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Coastal physics: The mechanics of ocean waves
Light Illuminating Wave Crashing at Cape May, New Jersey

Image: Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography

Coastal physics: The mechanics of ocean waves

At the beach, waves are the whole point for many people—for surfing, jumping, and floating. But for Arnold Mathijssen, a physicist whose lab studies fluid dynamics and the ways creatures move through liquids, the motion of the ocean offers a window into the world of applied physics.

3 min. read

How Penn researchers are advancing knowledge of psychedelics
Students looking at artwork in a class.

Students looking at art in the Psychedelic Paradigms and Practices Class held at the Penn Museum.

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How Penn researchers are advancing knowledge of psychedelics

Adding their expertise in psychiatry, medical ethics, nursing, history, and more, faculty and students are shaping conversations on treatments that show promise for helping people with various mental health conditions.

4 min. read

The outbreak history forgot
A lab tech with a pipette and petri dish during the Legionnaires disease outbreak of 1976.

A laboratory technician performs an unidentified test during an investigation of Legionnaires’ disease, which is caused by the Gram-negative bacterium, Legionella pneumophila.

(Image: CDC/Martin D. Hicklin, MD)

The outbreak history forgot

It’s been 50 years since Legionnaires’ disease was discovered in Philadelphia. David Barnes, associate professor of history and sociology of science, says people can learn a lot from that moment.

From Omnia

2 min. read

How trust shapes retirement security
Two senior citizens doing retirement planning paperwork at the dining table.

Image: Jessie Casson via Getty Images

How trust shapes retirement security

New research co-authored by Wharton’s Olivia Mitchell shows how people’s trust in financial institutions and government programs could boost or deplete their retirement nest eggs.

From Knowledge at Wharton

2 min. read

Awards and accolades for Penn faculty and recent graduate
Facade of a Penn Law building on campus.

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Awards and accolades for Penn faculty and recent graduate

Members of Penn faculty and a Class of 2026 graduate in Penn Carey Law, Penn Nursing, the Weitzman School, and the Wharton School received awards and honors in their fields.

Penn Today Staff

2 min. read

Reaching for the stars: Using light to sail into space
In this artistic illustration, Alpha Centauri A is depicted at the upper left of the planet, while the other Sun-like star in the system, Alpha Centauri B, is at the upper right. Our Sun is shown as a small dot of light between those two stars.

For mechanical engineer Igor Bargatin, space exploration is all about light-shaping ultrathin materials that fly, orient, and even accelerate on nothing but sunlight and lasers. Bargatin explains how his lab is testing featherweight fliers in the near-empty mesosphere, designing self-orienting satellite chains to power AI from orbit, and building the sails meant to carry a probe toward Alpha Centauri (illustrated).

(Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Robert Hurt (Caltech/IPAC))
 

Reaching for the stars: Using light to sail into space

Multiple projects trace mechanical engineer Igor Bargatin’s decade-long commitment to space exploration as they climb from the edge of the atmosphere to the stars—powered, almost every time, by light itself.

2 min. read

New book examines SCOTUS’s history, evolving role, and reform ideas
Kermit Roosevelt.

Kermit Roosevelt is the David Berger Professor for the Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Penn Carey Law School.

(Image: Courtesy of Penn Carey Law)

New book examines SCOTUS’s history, evolving role, and reform ideas

“Advanced Introduction to the US Supreme Court,” by Penn Carey Law professor Kermit Roosevelt, traces the Court’s evolution across history.

From Penn Carey Law

2 min. read

What to know about measles and the current outbreak
Microscopic view of the measles virus.

Image: Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

What to know about measles and the current outbreak

Healthcare epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist Judy O’Donnell gives facts about measles and its symptoms and important information regarding vaccination and immunity.

4 min. read

Geomimicry offers a new framework for engineering sustainable materials
A hand holding soil.

Penn Engineers are exploring whether the same principles that are used to design new materials could explain how natural soils acquire their remarkable properties. 

(Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering)

Geomimicry offers a new framework for engineering sustainable materials

In a new paper, Penn Engineers introduce geomimicry, a framework that explores whether the way soils, sediments, and other Earth-mediated substances behave—rather than what they are made of—may be useful for building sustainable materials.

2 min. read

How negotiation skills empower girls
A high school graduate in a cap and gown.

Image: Vladimir Vladimirov via Getty Images

How negotiation skills empower girls

A decade-long Wharton study in Zambia has found that a short course helped girls stay in school, delay marriage, and deliver strong returns on public funding at low cost.

From Knowledge at Wharton

2 min. read