News

Byline: Matt Hayes

Physics

Data on armed conflict reveals patterns in violent chaos

Chaos and uncertainty are hallmarks of armed conflict. But new research that ties together multiple aspects of political violence reveals universal dynamics in how conflicts emerge and expand. The work provides a statistical framework that could one day help anticipate deadly violence.

Biology

Student research has CURB appeal

Cornell Chronicle

It’s a simple task for humans: Sort plants by the colors of their pots. For robots, though, it’s a much more arduous undertaking.In a project blending technical savvy with lofty ambitions, a multidisciplinary team of Cornell undergraduates designed and built an autonomous robot capable of recognizing and handling potted plants.

Physics

Polka dot pattern upends superfluid hypothesis

Cornell Chronicle

A Cornell professor collaborated with researchers at Royal Holloway, University of London, where experiments were conducted using special confinement chambers constructed at Cornell.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Ceci, Zamudio elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Cornell Chronicle

Two Cornell faculty members with expertise in psychology and evolutionary biology have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the academy announced April 17.

In memoriam

Probability expert Harry Kesten, Ph.D. ’58, dies at 87

Cornell Chronicle

Harry Kesten, Ph.D. ’58, the Goldwin Smith Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, whose insights advanced the modern understanding of probability theory and its applications, died March 29 in Ithaca. He was 87.

Mathematics

The universe’s secrets are at your fingertips – just learn calculus

Cornell Chronicle

There’s a good chance someone somewhere on March 21 wished you a happy first day of spring. For mathematician Steven Strogatz, the day possessed an added significance worth celebrating.“Happy max derivative day, everybody!” he wrote that evening to his more than 53,000 followers on Twitter.

Education Innovations

Alumni launch YouTube science series to enlighten and entertain

Ezra Magazine

Scientific explanations can at times feel dull and impenetrable, a frustration shared by anyone who has sat through a high school science lecture. But a group of Cornell alumni thinks communicating the joys of science can be exciting, and they've launched a YouTube series with the conviction that science can be edgy, informative and far from boring.