UChicago Explainer Series
Learn about some of the intellectual contributions pioneered at the University of Chicago, and how its scholars continue to shape the world and our understanding of it.
Cosmic rays, explained
Trillions upon trillions of cosmic rays hit the Earth every day. What are they?
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.
Improv, explained
Modern improv comedy began at the University of Chicago in the 1950s.
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.
Cancer immunotherapy, explained
Scientists are very hopeful about these new treatments, which use the body’s own defense system to shut down cancer.
Field experiments, explained
Using the world as a lab, UChicago economists pioneered the use of field experiments in their groundbreaking research.
