The Stardust-NExT mission will allow scientists to study the surface of comet Tempel 1 before and after its orbit around the sun, comparing findings with previous probe data. The spacecraft's Dust Flux Monitor Instrument will also collect photographs of a crater left on Tempe 1 by a Deep Impact probe.
Researchers at the University of Chicago are developing new tools to mine research electronically, using metaknowledge and natural language processing to uncover hidden connections. This could shed light on biases in research findings, funding sources, and even 'ghost theories' underlying scientific conclusions.
The Chicago Biomedical Consortium has secured a five-year funding extension of $25 million from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust. This support fuels innovative multi-institutional collaborations, resulting in over 200 published papers and $118 million in grants.
Researchers found that deaf people in Nicaragua who used self-developed gestures, called homesigns, had difficulty understanding the value of large numbers. In contrast, those who acquired conventional sign language as children were able to learn the meaning of large numbers.
The UChicago experiment demonstrates scale invariance and universality, showing that a two-dimensional cold-atom gas system exhibits the same properties regardless of size or temperature. The researchers' findings suggest that this type of scale invariance can be extrapolated to other systems.
Scientists have developed a synthetic version of the self-healing sticky substance used by mussels to anchor themselves to rocks. The new material exhibits both strength and reversibility through metal bonds, allowing it to repair tears within minutes.
A study by University of Chicago scholars finds that women in Congress consistently deliver more federal projects to their home districts and sponsor more legislation than men. Women's higher performance is attributed to voter discrimination against female candidates, leading only the most talented females to run for office.
A recent study found that married couples and close friends may not communicate as well as they think. The researchers used an experiment to test this idea, finding that accuracy rates for spouses and strangers were statistically identical. Closeness can create the illusion of insight, leading to communication problems.
A team of paleontologists discovered a nearly complete skeleton of Eodromaeus, a long-necked and tail dinosaur weighing only 10-15 pounds, in the 'Valley of the Moon' in Argentina. The species lived around 230 million years ago during the dawn of the dinosaurs.
A University of Chicago study found that writing about worries immediately before an exam can ease anxiety and boost test scores. Researchers discovered that students who wrote about their anxieties showed significant improvements in math accuracy compared to those who didn't write, even among those with high test anxiety.
A study by University of Chicago researchers found that households did not shift to store brand alternatives after receiving a DVR. The lack of effect on sales suggests that TV advertising may not have a discernible impact on sales in the first place.
Exposure to community violence is pervasive among urban youth, who adopt coping strategies such as associating with non-violent friends or avoiding situations where violence may erupt. Achievement in school is a common pathway for some youth to escape violent environments and improve their future prospects.
Astronomers Andrey Kravtsov and Nick Gnedin's simulations reveal why galaxies were less efficient at making stars in the early universe. The team's model explains the connection between dust, gas, and star formation, shedding light on the evolution of spiral galaxies.
Researchers identify skills, attitudes, and behaviors associated with successful households, including high education levels, younger household heads, and a preference for formal financial markets. Successful households also exhibit persistence in their financial management, leading to significant net worth growth over time.
Researchers trap and observe intermediate stage of DNA repair protein Al McBiotically theft, a process that regulates health conditions such as obesity, cancer, and diabetes. The study provides new insights into how proteins chemically alter biological molecules via oxidative demethylation.
Research suggests that frequent conversation about numbers in early childhood can significantly impact later mathematics achievement. The study found individual differences in mathematical knowledge by preschool, and parents' number talk played a crucial role in these variations.
A University of Chicago study by Prof. Cathy Cohen reveals that black youth are politically involved, critical of rap music and skeptical of the post-racial era. Despite facing structural racism and limited opportunities, they demonstrate agency in shaping their life options.
Research shows that choking occurs when the brain becomes overwhelmed, leading to information logjams. Practical strategies like stopping analysis and using meditation can help prevent choking in critical moments. Beilock's work also highlights the importance of working memory and addressing stereotype threats in academics and business.
The Clean Energy Trust has received a $1 million grant to transfer research into clean-energy technologies and businesses. The trust will provide seed money, business training, awareness education, and sector-specific support to Illinois universities and science labs.
A three-year grant from NIH will fund a UChicago-Argonne team developing single-cell confinement technology for cultivating microbes in the human gut microbiome. This project aims to overcome traditional cultivation limitations and target poorly understood sulfur-reducing bacteria associated with ulcerative colitis.
The US hourly workforce is shouldering increased burdens during the economic slowdown, with many workers forced to accept reduced hours or irregular schedules. This lack of job security and predictability can have severe consequences for workers' well-being, including instability in family routines and increased stress.
A new study from the University of Chicago finds that 85% of workers prioritize workplace safety over other labor standards. Despite public concern, workplace safety measures often fall short, with reports of injuries remaining high and worker stress contributing to accidents.
Ngô Bao Châu received the Fields Medal for his proof of the fundamental lemma in automorphic forms through new algebro-geometric methods. His work has relevance to high-energy physics, computer science, and cryptography, building on decades of mathematicians' contributions.
A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Chicago found that marriage and committed relationships significantly lower cortisol levels and increase testosterone production in response to psychological stress. The findings suggest that long-term monogamous relationships can have a dampening effect on stress hormones.
Scientists are deploying a 4-kilogram bubble chamber at SNOLab, Ontario, Canada to detect dark matter particles. The team hopes to establish evidence for dark matter using Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPS) and axions.
Research at the University of Chicago found that children with brain injuries have difficulty developing story-telling skills. The study, published in Developmental Science, compared the language abilities of children with brain injuries to those with typical development. While vocabulary and sentence comprehension were similar, the ch...
Researchers found that foreign accents undermine a person's credibility by making them harder to understand, leading listeners to judge statements as less truthful. The severity of the accent increases the impact on credibility, with heavy accents being rated as less truthful than native speakers.
New climate simulations published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B demonstrate flowering plants' crucial role in regulating climate in ever-wet rainforests. Replacing these plants with non-flowering varieties leads to significant decreases in rainfall, underscoring their importance in maintaining tropical ecosystems.
The excavation of Tell Zeidan reveals the emergence of an elite that possessed political power to facilitate trade and acquire luxury goods. The site also shows high-ranking elites sharing a common set of symbols and ideology across a broad region.
A new study explores the variability in fossil assemblages, finding that communities may be more resilient than thought. The researchers used living and fossil communities to investigate the factors affecting the low variability seen in fossil records.
A new study found a direct link between chronic loneliness and increased blood pressure over four years, independent of age and other factors. Even modest levels of loneliness can lead to significant increases in blood pressure.
Researchers discovered that cell shape influences stem-cell fate, with star shapes promoting bone formation and flower shapes promoting fat production. The study offers a promising direction for further investigation into stem-cell therapies.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a new method to study cellular dynamics by applying chemical pulses, allowing them to quantify cell behavior and function in detail. This technique, called chemical perturbation spectroscopy, may lead to breakthroughs in understanding insulin secretion and other biological processes.
Research by University of Chicago and Arizona State University found that nearly 27% of Mexican-Americans met national physical activity goals, with lower rates among whites and blacks
Researchers are working on improving the efficiency of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities made of niobium to accelerate beams of subatomic particles in next-generation high-energy physics experiments. This could lead to powerful accelerators that open new frontiers in physics without increasing size.
A new magnetic tuning method has been developed to improve the storage capacity of next-generation computer hard drives. The method, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, enables writing, storage, and readout at a fixed temperature by tuning the softness of the magnet with an external magnetic field.
Research at the University of Chicago found that female teachers' math anxiety negatively impacts girls' math achievement, causing them to endorse stereotypes that boys are good at math. This can lead to lower math scores and decreased confidence in learning mathematics.
The University of Chicago has established a new center for chemical innovation to pursue research on non-equilibrium chemistry, materials growth, and reactions in liquids. The center aims to develop new ways to convert methane into synthesis gas, producing liquid fuels and hydrogen.
Researchers found a 3.3-fold increase in cancer risk among isolated rats with naturally occurring mammary tumors. Isolation and stress led to higher production of corticosterone, a stress hormone, and increased tumor growth. The study suggests a causal relationship between social interaction and disease.
Researchers found that lonely people tend to share their loneliness with others, gradually moving to the fringes of social networks. As a result, these individuals become less connected and more isolated.
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that religious individuals tend to rely on their own beliefs when inferring what God might believe, but are less constrained when reasoning about others' beliefs. This suggests a unique egocentric bias in believers' thinking about God's views.
The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) satellite has revealed an unexpected landmark at the outer edge of the solar wind bubble, forming a giant ribbon of energetic neutral atoms. The structure is associated with enhanced production of energetic neutral atoms due to interstellar magnetic forces.
Scholars at the University of Chicago and the West Semitic Research Project are analyzing hundreds of ancient Aramaic texts using advanced imaging techniques, revealing new knowledge about Imperial Aramaic dialects. The Persepolis Fortification Archive provides valuable insights into the development of this ancient language.
Researchers at the University of Chicago discovered that the brain can latch onto color and assign it to a different object, even when the original object's color is lost. The study used binocular rivalry technique to show how colors bind to objects in the brain.
Raptorex displays all the hallmarks of Tyrannosaurus rex, including a large head and tiny arms, at about 100th the size that would eventually become T. rex. This suggests that tyrannosaur design evolved at a small body size, with larger animals developing later.
Despite extensive research, sustaining change in education remains a vexing problem. The researchers identified the difficulty of making lasting reform in various fields, such as education and business, due to human behavior like adapting practices over time. A working group will convene to grapple with these issues and explore a conce...
The University of Chicago will expand and extend TeraGrid until 2011 with a $30 million National Science Foundation grant. This enhancement will provide access to extremely powerful supercomputers and ultra-high-speed networks for leading-edge scientific discovery and education.
Research finds that higher levels of testosterone in women are associated with a greater appetite for risk, leading to more risk-prone career choices. In contrast, men with similar testosterone levels exhibit lower risk aversion.
A study by University of Chicago sociologist Linda Waite found that divorce and widowhood have a detrimental impact on health, even after remarriage. Research based on 8,652 people aged 51 to 61 shows that those who have been divorced or widowed experience worse health outcomes compared to those who remain married.
Wei Biao Wu and Xiaofeng Shao's article, 'A limit theorem for quadratic forms and its applications,' presents a new statistical method for analyzing time series data. The researchers used a physical dependence measure to characterize time-series dependence, deviating from traditional approaches.