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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.

nocred

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

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

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

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

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

Bioengineering a ‘natural connection’ for rotator cuff repair
Anatomy of the skeletal system and rotator cuff.

Image: Silver Place via Getty Images

Bioengineering a ‘natural connection’ for rotator cuff repair

Researchers at Penn Medicine have developed a new fix that imitates the body’s natural environment and could lead to more durable rotator cuff repairs.

Frank Otto

2 min. read

Testing AI against public health’s existing tools
A researcher holding a vaccine vial and a smartphone.

Some of the study’s participants interacted with a chatbot that answered questions about the HPV vaccine, while others read standard public health materials about the vaccine.

(Image: Sylvia Zhang)

Testing AI against public health’s existing tools

A collaborative research team at Penn looks at when, how, and to what extent AI enhances public health communications through a randomized controlled trial of AI-powered chatbots and parental vaccine hesitancies.

Ian Scheffler

2 min. read

The science behind later school start times
A high school student asleep on a school bus.

Image: LightFieldStudios via Getty Images

The science behind later school start times

As Pennsylvania districts consider later bells, Penn Medicine sleep and neuroscience experts explain why adolescent biology can make early school start times especially challenging.

Eric Horvath

2 min. read