Tag Archive | physics
The Invisible Barriers to Women in Science
By Meghan Sullivan On her visit to the University of Chicago earlier this month, Megan Urry gave two very different talks, both backed with empirical evidence and arriving at clear, well-supported conclusions. However, while her afternoon talk to the astronomy department focused on her research of Active Galactic Nuclei, Urry’s earlier talk was on a […]
The Flaws That Made Us Complex
One common misconception about evolution is that it produces “better” organisms with time – a seductive opinion to humans who would like to think of themselves as the pinnacle of natural selection. In a way, it’s an easy error to make, for who would look at a single-celled bacterium next to a human and think […]
Linkage 4/22: Nuclear Lessons, Cancer Genomes, DES’ Legacy
The University of Chicago is the birthplace of nuclear energy. So like proud but concerned parents, UChicago has kept a close eye on the benefits and challenges of nuclear power over the years since the first self-sustained nuclear reaction under Stagg Field. Thus, the battle to manage the consequences of the damaged reactors at the […]
Linkage 4/8: Exciting Bumps, Shutdown Ripples
In physics, there’s nothing better than an unexpected result. Wednesday, Fermilab scientists unveiled the graph at left and caused figurative rioting in the streets of the physics community, confirming months of rumors about an exciting new result from the suburban Chicago facility (You can watch video of the presentation here). It’s a big score in […]
Living Devices & Biomaterials – A Chief Molecular Engineer is Named
Late last year, we relayed the announcement of an exciting new academic program here at the University of Chicago, the Institute of Molecular Engineering. At the time, the IME had a future home (sharing the new William Eckhardt Research Center with the Physical Sciences Division) and a vision, but did not yet have a leader. […]
A New Building, A New Discipline
Today, the University of Chicago announced plans to construct the William Eckhardt Research Center, an innovative new building along Ellis Avenue that will be home to many researchers in the physical sciences. But just as newsworthy as the new building is one of its prominent tenants: the Institute for Molecular Engineering, the largest new department […]
Unlocking the Universe’s Secrets in the Suburbs
In its sedative normalcy, the Chicago suburban sprawl would seem an unlikely setting for the noble quest of solving the basic laws of nature. But just up Farnsworth Avenue from the outlet mall and the minor league ballpark lies the 6,800-acre campus of Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, where scientists have spent the last 40 years […]
Linkage 10/29: Coffee Grounds & The New Beagle
I’ve always been fascinated with the rock solid bags of coffee bought at the store, which have all the density of a brick until opened, when they crumble into scoopable grounds. Turns out that’s a physical concept at work, known as “jamming transition,” when separate, particulate materials are pushed so close together they act like […]
Linkage 10/8: The Nobels, ADHD, and Spoofs
This past week has been Nobel Prize week, and while none of the winners so far have had a University of Chicago connection (unlike last year’s trio), it’s still good fun for science spectators. Trying to divine a common theme from all of a year’s winners is probably futile – the selection process at the […]
Linkage 10/1: Life on Gliese 581g?, Ig Nobels, and MoM
This week’s biggest science news would have to be the discovery of Gliese 581g, a planet 20 light years away from Earth that appears to have the capacity to support life. The coverage brought the delightful term “Goldilocks Zone” to public awareness – signifying a planet that is the correct distance from its sun to have […]
