Neil Shubin nominated as next president of National Academy of Sciences

Renowned evolutionary biologist to lead esteemed organization beginning June 2026

Chemical biologist links basic discoveries to treatments for disease

NASA award to help power technologies at UChicago for future moon bases

Terabytes of data in a tiny crystal

The Scopes ‘Monkey Trial’: 100 years later

Was Mars doomed to be a desert? Study proposes new explanation

AROUND UCHICAGO

Bridging theoretical and applied: UChicago master’s in financial math, finance and management

Career-focused programs teach cutting-edge skills while supporting students at UChicago and beyond

Chemistry students partner with artist to recreate pigment patented by George Washington Carver
UChicago students, Amanda Williams revive 100-year-old recipe for startling blue color

Devils in the details: The gargoyles of UChicago
An incomplete survey of imps and scamps across campus

Priscilla Frisch, pioneering expert on the heliosphere and local interstellar medium, 1943–2025

Edward Anders, Holocaust survivor and pioneering figure in cosmochemistry, 1926-2025

Inside the Lab

Explore Labs Across UChicago

Amanchukwu Lab: Creating better energy storage systems

Step inside the laboratory as Chibueze Amanchukwu and his team investigate the chemistry that could lead to better batteries and systems to turn carbon dioxide into fuels.

Sheffield Lab: Understanding the neuroscience of memories
Watch UChicago neurobiologist Mark Sheffield and his team investigate the mechanisms of memory by studying neuron activity and connections. Their research could enhance the treatment of memory-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s and PTSD.

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.

Awad Lab: Predicting and preventing strokes and brain bleeds
In the newest episode of Inside the Lab, visit Prof. Issam Awad and learn about his team's mission: to prevent strokes before they happen.

UChicago Explainer Series

View All Explainers

UChicago Explainer

Black holes, explained

Black holes fascinate both the public and scientists—they push the limits of our understanding about matter, space and time.

RECENT

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.

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

MOST VIEWED

The origin of life on Earth, explained

Ecological succession, explained

The Gut Microbiome, explained

PODCASTS

Big Brains homepage

Episode 162

Are your medications safe and effective?, with Jerry Avorn
Doctor says we need to strengthen the FDA’s approval process on certain prescription drugs

Episode 161

Are we making AI too human?, with James Evans
Data scientist explains how we are limiting models like ChatGPT in training them—and how that’s narrowing research

Episode 160

Inside the disease that changes your personality, with Bruce Miller
Neurologist explores the ‘social brain’ and how dementia affects how we act

Episode 159

Meet the ‘Planet Hunter’ searching for alien life, with Jacob Bean
Astrophysicist studies atmospheres of distant worlds to identify habitable exoplanets

Episode 158

How to stop gun violence before it starts, with Jens Ludwig
Crime Lab director argues we need to address behavioral causes of crime, in addition to policy and policing

More from the University of Chicago Podcast Network

Capitalisn't

Is capitalism the engine of destruction or the engine of prosperity?

Listen

Not Another Politics Podcast

Understand the political science behind the headlines

Listen

Entitled

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

Listen

Master's education at UChicago

Programs transforming careers

UChicago master’s programs meet demand in evolving job market

Degree programs help students build skills, become future leaders and make impact

‘Theoretical rigor with practical application’: UChicago master’s in data science and computer science
Programs provide real-world skills and hands-on experience in a supportive environment

‘Immersive and transformative’: UChicago’s master’s in arts and humanities
Interdisciplinary programs offer students a rigorous and impactful experience

Events

July

17

Sun Safety & Skin Cancer: What You Need to Know

5525 S. Pulaski Rd, Chicago IL

July

20

Freddie Dixon Blues Band presents Willie Dixon Review

Freddie Dixon Blues Band presents Willie Dixon Review

Logan Center, Performance Penthouse

July

20

Bells of Summer

Bells of Summer

Rockefeller Memorial Chapel