago(UChicago).

Mina Lee shares insights into her research on AI and writing, and discusses the future of LLMs.


Astronomers thought they found signs of life on distant planet. New studies are skeptical.

June 12, 2025

This artist's impression shows what the faraway planet K2-18b, its host star and an accompanying planet in this system might look like.

A series of studies, including one by Rafael Luque, have cast doubt on the sensational claim that "the strongest evidence yet" was found that life exists anywhere else besides Earth.


The core of Fermat’s Last Theorem just got superpowered

June 12, 2025

Photo of professor Frank Calegari.

By extending the scope of the key insight behind Fermat’s Last Theorem, four mathematicians, including Frank Calegari, have made great strides toward building a “grand unified theory” of math.


Turning the Red Planet green? It’s time to take terraforming Mars seriously, scientists say

June 12, 2025

A visualization of what Mars might look like over time, if humans managed to terraform the planet.

New research done by Edwin Kite suggests that the idea of transforming the Red Planet might not be so far-fetched after all.
 


Webb telescope may reveal how fast the universe is expanding

June 12, 2025

Visualization of the universe.

Wendy Freedman's research using the James Webb Space Telescope suggests that the Standard Model of the universe is holding up.


Giant Magellan Telescope advances to National Science Foundation final design phase

June 12, 2025

Giant Magellan Telescope rendering

One of the world’s largest optical telescopes reaches a key milestone toward US federal construction support.


Bridging medicine and machine learning: predicting skin cancer in resource-limited settings

June 2, 2025

Spencer Ellis (left) and Steven Song (right)

MD/PhD Candidate Steven Song and collaborators Spencer Ellis and Derek Reiman designed a machine learning model able to predict non-melanoma skin cancer under resource-limited settings.
 


The RNA Revolution: Linking the lab to the clinic to tackle challenges in cancer

June 2, 2025

Chuan He, PhD, John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor of Chemistry and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (left) and Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, UCCCC Director, Abbvie Foundation Distinguished Service Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and BSD

New insights into the role of RNA in cancer took center stage at a recent symposium hosted at the University of Chicago.
 


Science meets soil in Fermilab’s prairie land

June 2, 2025

Robert Betz (right) standing with students at the Fermilab prairie in 2002.

The prairie restoration success at Fermilab has become a living laboratory — supporting scientific research, fostering biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services like erosion control and enhanced soil health.


New measure of the universe’s expansion suggests resolution of a conflict

June 2, 2025

Scientists have made a new calculation of the speed at which the universe is expanding, using the data taken by the powerful new James Webb Space Telescope on multiple galaxies. Above, Webb’s image of one such galaxy, known as NGC 1365.

Team led by UChicago scientist Wendy Freedman using James Webb Space Telescope finds no evidence of tension in Hubble Constant.


Clouds could enhance the search for life on exoplanets

June 2, 2025

A photo of an exo-planet that looks similar to that of Earth.

Huanzhou Yang's research uses simulations to determine how telescopes could detect oxygen gas and ozone, revealing clouds could aid in the detection of biosignatures. 


Test of AI Weather forecasts shows they miss extreme storms

June 2, 2025

Photo of swans in a body of river.

Weather forecasts based on AI are faster and sometimes more accurate than traditional ones, but they may miss rare and unprecedented weather events. 


Doubt cast on claim of ‘hints’ of life on faraway planet

June 2, 2025

This artist's impression shows what the faraway planet K2-18b, its host star and an accompanying planet in this system might look like.

Rafael Luque's research receives widespread discussion after a reanalysis of the original data. 


Possible sign of life in deep space faces new doubts

June 1, 2025

This artist's impression shows what the faraway planet K2-18b, its host star and an accompanying planet in this system might look like.

UChicago analysis of new and old data suggests the signal is weak and explainable by other molecules.


UChicago scientists invent breakthrough device to detect airborne signs of disease

June 1, 2025

Structured surface The scientists designed a surface with microscopic silicon spikes that help droplets form inside the device to be read. Each of the spikes (shown above in an electron microscope image) is about 1/200th the width of a human hair.

The new device created by Prof. Bozhi Tian's lab to detect molecules in air samples could one day be used to diagnose a wide array of diseases.