News

Penn Physics Demonstration Videos Inspire Classroom Curiosity

Physics and Astronomy lab demo coordinator, Bill Berner, strives to entrance the eyes and minds of curious thinkers through a series of Physics demonstrations developed by the department of Physics and Astronomy in collaboration with Penn Online Learning.

Watch the demonstrations from the beginning of the playlist.

Physics and Astronomy Staff Member "Strikes Silver"

Congratulations to Jeffrey Hancock of Physics, on his 2015 SAS Staff Incentive Program Award win in the Silver category!

Jeffrey is a Machinist in David Rittenhouse Laboratory's Machine Shop. The Machine Shop's work ranges from custom scientific instrumentation to physical plant repairs, with particular expertise in machining for the physical sciences and engineering. 

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Elected AAAS Fellows

Professors Charlie Johnson and Mark Trodden have been elected to the 2015 class of Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Penn Physicists Share in 2016 Breakthrough Prize

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) Collaboration, which includes physicists from the University of Pennsylvania, have shared the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

Women in Physics holds First Annual Lecture

The Women in Physics group hosted the widely successful event held in University of Pennsylvania's, Houston Hall which featured Professor Mildred Dressselhaus of MIT as its key speaker. Dresselhaus, the first female institute Professor at MIT partnered with the WIP group with the goal of inspiring other women to pursue a career in Physics and to seek out female Physics mentors. By sharing her moving story on her career in physics which spans over 50 years, the Women in Physics group are that much closer to closing the gap in a male dominated f

Penn Physics Professors Lecture for Public at Franklin Institute

From smart lighting, mobile connectivity and underwater communications, to aviation, defense and security, the countless applications of light have revolutionized society. Explore some of the newest ways in which light is becoming an indispensable part of our lives. Professors Ravi Sheth and Arjun Yodh lectured about light at the "Why Light Matters" event at the Franklin Institute Oct. 27. To see their talks and the full program, go to https://vimeo.com/144246522

Visiting Fulbright Postdoctoral Researcher Tessa Baker Wins UK “Women of the Future” Award

Dr. Tessa Baker, a postdoctoral Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, and a Fulbright Scholar spending this year in the Center for Particle Cosmology at Penn, is the 2015 winner in the Science category of the UK “Women of the Future Award”.

National Academy of Medicine Elects Three New Members from Penn

Three professors from the University of Pennsylvania have been elected members to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the nation's highest honors in biomedicine. NAM was originally the Institute of Medicine, which was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected to the NAM by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. 

Professor James Aguirre Builds Radio Telescope with Community H.S. Students

For most people, “radio” is something that is listened to. For physicists and astronomers, however, “radio” is something that is seen.

Penn Medicine Researchers Discover Hidden Brain Pathways Crucial to Communication

Being able to understand speech is essential to our evolution as humans. Hearing lets us perceive the same word even when spoken at different speeds or pitches, and also gives us extra sensitivity to unexpected sounds. Now, new studies from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania clarify how these two crucial features of audition are managed by the brain.