News

UChicago scientists turn IBM computer into a quantum material

On Tuesday, November 10, 79 members of the University of Chicago Physical Sciences Division attended the first inaugural PSD Staff Awards. Alex Filatov, Carla Strickland, Sarah Lippert, Anne Collard, and Melinda Moore were recognized.

Meet geophysical sciences student, Andy Heard, who studies geochemistry and uses precise measurements of iron isotope ratios in sedimentary rocks to learn about the history of oxygen on the ancient Earth.

A new grasp on empathy: Computer Science HandMorph Project uses tech to simulate children’s experience.

Quantum technology experts from around the country will convene virtually on November 11-13 to forge new partnerships amid an exciting year for quantum research. This year, the three-day virtual Summit will include presentations and discussions that focus on building collaborations between large-scale quantum research centers, companies, and innovators; fostering a quantum economic ecosystem and growing the quantum startup community; and developing a quantum-ready workforce. It will also include a public event on Nov. 12, featuring a presentation by Scott Aaronson, the David J. Bruton Centennial Professor of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin; and a fireside chat with Aaronson and David Awschalom, the director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

This month PSD researchers have been featured for their efforts to discover how a small molecule is the key to HIV forming capsules, adapt laboratory research during COVID-19, and design nanotechnology that provides hope for a personalized vaccination for treating cancer.

Sarah Sebo, who joined UChicago CS this fall as an assistant professor, sees a brighter future where robots productively team up with humans in all lines of work, helping humans understand themselves a little better along the way. Sebo’s research focuses on human-robot interaction, a subset of the human-computer interaction field.

Three PhD students from the Department of Computer Science, Yi Ding, Jean Salac, and Junwen Yang, have been selected for the 2020 edition of the Rising Stars workshop, a prestigious program for boosting the careers of women in CS and related fields. 

In an innovative new study published Sept. 28 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, UChicago researchers demonstrated how a protein detects forces inside the cell and initiates a repair.

A 2020 University of Chicago landscape study revealed that statewide, the vast majority of Illinois school district leaders and school leaders support new teaching credentials in Illinois for mathematics specialist teachers in the elementary grades.  
 

On Oct. 29-30, the Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation (IMSI) at the University of Chicago will host an interdisciplinary workshop to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, “Dealing with COVID-19 in Theory and Practice,” will bring together key stakeholders with diverse backgrounds and expertise from across academia, industry and government—including biomedical experts, epidemiologists, public health officials, economists, business professionals and bioethicists.
 

Physicist explains challenges, triumphs at University of Chicago’s Maria Goeppert Mayer Lecture

In a new study published Oct. 23 in Science, UChicago graduate student Andy Heard, Prof. Dauphas and their colleagues used a pioneering technique to uncover new information about the role of oceanic iron in the rise of Earth’s atmosphere. The findings reveal more about Earth’s history, and can even shed light on the search for habitable planets in other star systems.

Scientists with the University of Chicago and the University of New South Wales taught a type of artificial intelligence called a neural network to detect the telltale light patterns of a stellar flare, then asked it to check the light curves of thousands of young stars; it found more than 23,000 flares.

UChicago Prof. Tetsuya Theodore "Ted" Fujita shaped the field of meteorology in the 20th century. His scale for classifying the strength of a tornado is still used today (F scale), half a century after its introduction; he made pioneering contributions to our understanding of tornadoes as well as to the use of satellites; and he is responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of lives through the discovery of microbursts—a breakthrough that helped transform airline safety.