{"id":689832,"date":"2025-12-18T13:05:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T18:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=689832"},"modified":"2026-02-10T14:02:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:02:19","slug":"2025-the-year-in-photos-research-video-689832","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/2025-the-year-in-photos-research-video-689832\/","title":{"rendered":"2025: The year in photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

University photographer J. Adam Fenster gives a behind-the-scenes tour of his favorite photos he made this year. Plus, the research<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0that resonated.<\/h2>\n

How do you best tell the story of a research university, from campus lab to Genesee River and everything in between? For senior University photographer J. Adam Fenster, it\u2019s about access\u2014and looking out for what might be just beyond the lens.<\/p>\n

2025 at the University of Rochester<\/a> was ripe with progress, passion, and possibility. And as the year draws to a close, we talk with Fenster about his favorite photos from the last 12 months, and what might be on the horizon for the future. Here\u2019s to what\u2019s next\u2014Ever Wonder. Ever Better.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Lauren<\/p>\n

Tour de force<\/h3>\n

Lauren Tagliaferro, a curatorial assistant at the Memorial Art Gallery<\/a>, speaks to visitors in the painting storage room during a tour of the museum\u2019s art storage areas. The museum\u2019s DeTour series<\/a> gives visitors a chance to go behind the scenes and uncover a new perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I read about the tour in @Rochester<\/em>,\u201d says Fenster. \u201cHaving been here for a while now, I\u2019m always looking for a new angle on an old thing. At the museum, for every piece of art you see, there are probably 10 you don\u2019t. And here we finally get to see where and how all the other stuff is stored. Equipment-wise, using the fish-eye lens helps to capture all the visual layers\u2014people, art, storage area\u2014contained in the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"David<\/p>\n

Clean machine<\/h3>\n

David Canning, facility manager for the Omega EP Laser<\/a>, inside the grating compressor chamber (GCC) of the Omega EP Laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a safety talk and protocols to keep a dustless space dustless\u2014including wiping down gear and wearing specific clothing\u2014but, shares Fenster, \u201cAny time you go inside the laser bays, it\u2019s a big deal, especially the GCC. Dave was very accommodating in letting me in there\u2014our visit was the only time the entire year that the chamber was open for maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a stainless steel chamber, it\u2019s hard to control the light. \u201cIt\u2019s one giant reflector\u201d, he says, but bringing in a powerful light can lead to some surprising results. \u201cI like the iridescent colors of the grating glass contrasted with the metallic sheen everywhere. And then you have Dave reflected in the panel on the right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"l-r:<\/p>\n

Mentorship in action<\/h3>\n

Zo\u00eb Miles \u201925 (T5), Sree Chatterjee \u201926, Jenna Savino \u201926, and Maddie Bellamy \u201927 are pictured with Rochester Prep student Marquez Smith (center). These URochester students volunteer with Eye to Eye, a national nonprofit organization that pairs neurodivergent middle school students with learning and attention differences with college and high school students who share a similar label to help mentor the next generation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to show these outreach efforts. I feel like I don\u2019t get a lot of opportunities for this kind of work, so when they do come up, it\u2019s good to get in there. And it probably wasn\u2019t too long ago that our students were the age of the students behind the desks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Photoelastic<\/p>\n

A material world<\/h3>\n

Viewed with polarized light, photoelastic materials display distinct patterns of birefringence and force chain propagation after a collision. This experiment was conducted by Sarah Williams, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the DRIP (Dirt, Rivers, Ice, Particles) Lab, an interdisciplinary group of scientists in the department.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor someone who doesn\u2019t quite understand all the science behind it, I don\u2019t want to say it doesn\u2019t matter what this is, but I\u2019m attracted to the colors and the patterns in this image,\u201d laughs Fenster. \u201cI see an abstract story that I haven\u2019t seen anywhere before. And so that makes me want to look closer. And then you learn about birefringence and other earth science terms. It\u2019s a cool photo that introduces you to the science.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Spark of interest<\/h3>\n

A composite of multiple images, here a laser etches nanostructures into a highly absorbent black metal surface in the lab of Chunlei Guo, a professor of optics and of physics, and a senior scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. This technique, developed by Guo, enhances solar absorption but minimizes infrared emissions<\/a> to create highly efficient solar thermoelectric generators.<\/p>\n

Notes Fenster, \u201cI\u2019ve been documenting Chunlei\u2019s research almost as long as I\u2019ve been at the University. But I had never photographed the process that he uses to create this material. And I\u2019ve always wanted to do that. This surface is moving and creating these sparks that are flying everywhere. It would be cool enough to have one exposure, but I thought, \u2018Why don\u2019t I combine several of them and get even more stuff flying?\u2019 It\u2019s kind of like photographing fireworks, but on a much smaller scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Construction<\/p>\n

Flex messages<\/h3>\n

Workers gather for a morning stretch and flex session at the Strong Emergency Department expansion project<\/a> construction site. Through this project, the Emergency Department will nearly quadruple in size and include space for psychiatric emergency care.<\/p>\n

In the course of documenting this milestone construction, Fenster heard about the stretch and flex session that precedes work every morning and thought it might make for an interesting, offbeat image. \u201cJust not something you typically see at a construction site. They bring out a little PA system, they blast upbeat rock tunes, and they go through their stretches. This photo also helps show just how many people are involved in a project of this size.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Anshul<\/p>\n

Among several rocks and a hard place<\/h3>\n

Anshul Yadav, a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Rachel Glade, an assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences and of mechanical engineering, uses a self-made device to track the movement of RFID-tagged rocks in a stream in nearby Webster, New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere was an opportunity to show field research taking place at URochester,\u201d says Fenster. \u201cAnd,\u201d he added, \u201can opportunity to explain why that research is important. That \u2018why\u2019 is essential in answering the bigger question: Why do universities exist?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked how he captured this shot, Fenster gave a surprising answer: it\u2019s a drone photo. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot trickier flying in a space like this, over a stream bed deep in the woods, than up over the Genesee River, which I\u2019ve also done. This is basically flying in a tunnel, with lots of overhanging branches and stuff sticking out. But it\u2019s worth it for the unique angle it provides.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Intraocular<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s focus<\/h3>\n

An intraocular lens is photographed on a fingertip to show its scale. Earlier this year, Susana Marcos, the Nicholas George Endowed Professor in Optics and the David R. Williams Director of the Center for Visual Science, served as the lead guest editor<\/a> of a special issue of the journals of Biomedical Optics Express<\/em> and Optics Express<\/em> exploring the state of the technology.<\/p>\n

Before you ask: Yes, that is Fenster\u2019s finger supporting the lens. And while he did also photograph an intraocular lens insertion surgery, \u201cI thought it would be helpful for the story to make photos of the lens itself, showing its odd galaxy-esque shape and including a finger for scale. And while it was challenging to photograph, it makes you appreciate just how much more challenging it must be for the surgeons to insert these precisely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"A<\/p>\n

It was the fest of times<\/h3>\n

Jeff Campbell (bass) and Clay Jenkins (trumpet), both professors of jazz studies and contemporary media at the Eastman School of Music, perform with Eastman\u2019s Jazz Honors Unit 2 during the Rochester International Jazz Festival<\/a>. Eastman\u2019s faculty, alumni, and students performed throughout the week at various locations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a good example of a locator photo,\u201d notes Fenster. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to read the caption to know where this is. It\u2019s peak musical action.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Operating<\/p>\n

Bloom where you\u2019re transplanted<\/h3>\n

Roberto Hernandez-Alejandro, center, chief of the Transplant Institute at the Medical Center, and fellow surgeon Koji Tomiyama, left, perform a living donor liver transplant surgery in July 2025. URochester\u2019s pioneering living donor liver transplant program<\/a> was profiled in the most recent issue of Rochester Review<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis photo took a lot of planning and was made possible by the great access I was provided by Medical Center staff, the donor and recipients who gave their permission, and the time I was permitted to work inside the OR. With a narrower window, I would not have been able to capture this brief moment when all the room lights were turned off, which creates a nice contrasting scene that highlights the team and the action at the center.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do we want to know one more thing, asks Fenster. \u201cYou hear about doctors playing music in their ORs. Dr. Hernandez-Alejandro is a big fan of 80s pop music. So while this very serious operation is taking place, he\u2019s blasting A-ha and Duran Duran. There was something kind of surreal about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Scientists<\/p>\n

(Gene)see you out on the water<\/h3>\n

Earth and environmental sciences professor John Kessler and PhD candidate Katherine \u201cKatie\u201d Gregory ride specially equipped kayaks down the Genesee River to gather continuous measurements of methane, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. These \u201cfloating laboratories\u201d are collecting real-time data<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the concept of using tricked-out kayaks to study greenhouse gases\u2014they are basically miniaturized versions of the much larger boats he takes into the Great Lakes<\/a> and the Atlantic to make similar measurements. They let me join them for the day in my canoe, which I was standing in for this photo\u2014never a good idea. But I needed to get that angle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Daniel<\/p>\n

Preventative measures<\/h3>\n

URochester football players Daniel Santos \u201926 and Lucas Villanueva \u201926 undergo an EEG (electroencephalogram) in the Goergen Athletic Center. They\u2019re part of a study looking at repetitive head hits<\/a> led by Jeff Bazarian, a professor of emergency medicine and of neurology.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnytime you\u2019ve got electrodes attached to people\u2019s heads, you\u2019ve got to get photos. And I\u2019ve been wanting to photograph Bazarian\u2019s work for years. While not every concussion is sports-related, the research they get from this will help anyone<\/em> with a concussion. Again, it comes back to: Why do research universities matter? Why do they need funding? This is why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Toxicology<\/p>\n

Pier to pier research<\/h3>\n

Toxicology PhD candidate Alma Avila Oropeza retrieves a sample jar from Lake Ontario from Charlotte Pier. The research is part of the efforts of the Lake Ontario MicroPlastics Center (LOMP)<\/a>, jointly hosted by URochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology. The center is a hub for research, translation, and community engagement around how different types of plastics enter and move through the Great Lakes ecosystems and how microplastics may affect human health under different environmental conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one took a lot of planning, but it was a great opportunity to learn just how they get their data. The sampling itself is one thing, and then they have to go back to the lab and analyze it. It\u2019s important to show just how much work goes into the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the dog? \u201cIt adds a bit of comic relief, and helps situate the viewer: You can tell where this is taking place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Assistant<\/p>\n

Scoping it all out<\/h3>\n

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Marisol Herrera-Perez and PhD student Maria Camila Ferrucho are using a fluorescent microscope to activate an optogenetic tool to observe how manipulating proteins affects the condensation of the ventral nerve cord of flies. Herrera-Perez received a National Institutes of Health MIRA grant<\/a> to investigate the mechanical signals that guide how a single cell becomes a complex organism.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is sort of a standard lab photo, but the key is proper lighting,\u201d shares Fenster. \u201cThis is not how the lighting looked when I went in there. And as a photographer, you want to highlight the essence of what\u2019s going on, what they\u2019re doing. And that\u2019s the microscopes and what the microscopes are pulling up on the computer screens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Portrait<\/p>\n

Catching the good light en garde<\/em><\/h3>\n

Jacqueline Hsiao \u201927, UR fencing club president and 2024 Fencing Junior Olympics competitor, is photographed outside during a practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was all about timing,\u201d Fenster says. \u201cI got nervous watching the nice golden hour light melt away while making action photos inside the gym, knowing I wanted to leave enough time for an outdoor portrait with what promised to be a beautiful sunset. By the time I dragged all my gear out there, the sun had already set. Fortunately, there was enough glow left in the sky for a dramatic portrait using a single light off to the side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Bathed<\/p>\n

A closer look<\/h3>\n

Staff scientist Preeti Maurya spins down and vacuums cells in the tissue culture room in the lab of Craig Morrell, Dean\u2019s professor of medicine and codirector of the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Medical Center.<\/p>\n

Here comes the blue science gel. \u201cIf this photo looks staged, that\u2019s because it is! Do you think the lab is always blue? No,\u201d jokes Fenster. \u201cDo you think there\u2019s a tiny spotlight on Maurya\u2019s face all the time when she\u2019s at that microscope? No. Everything is lit and staged by me. What\u2019s not staged is the research that a photo like this helps to illustrate. It\u2019s worth putting in the time when possible to make a space look extra special if it leads people to take a closer look.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Dora<\/p>\n

Homeward bound<\/h3>\n

Dora Biro, the Beverly Petterson Bishop and Charles W. Bishop Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, works with homing pigeons at their coop near the Larry and Cindy Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center. Biro and fellow Brain and Cognitive Sciences Associate Professor Takao Sasaki\u2019s Collective Cognition Lab explores how the perceptual and cognitive capacities of different species\u2014as adapted to their varying ecological needs\u2014shape the challenges and opportunities that come with living in groups, including conflict resolution, behavioral coordination, knowledge accumulation, and collective decision-making.<\/p>\n

Like Bazarian, Biro is someone that Fenster has wanted to photograph for a while. It took a bit of direction and more than a few takes, but the result was worth it. \u201cThis is one of hundreds of photos that I made that day, both inside and outside of the coop. We probably made five or so attempts at this. The overcast sky was actually advantageous because I had nice uniform light everywhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also like that you can see the coop in the background, which is on the Advancement campus,\u201d reflects Fenster. \u201cIt\u2019s offbeat, it\u2019s eclectic, and it again demonstrates the range of research we do here. And thanks to Biro for recognizing the value of capturing an image like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Roger<\/p>\n

Stellar performance<\/h3>\n

Roger Sayer, the original organist for the film Interstellar<\/em>, plays his arrangement of the music from the original soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer at Third Presbyterian Church during Eastman School of Music\u2019s inaugural Soundtrax Film Music Festival<\/a>. The festival, which took place in the fall, was the first of its kind in North America.<\/p>\n

How can you really illustrate sound? \u201cWe\u2019ve got the guy who performed on the original score for Interstellar<\/em>? And he\u2019s going to come here, and play it live on a gigantic organ, in this cool old church? That\u2019s it. That\u2019s the photo.\u201d Again, access was everything. \u201cI\u2019m up in the balcony, trying not to make any noise, trying to be discreet because all around you, people are trying to enjoy the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Amanda<\/p>\n

On the cutting edge<\/h3>\n

Biology and psychology major Amanda Lee \u201927 uses a plasma cutter to fabricate an archive-themed sculpture project for \u201cWhat We Chronicle\u201d in a hybrid drawing sculpture class led by Allen Topolski, chair of the Department of Art and Art History.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch like in the photo from Chunlei Guo\u2019s lab, we have sparks flying. Only this time, they\u2019re much larger. And you have the cool reflections in the visor, with a lot of colors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only got hit a couple of times with those hot shards,\u201d he adds. \u201cThey did have me wear safety glasses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Amel<\/p>\n

Weight for it, weight for it<\/h3>\n

As part of the curriculum in Professor of Mechanical Engineering Chris Muir\u2019s ME 204 class, students test the efficiency of balsa wood structures. The structure with the highest strength-to-weight ratio receives an A for the class. Here, senior Amel Rouabhia reacts as her team\u2019s structure comes apart. Beloved by students for years, Muir\u2019s class might make you want to head back to school<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis photo\u2014this experience\u2014is all about faces and reactions. I\u2019ve been photographing this event with Muir for years. And while there is real science behind it, he makes it visual, approachable, and exciting for all his students. This always seems to be the best angle, too, compressing the structure, the team, and the onlookers all into one tight frame. They know what\u2019s going to happen to the structure, but they don\u2019t know when<\/em>, so they\u2019re still surprised. They\u2019re never really ready for it, and that\u2019s what gives you these great reactions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAJ [Pow, senior video producer] had the genius idea to light it this year by strapping video lights to the railings overhead, which helped immensely with having more light on the subjects, and the blue evening sky filtering in from outside helps it feel more dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

URochester photographer J. Adam Fenster gives a behind-the-scenes tour of his favorite photos he made this year. Plus, the research that resonated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1132,"featured_media":690102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11556],"tags":[3286,18632,5296,42492,936,16072,10406],"class_list":["post-689832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","category-in-photos","tag-eastman-school-of-music","tag-hajim-school-of-engineering-and-applied-sciences","tag-laboratory-for-laser-energetics","tag-medical-center","tag-memorial-art-gallery","tag-school-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-simon-business-school"],"acf":{"external":"","hide_featured_image":true,"related":"show_related","style":[679652,681232,689192],"content_modules":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-15","title":"[caption id=\"attachment_689542\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"2000\"]\"Two (University of Rochester photo)[\/caption]\r\n

Plus: The research stories readers couldn\u2019t get enough of<\/h2>","content":"At the University of Rochester, we ask big questions that start in the lab, clinic, or classroom\u2014but don\u2019t stay there. Our researchers probe how companies really work, why teenagers push back, what makes whales live for 200 years, and how quantum computers might change everything.\r\n\r\nThis year, the stories below rose to the top based on pageviews. Taken together, they show where our work most resonated with people far beyond campus: in their jobs, families, health, relationships, and hopes (and worries) about the future.\r\n

1. Why would a top firm fire a good employee?<\/h3>\r\nIn a world where many of us worry about job security, this Simon Business School study<\/a> hits a nerve. Finance professor Ron Kaniel and his coauthor show how elite firms sometimes intentionally \u201cchurn\u201d even high performers as a way to signal toughness and attract more business\u2014turnover as a branding strategy rather than a bug. It\u2019s a counterintuitive look at power, profit, and reputation in fields like law, consulting, and finance, which helped explain why the story took off online.\r\n

2. The teen who rolls their eyes\u2026 and the parent who still gets through<\/h3>\r\nEvery parent of a defiant teenager wants the magic script. URochester psychologist Judith Smetana and her colleagues found that what matters most<\/a> isn\u2019t the words of a warning but whether teens see their parents actually living the values they preach. Teens were less defiant when parents modeled those values and showed understanding\u2014turning \u201cBecause I said so\u201d into \u201cBecause you\u2019ve seen me do so.\u201d The piece took struck a chord, especially with parents on Reddit looking for something more hopeful than another doomscroll about Gen Z.\r\n

3. A cancer center steps onto the national stage<\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_646102\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"2000\"]\"Jonathan CERTIFIED ELITE:<\/strong> National Cancer Institute designation certifies that Wilmot Cancer Institute is at the forefront of research, community engagement, education, training, and life-saving clinical care. (University of Rochester photo \/ Matt Wittmeyer)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nNews that University\u2019s Wilmot Cancer Institute earned National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation<\/a> wasn\u2019t just an institutional milestone\u2014it was personal for thousands of families. The designation places Wilmot among the top 4 percent of US cancer centers and brings $10 million in federal support over five years, expanding access to cutting-edge clinical trials for a 27-county region with high cancer rates. Readers clicked and shared because the story answered a simple, urgent question: Will this help someone I love?<\/em>\r\n

4. The 200-year-old whale that might help you live longer<\/h3>\r\nBowhead whales can live up to two centuries with remarkably low rates of cancer\u2014basically superhero status in the animal kingdom. A URochester-led team traced part of that secret to CIRBP, a DNA-repair protein<\/a> found at far higher levels in bowheads than other mammals, which helps fix dangerous double-strand breaks in DNA. The idea that a protein from an Arctic giant could someday inform human longevity made this story irresistible clickbait in the best sense. Cold plunge, anyone?\r\n

5. Heavy metal, lighter carbon footprint<\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_666302\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1230\"]\"Chunlei SCI GUY:<\/strong> Guo uses femtosecond lasers to etch nanostructures onto metal surfaces (University of Rochester photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a year of climate anxiety, this optics and physics story offered something rare: a concrete leap in clean-energy tech. Using ultrafast lasers to etch nanostructures into metal, Chunlei Guo\u2019s team engineered a solar thermoelectric generator that\u2019s 15 times more efficient<\/a> than state-of-the-art devices\u2014without changing the semiconductor itself. Readers were drawn to the promise of \u201cblack metal\u201d that can soak up sunlight and turn waste heat into power, a reminder that small materials changes can have outsized climate impact.\r\n

6. Hiding an atom\u2019s heart from the universe<\/h3>\r\n\u201cDark state\u201d sounds like science fiction, but URochester physicist John Nichol and collaborators made it experimentally real. By using quantum dots\u2014tiny semiconductor islands that trap single electrons\u2014they directly proved the existence of a nuclear-spin dark state<\/a>, where atomic nuclei line up so perfectly that they stop jostling the electron\u2019s spin. That stability is exactly what tomorrow\u2019s quantum devices need, which is why this story caught the imagination of everyone from hardcore physicists to quantum-curious readers.\r\n

7. Why we fall for conspiracy theories (and who doesn\u2019t)<\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_653132\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"2000\"]\"A THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE?<\/strong> Conspiracy theories are not a new phenomenon, but online algorithms and social media outlets have fueled the rise of digital echo chambers. (University of Rochester photo illustration \/ Michael Osadciw and Adam Fenster)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThis explainer<\/a> hit at the intersection of politics, psychology, and our collective \u201cHow did we get here?\u201d fatigue. Political scientist Scott Tyson walks readers through the conspiracy \u201cecosystem\u201d\u2014the content, the entrepreneurs who package it, and the audiences primed to believe it\u2014while also asking who manages to resist the pull. In an era of deepfakes and algorithmic rabbit holes, the piece offered language and frameworks people could share with friends and family who were asking the same anxious questions.\r\n

8. Your laptop is fine\u2014for now. Here\u2019s why quantum is coming.<\/h3>\r\nFrom phones to supercomputers, classical machines are hitting physical and practical limits. In this widely read primer<\/a>, physicist John Nichol explains in plain language how quantum bits, entanglement, and superposition could tackle problems\u2014from new materials to drug discovery\u2014that stump today\u2019s chips. It\u2019s part explainer, part reality check: Quantum computers won\u2019t replace laptops, but they\u2019ll change what\u2019s possible, and readers clearly wanted a trusted guide through the hype.\r\n

9. That plastic spatula in your kitchen drawer? About that\u2026<\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_658972\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"2000\"]\"Collected MICROPLASTICS, MICROPLASTICS EVERYWHERE:<\/strong> Over time, large plastics break down into microscopic fragments that move easily through the food chain and persist in the environment. (University of Rochester photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nMicroplastics went from obscure to everywhere in 2025\u2014especially once people learned they\u2019re in our blood, organs, and even the air we breathe. Environmental health experts Katrina Korfmacher and Jane van Dis walk readers through how plastics in everyday kitchen items<\/a> (from black spatulas and cutting boards to takeout containers) break down, leach chemicals, and end up in our bodies, and what practical swaps can reduce exposure. The story took off because it translated a big, abstract environmental problem into specific, do-this-not-that choices at home.\r\n

10. The question every couple secretly worries about<\/h3>\r\n\u201cDoes this outfit look good on me?\u201d is really code for something deeper: Can I trust you to be honest with me? URochester psychologists found that, even when the truth stings in the moment, both partners and their relationships fare better when people are more honest<\/a> about the changes they\u2019d like to see. Expressed and perceived honesty boosted well-being and motivation to change, rather than blowing up the relationship. The finding\u2014that honesty helps more than it hurts\u2014offered readers a hopeful script for some of life\u2019s hardest conversations.","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"media_text_new","anchor":"","class":"","overline":"","title":"

UR Medicine\u2019<\/strong>s most-searched topics in 2025<\/h3>","content":"Every year, countless people across our region look to UR Medicine experts for trusted health information. In 2025, popular searches revealed a mix of curiosity, concern, and a desire for clear science\u2014especially on topics fueled by news headlines, viral trends, and seasonal illnesses.\r\n\r\nDiscover the top five most-searched questions of 2025<\/a>, along with the evidence-backed answers from our experts.","cta":"","bg":"#252525","type":"image","image":690382,"embed":"","video":"","layout":"left","animation":"animation-false"}]},"yoast_head":"\n2025: The year in photos<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"URochester photographer J. Adam Fenster shares his favorite images that he made this year. 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