Randal C. Picker, renowned legal scholar, 1959-2026

A trailblazer in his field, Picker was a devoted teacher and University leader

From lab to layperson, UChicago students learn to make science land

How to better forecast once-in-a-millennium weather events

Research

Space travel doesn’t affect the strength of heart muscle cells, study finds

Engineered gut bacteria show promise against pancreatic cancer

Study gauges efficiency of Affordable Care Act at reducing uninsured rates

Around UChicago

With real artifacts, students piece together the ancient past

Course at UChicago’s ISAC Museum teaches how to think like an archaeologist with hands-on approach

Senior theses put UChicago students' economics training to work on messy reality
Fourth-years in Undergraduate Honors Workshop build original research alongside Nobel laureates and other faculty advisers

Meet A UChicagoan

Anthropologist of the Caribbean emphasizes the power of ‘big small places’
UChicago’s Ryan Cecil Jobson talks fossil fuel extraction and following in the footsteps of Haitian scholar Michel-Rolph Trouillot

In a quiet UChicago garden, volunteers cultivate food and community
Student-run Phoenix Farms tends beehives, grows mushrooms and welcomes anyone on campus to lend a hand

How UChicago students staged a wordless play with an Emmy-winning company
Undergraduates in Theater and Performance Studies produced an original work with Manual Cinema, a group with alumni roots

PODCASTS

Big Brains homepage

Episode 186

Why the key to treating cancer may be in your gut, with Thomas Gajewski
Doctor explains how cancer immunotherapy uses microbiome to create ‘on-off’ switch for tumors

Episode 185

How to raise kids in the age of AI, with Dana Suskind
Doctor explains how technology should enhance, not replace parenting during children’s formative years

Episode 184

What our trash problem says about our culture, with Sarah Newman
Anthropologist’s history of waste shows how society evolved into a disposable society

Episode 183

How websites trick you using ‘dark patterns’
Computer scientist explores tactics used in apps and online to deceive users—from subscription traps to collecting data

Episode 182

Quantum technology, explained: A Big Brains live event
UChicago scientists demystify quantum, separate hype from reality, and explore potential applications—from cybersecurity to medical sensors to computers

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

UChicago

Class Visits

Class Visits

Please play this syllabus

In ‘Gaming the Gods,’ UChicago undergrads use video games as primary texts to understand religious symbolism and ritual practice

Stevie Wonder is beloved. But can anyone explain his legacy?
In the “Wonder Lab," a UChicago course brought together students and community members to examine the critical influence of an icon

Harnessing the history of Chicago through its archives
A new College course sends students to uncover the ‘hidden stories of the Second City’ in special collections from the Stockyard Institute to Harold Washington Library

New course explores 100 years of anthropology at UChicago
‘Anthropology at Chicago’ pairs faculty conversations with archival research for College students as department approaches its centennial

UChicago Explainer Series

View All Explainers

Dark matter, explained

In all likelihood, we are standing in a sea of dark matter and don’t know it, because it virtually never interacts with our atoms. Learn how scientists at UChicago are searching to understand this mysterious substance.

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.

Exoplanets, explained
We now know there are thousands of planets out there in our galaxy alone. Learn what we know about them, and what mysteries remain.

MOST VIEWED

The origin of life on Earth, explained

Ecological succession, explained

The Gut Microbiome, explained

Inside the Lab

Explore Labs Across UChicago

Inside the Lab

Sebo Lab: Programming robots to better interact with humans

Go inside the laboratory of Sarah Sebo, whose Human-Robot Interaction lab at the University of Chicago is programming robots with social skills, in order to build trust and rapport with humans. The goal is to develop robots that can improve performance, including better learning outcomes for children.

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.

Events

Sep

13

2026 DSI Production Institute Film Showcase

2026 DSI Production Institute Film Showcase

Logan Center, Performance Hall

Sep

13

Archaeology and the Bible tour

The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) Museum

Sep

16

Three Lessons from the Liberal Arts

Three Lessons from the Liberal Arts