News: Research

The mysterious substance called dark matter is intrinsically invisible. It cannot be directly observed; its presence is inferred by its gravitational influence on the universe, such as binding galaxy clusters together and moving stars around their galaxy faster than they should. Yet new research published in Physical Review Letters uses a “camera” to look for dark matter interactions, thereby probing the nature of this elusive stuff.

A neurotic robot in a University of Chicago study was seen as more human and relatable, sparking emotional connections—despite extroverted robots being preferred.

A new study finds vague AI chatbot rules frustrate users, while Grok shows the risk of fewer guardrails.

UChicago CS Assistant Professor Haotian Jiang and collaborator Nikhil Bansal develop a new algorithm that addresses the problems and surpasses the performance of both existing methods of numerical integration, including Monte Carlo and Quasi-Monte Carlo.

Integrating sulfur into crystalline nanostructures utilizes previously untapped active sites.

An irregularity in magnesium oxide, a commonly used material in microelectronics, may be suited for qubits.

A new study from Computer Science researchers explores how content moderation policies in generative AI tools both protect and sometimes hinder users—offering insights on the path to safer, more creative, and user-friendly platforms.

Study measuring magnetic field near the center of the Milky Way helps to decode the precise astrophysical dynamics at the heart of our galaxy.
 

Linda Young reveals a new method that turns noise into valuable data to enhance understanding of chemical reactions and material properties with unprecedented detail at the atomic level. 

Vladimir Drinfeld and Alexander Beilinson contribute to a major advance in the mathematical field, taking another step to creating a grand and unified theory. 

Edwin Kite discusses a model built using data from the Curiosity rover, which suggests wet periods were rare on Mars. 

Edwin Kite discusses how a new clue may provide not only a part of the answer to Mars's condition, but indicates that Mars may have been doomed to its current fate from the beginning.

Reactions that alter organic scaffolds by a single atom are already proving useful, but time will tell if they’ll fundamentally change how molecules are made.

Prof. Hening Lin brings expertise in enzymes to UChicago, bridging scientists, engineers and doctors to translate research to clinical applications.

A new study led by Associate Professor Chenhao Tan analyzes hundreds of thousands of emergency room notes, uncovering how language patterns reveal physician fatigue and warning of potential pitfalls as AI-generated text enters clinical care.