Where curiosity leads
One scientist’s quest to create a replacement for plastics led him to something entirely different — a biofoam that fills traumatic wounds, stops bleeding, and dissolves as the wound heals.
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Faculty, students receive recognition from leading civil engineering journal
7/11/19
A research paper submitted by faculty and students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Penn State has been honored with the 2019 Outstanding Article Award by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Journal of Advances in Civil Engineering Materials.
Using artificial intelligence to detect discrimination
7/11/19
A new artificial intelligence tool for detecting unfair discrimination — such as on the basis of race or gender — has been created by researchers at Penn State and Columbia University.
Researchers detail privacy-related legal, ethical challenges with satellite data
7/11/19
A team of Penn State researchers is reminding policymakers, industry and citizens that satellite data, left unchecked, can be as dangerous as it is useful and as threatening to national security and civil liberties as it is helpful to the national economy.
Microgrids, major changes: Professor leading effort to redesign power grid
7/9/19
When Hurricane Sandy hit the eastern seaboard in 2012, entire city skylines went completely black with the curious exception of a few small areas still emitting light, thanks to their use of combined heat and power systems, a key component to microgrids. Jim Freihaut, professor of architectural engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, sees these microgrids not as exceptions but as the norm of the future.
TREE Fund grant to expand biology professor's research project
7/9/19
Carolyn Mahan, professor of biology and environmental studies at Penn State Altoona, has been awarded a grant from the nonprofit Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund for the expansion of her study on how plants and animals respond to right-of-way management.
IST researchers use mobile technology to enhance Arts Festival experience
7/3/19
For the 11th consecutive year, researchers from Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology are assisting to enrich the community experience for Arts Festival attendees through technology. This year, the researchers hope to facilitate a connection between the festival and community that evokes emotion in festivalgoers through a mobile scavenger hunt game.
Using artificial intelligence to better predict severe weather
7/1/19
When forecasting weather, meteorologists use a number of models and data sources to track shapes and movements of clouds that could indicate severe storms. However, with increasingly expanding weather data sets and looming deadlines, it is nearly impossible for them to monitor all storm formations in real time. Now, there is a computer model that can help forecasters recognize potential severe storms more quickly and accurately, thanks to a team of researchers.
Sense of smell, pollution and neurological disease connection explored
7/1/19
A consensus is building that air pollution can cause neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, but how fine, sooty particles cause problems in the brain is still an unanswered question. Now a team of Penn State researchers, using mice, have found a possible way, but more research is still needed.
Physics postdoctoral researcher selected to meet with Nobel laureates in Germany
7/1/19
Aishwarya Kumar, a postdoctoral researcher in physics at Penn State, has been selected to participate in the 69th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.
Simulated driving study aims to increase trust in technology and road safety
7/1/19
Yiqi Zhang, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering at Penn State, aims to make the roads a safer place for all drivers by better understanding the interactions between human drivers and autonomous vehicle technologies.
Penn State part of $4 million National Science Foundation big data grant
7/1/19
Penn State is part of a $4 million multi-institution grant aimed at identifying innovative solutions for societal, scientific and industry challenges through strategic data science partnerships. As part of the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub, Penn State will continue to collaborate on big data projects that are too large and complex for individual organizations to manage independently.
Factors that shape facial variation: More than what meets the eye
6/28/19
Mark D. Shriver, professor of anthropology, wants to understand the factors that shape facial variation while accurately representing human diversity. Shriver has partnered with Disney Research for the Anthropometrics, DNA, and the Appearances and Perceptions of Traits 4 (ADAPT4) study, part of the Center for Human Evolution and Diversity’s ADAPT study series.
Game theory shows why stigmatization may not make sense in modern society
6/27/19
Game theory can help researchers understand how stigmatizing infected people affects the spread of the disease. In this study, the researchers found that the availability to modern healthcare now makes stigmatization a less effective strategy for dealing with disease spread.
Older adults can serve communities as engines of everyday innovation
6/26/19
Researchers found that older adults are often leaders in innovation, coupling their knowledge and creativity to, among other things, revitalize communities, improve the environment, and pass on skills and hobbies.
Milk: Best drink to reduce burn from chili peppers
6/25/19
People who order their Buffalo wings especially spicy and sometimes find them to be too "hot," should choose milk to reduce the burn, according to Penn State researchers, who also suggest it does not matter if it is whole or skim.