The Day Tomorrow Began

Where do breakthrough discoveries and ideas come from ...

We’ve all heard stories about the ‘eureka’ moments behind big, world-changing ideas.

In a new series called The Day Tomorrow Began, learn about the monumental breakthroughs at the University of Chicago and the people behind them. Through videos, podcasts and written content, discover how these groundbreaking ideas have shaped and defined fields—and how UChicago scholars continue to change our world.

Learn more about The Day Tomorrow Began here, and explore the topics in the series below.

Two women, Sophonisba Breckinridge (right) and Edith Abbott (left) dressed in black and wearing black hats sit next to each other at a desk while examining a document.

Social Work

In 1920, Edith Abbott and Sophonisba Breckinridge founded one of the country’s first graduate schools of social work at UChicago. That school, now known as the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, embodied the belief that social change happens when research guides policy and practice. Today, UChicago faculty and students work to uplift and improve the lives of those most in need.

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Economics

For more than a century, UChicago scholars’ groundbreaking theories have redefined the field of economics—from Milton Friedman’s ideas on monetary policy and Gary Becker’s theory of human capital to Eugene Fama’s efficient market hypothesis and Richard Thaler’s founding of the field of behavioral economics. Today, UChicago economists’ pioneering research continues to impact the field and shape our world.

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A child sleeping with a dream bubble graphic floating out of their head

Sleep research

For the past century, the University of Chicago has been a pioneer in sleep research—from opening the world’s first laboratory devoted to sleep research to discovering REM sleep. Today, UChicago scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of sleep and understanding its impact of sleep on our health.

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Researcher facing away from camera in a suit and goggles holds up a reflective circle, a piece of scientific equipment engineered at the University of Chicago

Quantum technology

In the early 20th century, UChicago scientists advanced our understanding of quantum mechanics—the laws that govern the smallest particles. Nearly 100 years later, scholars are working to harness those laws for groundbreaking technologies, from ‘unhackable’ communication networks to powerful new computers.

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Ancient civilizations

A century ago, UChicago scholars argued a controversial idea: Western civilization had its roots in the ancient Middle East—not in Greece or Rome. Today, UChicago scholars continue shaping the study of the early civilization through archaeological work and their research on the world’s most ancient languages.

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Black holes

At age 19, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was the first to propose that stars were destined to collapse at the end of their lives. The idea was controversial, but we now know there are black holes sprinkled across the heavens. Today, UChicago scientists are conducting groundbreaking research on black holes and what they can tell us about the universe.