Scientists create ‘odd’ objects that adapt and move over obstacles

Advance in robot locomotion by UChicago, University of Amsterdam researchers could offer new avenues for design

Study by UChicago scientists finds four tiny planets around one of our nearest stars

Remembering Jewel Stradford Lafontant, JD’46, barrier-breaking attorney

Former CIA Director William J. Burns to discuss America’s role in the world at April 16 UChicago event

Roland Winston, pioneer in solar energy, engineering and physics, 1936–2025

Around UChicago

James A. Robinson to present 2025 Ryerson Lecture on April 23

AROUND UCHICAGO

AI-driven, autonomous lab at Argonne transforms materials discovery

Argonne and UChicago researchers use AI-driven, autonomous laboratory to accelerate advances in electronic polymers and materials discovery.

Researchers turn herbal tea ingredient into soft gels for biomedical use
University of Chicago scientists find way to make malva nuts into hydrogels

UChicago scientists study the hidden cost of Netflix’s autoplay
Computer Science department research highlights behavioral changes created by autoplay defaults

5 changes you need to know in the new Chicago Manual of Style
18th edition from the University of Chicago Press features advice on everything from inclusive language to emoji usage

David Axelrod, AB’76, named UChicago’s 2025 Class Day speaker
IOP’s founding director to address College students on June 6, kicking off Convocation weekend. He said: “I look forward to drawing on the lessons of my own journey in a way that might be useful to these graduates in these uniquely challenging and promising times.”

PODCASTS

Big Brains homepage

Episode 154

Do animals understand death?, with Susana Monsó
In ‘Playing Possum,’ philosopher examines whether animals can grasp mortality—from dogs mourning owners to orcas grieving young

Episode 153

Why measles is resurging—and the rise of vaccine hesitancy, with Adam Ratner
Infectious disease expert examines the latest outbreaks—and the uncertain future of children’s health

Episode 152

The little-known secrets to a good life, with Shigehiro Oishi
Psychologist argues to look beyond happiness and meaning to find fulfillment

Episode 151

How bioelectronics could heal our bodies and minds, with Bozhi Tian
Scientists design living devices to fight infections, power the heart and regulate the brain

Episode 150

Could a fungal pandemic be “The Last of Us?” with Arturo Casadevall
Scientists warn against a potential health threat due to climate change, resistance to drugs

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Why rights matter—and what’s the matter with rights

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SPECIAL SERIES

Inside the Lab

Light Lab: Understanding the gut microbiome to treat disease

Step inside Asst. Prof. Sam Light’s lab to learn how scientists are mapping the incredible network of microbes living inside your gut—and how they can affect health or disease.

Dispatches from Abroad

UChicago language immersion grants inspire ‘a curiosity for the world’
Two College students share their summer experiences abroad through the FLAG program

UChicago Class Visits

UChicago students engage their senses outside the classroom
Undergraduates create art by listening, touching, tasting and smelling our impact on the environment

Meet A UChicagoan

Unraveling the ancient past, one tablet at a time
UChicago student Danielle Levy finds passion for the Akkadian language through Core curriculum

UChicago Explainer Series

View All Explainers

Dark energy, explained

Coined by University of Chicago astrophysicist Michael Turner in 1998, dark energy—the force causing the universe to expand faster over time—remains one of the great mysteries of physics.

RECENT

Carbon-14 dating, explained
First developed in the late 1940s at UChicago, carbon dating can determine the age of organic materials as old as 60,000 years.

Improv, explained
Modern improv comedy began at the University of Chicago in the 1950s.

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How the Earth and moon formed, explained

Ecological succession, explained

Perfect pitch, explained