2026
New computational tool finds hidden asthma genes missed by traditional methods
August 31, 2026
The new approach, backed by experimental evidence from an interdisciplinary team at UChicago, including chemical biologist Hening Lin, identified central disease-driving genes, most not previously linked to asthma.
When artificial intelligence meets physics beneath the French-Swiss border
August 31, 2026
Deep beneath the French-Swiss border, the Large Hadron Collider sends protons crashing together at extraordinary speeds, allowing scientists to study the fundamental building blocks of matter and the forces that shape the universe. Those collisions help researchers investigate questions ranging from the behavior of subatomic particles to the possibility of new physics beyond what is currently known.
DOE selects Fermilab-led AI initiative to advance particle accelerator performance
August 31, 2026
In a project selected for funding by the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and partners from other national laboratories, universities and industry will apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable precise and adaptive resonance control in particle accelerators. Their work aims to lower operating costs by millions of dollars each year and improve accelerator performance, driving scientific discovery.
Machine learning smooths the road from idea to real-world climate impact
August 31, 2026
Research outlines a new workflow for design and manufacturing, illustrated by two new methane-fighting materials.
August 20, 1909 – the planet Pluto is accidentally discovered
August 31, 2026
On this day, Aug. 20, 1909, scientists with the University of Chicago’s Yerkes Observatory accidentally came across the planet Pluto for the first time.
UChicago planetary scientists detect atmosphere on the coldest lava world to date
August 27, 2026
Studying the atmospheres of lava worlds offers window to Earth’s earliest history, pathway to habitable worlds.
NSF Renews Quantum Leap Challenge Institute with $37.5 Million Investment in Quantum Sensing for Biology
August 25, 2026
The U.S. National Science Foundation has renewed the Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Quantum Sensing for Biophysics and Bioengineering (NSF QuBBE) with a $37.5 million, five-year investment to advance quantum sensing technologies that can reveal biological processes difficult or impossible to observe with conventional tools.
The telescope that points itself
August 24, 2026
AI has now been turned to the sky because astronomers have a scheduling problem—Time on a major telescope is rationed.
Muon g-2 experiment places new constraints on a forbidden property of muons
August 24, 2026
The experiment, designed to measure the magnetic moment of the muon, is also sensitive to a particle property called the electric dipole moment.
‘Super-Earth’ planet shows signs it could have an atmosphere
August 17, 2026
Scientists say they have detected promising signs that a planet orbiting a star 49 light-years from Earth could have an atmosphere, making it potentially suitable for life.
IBM and University of Chicago demonstrate verified logical quantum computation beyond classical simulation
August 17, 2026
IBM and researchers from the University of Chicago today announced a demonstration in quantum computing that achieves the fundamental criteria for quantum advantage: performing computations beyond the reach of leading classical simulation methods while providing trust that the computation returned accurate results.
University of Chicago links denoising models to nuclear quantum effects
August 17, 2026
Researchers at the University of Chicago and New York University have revealed a shared mathematical structure between the noise inherent in generative modeling and the quantum fluctuations of atomic nuclei.
IBM, UChicago demonstrate ‘quantum advantage,’ outperforming traditional computers with a quantum computer
August 10, 2026
Scientists used a new error correction method to crack a classically intractable problem. Prof. Bill Fefferman and his grad student Soumik Ghosh co-authored the paper.
New open-source software predicts energy transfer between tiny defects in solid materials
August 10, 2026
Connecting atomic-scale behavior to larger-scale material properties to predict the performance of real optical devices.
Can apps work without taking possession of your data? Researchers think so.
August 10, 2026
New research from Computer Science explores how digital services could use personal data for specific tasks without requiring people to give up broad control over it.