Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

A built-in ‘off switch’ to stop persistent pain | Penn Today

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 1d

Prof. J. Nicholas Betley of Biology has led collaborative research seeking the neural basis of long-term sustained pain and finds that a critical hub in the brainstem holds a mechanism for stopping pain signals from reaching the rest of the brain. @upenn.edu

J. Nicholas Betley has led collaborative research seeking the neural basis of long-term sustained pain and finds that a critical hub in the brainstem holds a mechanism for stopping pain signals from r...

Over 20,000 educators share insights on school cell phone policies | Penn Today

1 3

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 2d

Preliminary findings in the landmark research initiative ‘Phones in Focus’ led by Prof. Angela Duckworth of Psychology, suggest stricter cell phone policies are linked to less disruption and greater teacher satisfaction. @angeladuckworth.bsky.social @pennmindcore.bsky.social

Preliminary findings in the landmark research initiative “Phones in Focus” suggest stricter cell phone policies are linked to less disruption and greater teacher satisfaction.

Who, What, Why: Olivia Larson on sleep and memory in mental health disorders | Penn Today

1 3

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 2d

Olivia Larson, Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology, talks about her dissertation which explores the interplay of sleep and memory in mental health disorders. @upenn.edu

“My overarching goal was to use sleep as a window into the mechanisms that link poor cognitive functioning with poor mental health,” clinical psychology doctoral student Olivia Larson says of her diss...

A world shaped by water and access | Penn Today

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 3d

Griffin Pitt, C'26, grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, where coal ash ponds threatened local drinking water. This upbringing made her passionate about water access and pollution, and Penn has given her the opportunity to explore these issues back home and abroad. @upenn.edu

Griffin Pitt’s upbringing made her passionate about water access and pollution, and Penn has given her the opportunity to explore these issues back home in North Carolina and abroad.

A guide to Climate Week 2025 | Penn Today

Reposted by Penn Arts & Sciences

University of Pennsylvania @upenn.edu · 5d

From coal ash ponds in North Carolina to sand dams in Kenya, fourth-year Griffin Pitt has turned her passion for water access into action. “Penn has helped me in so many ways apply what I learn in the classroom outside of it,” she says.

Read More: https://bit.ly/4nHrxor

1 3

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 4d

Penn’s sixth Climate Week takes places from Oct. 13-17 and includes dozens of in-person and virtual events that cross disciplines, from energy policy and history to engineering and medicine. Don't miss our 1.5 Minute Climate Lectures on 10/15: https://bit.ly/48pSAAa @upenn.edu

Taking place Oct. 13 to 17, Penn’s sixth Climate Week includes dozens of in-person and virtual events that cross disciplines, from energy policy and history to engineering and medicine

Deepfakes, Insults and Job Cuts: A Government Shutdown Like No Other

1 1

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 4d

Prof. Brent Cebul of History is quoted in the @nytimes.com on how the current U.S. government shutdown compares to previous shutdowns in U.S history.

www.nytimes.com

Unlocking a microbial puzzle to better treat, prevent, and detect disease | Penn Today

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 5d

Biology's Mecky Pohlschröder and her fellow researchers have identified two enzymes responsible for attaching lipoproteins to membrane lipids in archaea, a single-celled microorganism with great potential for drug delivery, vaccines, and cancer diagnostics.

Penn biologists have identified two enzymes responsible for attaching lipoproteins to membrane lipids in archaea, a single-celled microorganism with great potential for drug delivery, vaccines, and…

Iraq's Yazidis rediscover lost history through photos found in a museum archive

3

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 5d

Marc Marín Webb, a Ph.D. candidate in Mesopotamian history and archaeology, (not pictured) is featured in @apnews.com for his work with colleagues at the Penn Museum. @upenn.edu @pennmuseum.bsky.social

The Associated Press @apnews.com · Sep 14

A University of Pennsylvania researcher is leading an effort to connect photos taken of the Yazidi population in northern Iraq in the 1930s with descendants who lost much of their history in the 2014 Islamic State attacks.

A University of Pennsylvania researcher is leading an effort to connect photos taken of the Yazidi population in northern Iraq in the 1930s with descendants who lost much of their history in the 2014 Islamic State attacks.

bit.ly

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 5d

At the year’s first Ben Talks, which took place in Los Angeles in September, alums heard a faculty panel discuss the evolution of printing technologies, art as a nuanced archive of sexuality, memory cards as media distributors, and more.

A Conversation about Art Artifacts and Society

At the year’s first Ben Talks, which took place in Los Angeles in September, alums heard a faculty panel discuss the evolution of printing technologies, art as a nuanced archive of sexuality, memory…

Maryland’s top education leader touts efforts to cut absenteeism, recruit teachers - WTOP News

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 6d

A study by Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor of Psychology Angela Duckworth will help Maryland grasp whether education reform policies are working.

Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright remains bullish on the progress that the state’s students are making.

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 6d

In our third special edition of the Ampersand Podcast, Dean Mark Trodden speaks with psychologist Rebecca Waller about her research on child development and the ways in which scientific tools are transforming her field. https://bit.ly/46KP7eg @upenn.edu @pennmindcore.bsky.social

Descendants of Famed Penn Physicist Donate Earliest Known X-ray Images

Reposted by Penn Arts & Sciences

Population Aging Research Center @pennaging.bsky.social · 6d

You're Invited to the @sas.upenn.edu Event:

Knowledge by the Slice

"Dispossessions and Disparities Across Latin America"
w/ Tulia Falleti & Leticia Marteleto (PARC Associate)

Thursday, October 16 @ 12 PM
Café 58, Irvine Auditorium
3401 Spruce Street

pan-school.sas.upenn.edu/index.php/ev...

3 2

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 7d

In the 1890s, Penn physicist Arthur Goodspeed accidentally took what are now believed to be among the world’s earliest X-ray images, a precursor to modern day radiology. Goodspeed’s descendants recently donated the thin glass plates back to the University.

Images taken in 1896 by Arthur Goodspeed of coins inside a small purse were a precursor to medical X-rays and the birth of radiology in the U.S.

Women’s labor and political agency in Delhi | Penn Today

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 7d

Rashi Sabherwal, a doctoral student in political science, explores how women engage politically in society in informal roles through her research in India. @upenn.edu

Rashi Sabherwal, a doctoral student in political science, explores how women engage politically in society in informal roles through her research in India.

Michael Weisberg on building community at Penn | Penn Today

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 8d

Prof. Michael Weisberg of Philosophy has been appointed to lead the continued implementation of recommendations from the 2024 University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community.

Michael Weisberg, a distinguished professor of philosophy, has been appointed to lead the continued implementation of recommendations from the Task Force on Antisemitism and the Commission on Counteri...

Five insights into the history of government shutdowns | Penn Today

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 10d

Brent Cebul, a specialist in 20th-century U.S. history, shares more about the evolution of federal shutdowns and what they reveal about today’s political climate.

Penn historian Brent Cebul traces the transformation of federal shutdowns from rare occurrences to strategic political tools.

Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more.

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 12d

The Water Environment Federation, Amazon, The Water Center at Penn, and The Leading Utilities of the World announced the new Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence, which will develop sustainable water practices for AI infrastructure and use AI to solve global water challenges. buff.ly/qq2t57f

Free shipping on millions of items. Get the best of Shopping and Entertainment with Prime. Enjoy low prices and great deals on the largest selection of everyday essentials and other products, including...

Benjamin Nathans Honored with Two Awards from ASEEES

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 13d

Accolades keep pouring in for Benjamin Nathans, Alan Charles Kors Term Associate Professor of History, and his 2024 book To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement.

In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize, the Alan Charles Kors Term Associate Professor of History continues to receive praise for To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet…

60 Second Lectures Fall 2025 Roundup Video

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 13d

This year’s Fall series touched heavily on the Constitution; but faculty also considered the power of language and the ways individuals and movements have used it to influence and affect change. @garicgymro.bsky.social @upenn.edu

This fall’s 60-Second Lectures included a special Constitution Day edition featuring faculty experts.

Does early-life cellular activity influence cancer and aging? | Penn Today

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 14d

Does early-life cellular activity influence cancer and aging? In a Current Biology paper, Penn biologists Mia Levine and Michael Lampson present new evidence on how telomere length is inherited in early embryos. Their findings open new avenues for research on aging and cancers.

The work offers insight into how telomeres—protective chromosomal caps linked to aging and cancer in mammals—are inherited.

Health Hub | Penn Arts & Sciences

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 14d

Across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, Penn Arts & Sciences faculty are building the knowledge base essential to a healthier future—and to Penn’s broad commitment to health and human well-being. Introducing our new online hub.

Highlighting the myriad lenses that faculty from across Penn Arts & Sciences are using to study health.

Navigating gender and power in South Korea | Penn Today

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 15d

As the newest member of Penn’s political science faculty, Soosun You brings global experience—from her work as a former journalist in Seoul to conducting fieldwork in Africa—to research on women’s rights and politics in South Korea. @upenn.edu

As the newest member of Penn’s political science faculty, Soosun You brings global experience—from her work as a former journalist in Seoul to conducting fieldwork in Africa—to research on women’s rig...

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · 15d

A pair of gifts from Julie Beren Platt and Marc E. Platt will establish an endowed professorship and create a program fund for graduate support in the Jewish Studies Program that will advance scholarship, community engagement, and global impact. buff.ly/wcJ9TC5