Penn Engineers created a smaller, faster and more efficient photonic switch, which leverages principles from quantum mechanics and could accelerate everything from streaming to training AI by supercharging data centers.

The Great Salt Lake has lost more than 15 billion cubic yards of water over the past three decades, is getting shallower at the rate of 4 inches a year, and an analysis of its water budget suggests reducing irrigation is necessary for saving it.

For the tenth consecutive year, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding a solicitation that seeks proposals leveraging the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory for research in transport phenomena, which now includes research in manufacturing methods that utilize such phenomena, and the resulting materials. NSF will provide up to $3.6 million in total funding for multiple projects to utilize the space station for fundamental research focused on:

Over 450 million years ago, plants began the epic transition from water to dry land. Among the first pioneers were the ancestors of humble hornworts, a group of small, unassuming plants that have persisted to this day. New research reveals insights into the genetic blueprints of hornworts, uncovering fascinating details about plant evolution and the early days of life on land.

Scientists have long sought ways to help plants turn more carbon dioxide (CO₂) into biomass, which could boost crop yields and even combat climate change. Recent research suggests that a group of unique, often overlooked plants called hornworts may hold the key.

Penn Engineers have utilized quantum sensors to realize a groundbreaking variation of nuclear quadrupolar resonance (NQR) spectroscopy, a technique traditionally used to detect drugs and explosives or analyze pharmaceuticals.  The new method is so precise that it can detect the NQR signals from individual atoms — a feat once thought unattainable. This unprecedented sensitivity opens the door to breakthroughs in fields like drug development, where understanding molecular interactions at the atomic level is critical.

Some of the most productive apple regions in America are facing big challenges from a changing climate, according to a Washington State University study. Researchers analyzed over 40 years of climate conditions that impact the growth cycle of apple trees from bud break and flowering through fruit development, maturation and color development. While many growing areas are facing increased climate risks, the top three largest apple producing counties in the U.S. were among the most impacted: Yakima in Washington, Kent in Michigan and Wayne in New York. In particular, Yakima County, the largest of the three with more than 48,800 acres of apple orchards, has seen harmful trends in five of the six metrics the researchers analyzed.