
Can the laws of physics untangle traffic jams, stock markets, and other complex systems?
Gourab Ghoshal is using the fundamental laws of physics to untangle the complex systems behind human behavior, urban planning, and social networks.

Saving the lost text of a Torah scroll
Professor Gregory Heyworth and his digital media students are using different wavelengths of light to reveal illegible text that could create a sacred, tangible link with Jewish congregations lost to the Holocaust.

Conservative audiences no less interested in Captain Marvel
“The myth that female- or minority-led films struggle at the box office has been debunked again,” writes Bethany Lacina, an associate professor of political science, in an analysis for the Washington Post.

‘Selfish’ genetics amplify inflammation, age-related diseases
Research from Rochester biologists shows that a class of genomic parasites may cause more harm than previously thought, triggering inflammation that causes age-related diseases.

Watching for ‘bright lines’ during the Trump presidency
In a study spanning the first 18 months of the Donald Trump presidency, the non-partisan Bright Line Watch research group found large areas of agreement as to what constitutes critical democratic principles, but little agreement over which have been violated.

Researchers turn liquid metal into a plasma
For the first time, researchers at Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) have found a way to turn a liquid metal into a plasma and to observe the temperature where a liquid under high-density conditions crosses over to a plasma state.

Does awe lead to greater interest in science?
In a recent study, participants who watched awe-inducing nature videos or virtual reality simulations consistently reported greater interest in science and greater awareness of gaps in their knowledge.

When parenting teens, keep calm and don’t carry on
In a new study, Rochester psychologists found that mothers and fathers who were less capable of dampening down their anger are more likely to resort to harsh discipline aimed at their teens, and that fathers in particular were not as good at considering alternative explanations for their teens’ behavior.

Male Y chromosomes not ‘genetic wastelands’
The Y chromosome is one piece of the genetic puzzle that is notoriously difficult to sequence. Rochester biologists are finding new insights into the processes that shape the Y chromosome.

With data science, Rochester’s laser lab moves closer to controlled nuclear fusion
One of the biggest challenges to controlled nuclear fusion has been the lack of accurate models to predict increased fusion energy yields. Now a Rochester team of more than 50 scientists has used “big data” to triple fusion yields.