News
Fruit flies and physics
Penn Physicist Andrea Liu and collaborators modeled the behavior of tissue during a stage of fly development and found, surprisingly, it doesn’t fluidize as it shrinks but stays solid. Their approach could offer insights physical systems with complex functionality.
The White House Honors Nearly 400 Federally Funded Early-Career Scientists
The PECASE (Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers) honorary award winners from 2018-22 were officially announced by the White House today. Congratulations to Bo Zhen, who was one of the winners through the Army Research Office!
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers by the Army Research Office Selection
Liang Wu has been selected for the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers by the Army Research Office. The award recognizes Liang's overall achievements and his proposed research on “Topological Nonlinear Optics”. The PECASE is a truly high honor that, among other things, is typically accompanied by a trip to the White House!
Bo Zhen Named Jin K. Lee Presidential Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Bo Zhen, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, has been named Jin K. Lee Presidential Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy. Zhen’s research focuses on the study of electromagnetic waves, such as light, in engineered environment. His group investigates exotic phenomena in condensed matter physics and quantum electrodynamics while pursuing practical applications in areas like infrared light detection, quantum control and readout, and quantum sensing.
Recent Scientific Developments on Cosmology and Particle Physics
A collaborative workshop bringing together participants from nearby universities to advance research in cosmology and particle physics.
Congratulations to Andrea Liu - 2025 Leo P. Kadanoff Prize
Great news!
Andrea Liu has been awarded the 2025 Leo P. Kadanoff Prize by the American Physical Society! The Kadanoff Prize recognizes scientists whose theoretical, experimental, or computational achievements have opened new vistas for statistical and/or nonlinear physics.
Space-Time: The Biggest Problem in Physics
As part of a series that seeks to unpack fundamental mysteries in theoretical physics, Quanta Magazine met with Vijay Balasubramanian of the School of Arts & Sciences to discuss science’s biggest problem: space-time. Balasubramanian says that at the smallest conceivable scales, “the laws of nature break down. The stage of our universe, space-time, seems to dissolve, and we can’t make sense of the awful chaos underneath.
An idea rooted in ‘twistronics’ yields an electrifying, ‘dizzying’ outcome
Researchers led by Ritesh Agarwal of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Gene Mele of the School of Arts & Sciences uncovered how twisting multiple layers of a material can generate a mysterious sideways deflection of moving electrons—analogous to the Coriolis effect seen in ocean currents—unlocking new possibilities for controlling light and electrons in quantum materials.
The new mini moon
On Sunday, Sept. 29, Earth welcomed 2024 PT5, a “mini-moon” temporarily captured by the planet’s orbit that’s set to depart on Monday, Nov. 25. Astronomers Bhuvnesh Jain and Gary Bernstein of the School of Arts & Sciences discuss Earth’s new visitor, 2024 PT5. Read more here
Emeritus Professor Tom Lubensky awarded Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Prize of The International Liquid Crystal Society (ILCS)
Emeritus Professor Tom Lubensky, was recently awarded the Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Prize of The International Liquid Crystal Society (ILCS). This award is the highest-ranking prize of ILCS and is awarded biannually.