Brain signal indicates when you understand what you’ve been told
Biomedical engineers have identified a brain signal that indicates whether a person is comprehending what others are saying—and have shown they can track the signal using relatively inexpensive EEG readings taken on a person’s scalp.
Elusive ‘turbulent dynamo’ phenomenon observed at OMEGA laser
The universe is filled with magnetic fields, but how it got that way has long been a mystery. To explain the magnetization of the universe, scientists proposed the existence of a “turbulent dynamo.” The phenomenon had never before been measured or observed directly—until recently.
Why do naked mole rats live long, cancer-free lives?
Rochester biologists were surprised to see that despite its remarkable longevity, the naked mole rat still has cells that undergo senescence, like the cells in much shorter-lived mice.
Compound could transform energy storage for large grids
University of Rochester chemists are working on changes to existing batteries to provide clean energy when the sun isn’t shining and the wind doesn’t blow.
Rochester professor part of national campaign finance task force
In a new research report, professor David Primo argues that there’s a disconnect between what the public believe about campaign finance law and the reality, and that many popular reform proposals unlikely to bring the desired results.
Ocean waters prevent release of ancient methane
Environmental scientist Katy Sparrow ’17 (PhD) set out to discover whether ancient-sourced methane, released due to warming ocean waters, survives to be emitted to the atmosphere.
Creating negative mass particles—and a novel way to generate lasers
Rochester researchers have created particles with negative mass in an atomically thin semiconductor, using a device that creates an optical microcavity.
2017: The year in scholarship
Each year, the University of Rochester produces academic and scholarly work that contributes to our understanding and appreciation of the world around us.
New book explores ‘ethical turn’ of critical theory
Professor Robert Doran focuses on iconic 20th-century philosophers like Michel Foucault, Hayden White, Gayatri Spivak, and Richard Rorty, and explores critical theory’s pivot away from a narrowly focused investigation of meaning and text.
The mysterious aftermath of an infamous pirate raid
Just before dawn on May 18, 1683, pirates stormed the port city of Veracruz, capturing around 1,500 people and selling them to the slave markets of Haiti and South Carolina. Pablo Sierra Silva, assistant professor of history, is on a mission to trace what happened to them.