News

2026

Distant exoplanets may be hiding water beyond Webb telescope’s reach, study finds

July 27, 2026

An artist’s concept of what the faraway planet TOI-270 d may look like. A new study suggests these types of planets may be hiding more water than they let on.

UChicago scientists offer new way to read atmospheric data on a vast class of 'sub-Neptune' worlds.


Chemists shrink gallium nitride, the material behind LED lighting, into nanocrystals

July 27, 2026

University of Chicago chemists have shown how to make nanocrystals from a useful class of materials known as metal nitrides—a previously impossible task. Above, an electron microscope image of the crystals, which are so small that billions could fit on

Molten-salt method from UChicago and Argonne could unlock durable materials for printed electronics, flexible devices.


Classical and quantum computing reveal molecular insights

July 27, 2026

To study molecules with complex structures, UChicago and IBM combined forces to develop a new method that takes advantage of today’s quantum computers.

To study molecules with complex structures, UChicago and IBM combined forces to develop a new method that takes advantage of today’s quantum computers.


Inside Argonne’s push toward autonomous scientific discovery

July 27, 2026

Photo of Ian T. Foster.

Artificial intelligence-powered robotics are reshaping how experiments are designed, run and refined.


University of Chicago scientists create “artificial leaf” that could be used for wireless implants

July 27, 2026

Former UChicago PME graduate student Pengju Li examines the surface structures of the

What University of Chicago scientists call an artificial leaf that mimics photosynthesis could be useful for wireless medical implants and other technologies.


Scientists discover a planet with the most Earth-like conditions yet

July 27, 2026

An artist's conception of planet LHS 1140b with its red parent star in the background.

The search for exoplanets—or worlds orbiting other stars—is astronomy’s great Easter egg hunt. For astronomers looking for extraterrestrial life, the true jackpot planet would be Earth-like: smallish and rocky, with an atmosphere, orbiting its parent star in the so-called habitable zone, that sweet thermal spot that is not too hot and not too cold, allowing water to exist in liquid form. In the 34 years exoplanets have been studied, no world that checks all of those boxes has ever been spotted—until now. 


Could we stop El Niño by brightening clouds? New study explores how.

July 27, 2026

Weather extremes like drought, wildfire and flooding will increase in frequency and intensity over the coming years as global warming accelerates.

Scientists say marine cloud brightening could weaken El Niño by cooling key Pacific waters, but major questions remain about feasibility, risks, and global oversight.


AI content moderation guardrails fail at policy changes: fix arrives before EU deadline

July 27, 2026

This photo illustration, created on May 7, 2026, shows AI-generated images posted on pro-Trump AI influencers' social media accounts, displayed on a phone and computer screens.

New benchmark shows specialized guardrails score near-random when content policies change.


Scientists say the galaxy’s most common planets could be hiding vast amounts of water that Webb may not be able to detect

July 27, 2026

A blue planet.

Could the James Webb Space Telescope be missing hidden water on distant worlds? A new study suggests the answer may be yes.


AI for peace: In Rome, Nobel laureates call for disarming AI and nuclear weapons

July 27, 2026

Participants arrive at the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War held at the Borgo Laudato si' in Castel Gandolfo southeast of Rome.

An international group of Nobel Prize winners issued a pointed warning on emerging nuclear risks in an era of rapidly developing AI technology. The group’s declaration followed two days of meetings among the Nobel laureates, top scientific and policy experts, and religious leaders in the Papal Villas of Castel Gandolfo, a summer retreat for popes since the 1600s.


First atmosphere detected on a habitable-zone rocky world

July 27, 2026

In this artist’s concept, the exoplanet LHS 1140 b is shown in the foreground, surrounded by a helium-rich atmosphere. Another nearby rocky planet orbits the same cool red dwarf star in the distance. A new study provides the strongest evidence yet that

The discovery marks a major milestone in the search for life on planets beyond our solar system. Incoming UChicago postdoc Collin Cherubim and current UChicago postdoc Michael Zhang participated in the research.


International Congress of Mathematicians: Opening Ceremony

July 23, 2026

Yu Deng as a child playing Go

Watch Yu Deng accept the Fields Medal and a video featuring his life and work.


Amid life’s chaos, a meticulous mathematician finds stability

July 23, 2026

Yu Deng

Before he won a Fields Medal for his pioneering work balancing randomness and order, Yu Deng had to achieve equilibrium in his own life.


Yu Deng predicts the actions of the whole from its tiniest parts

July 23, 2026

Yu Deng

Dr. Deng, a mathematics professor at the University of Chicago, received a Fields Medal for his work on an equation describing fluid mechanics.


UChicago Prof. Yu Deng receives Fields Medal, highest honor in mathematics

July 23, 2026

Yu Deng

University mathematician recognized for cracking 125-year-old challenge to ground physics in mathematics.