blog posts Future proofing photosynthesis Nov 20, 2024 2:00 pm C&EN (Nov. 18) Integrative biology professor Stephen Long admits that success in increasing photosynthetic efficiency is a long shot, but one upon which the future of the planet depends. Third-largest crowd in program history sees No. 22 women's hoops team win on Field Trip Day Nov 19, 2024 9:45 am A crowd of 13,486 fans filled the stands Monday at the State Farm Center to watch the Illini post a dominant 69-point victory over the visiting Dolphins. Study tracks PFAS, microplastics through landfills and wastewater treatment plants Nov 19, 2024 10:00 am Scientists analyzed the liquid waste released by four Illinois landfills to determine the fate of two contaminants. Six Illinois scientists rank among world's most influential Nov 19, 2024 9:00 am Highly cited researchers this year at Illinois are Ed Deiner, Brent Roberts, Atul Jain, Axel Hoffmann, Stephen Long and Kaiyu Guan. New book looks at Brazil’s longest-lasting maroon society, its influence today Nov 8, 2024 11:30 am History professor Marc Hertzman examines the longest-lasting society formed by people who escaped slavery and their descendants in Brazil and how its memory shapes concepts of Black resistance and national identity today. ACES’ financial planning program ranks among top nine nationally Nov 18, 2024 3:00 pm U. of I. has been named one of the nine colleges with the best financial planning programs by WealthManagement.com, a distinction that highlights the program’s ability to prepare students for successful careers as financial advisors. Why does the state need Illinois Extension? Nov 18, 2024 10:00 am U. of I. Extension serves the state by focusing on food and agriculture, as well as the economic, community, environmental and health sectors. Its director discusses how Extension tackles so many issues at once. Illinois Football back in AP Top 25 following victory over Michigan State Nov 17, 2024 2:30 pm The Illinois football team is ranked #24 in this week's AP Top 25. The Illini's eight AP Poll appearances are the program's most since 2001, when the Illini appeared in 10 polls. Fast start, dominant defense carry ranked Illini past EIU Nov 15, 2024 8:15 am No. 23-ranked Fighting Illini Women's Basketball continued its strong start to the season with a dominant 84-37 win over Eastern Illinois at State Farm Center on Thursday night. How are outbreaks of foodborne illness found and fixed? Nov 11, 2024 10:45 am The outbreak of e-coli linked to onions on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers is just the latest of many recent cases. Food Science professor Matt Stasiewicz talks about how outbreaks happen, how they are traced and stopped. Study reveals advantages of informative brand names Nov 15, 2024 11:45 am By clearly communicating a product's purpose, informative names can significantly boost a product's visibility and success, suggesting that businesses can benefit from adopting descriptive names to gain a competitive edge. No banned substances: ‘Enhanced Games’ aim to push physical limits to extremes Nov 14, 2024 3:00 pm Gear Junkie (Nov. 13) 'An assumption of the Enhanced Games is that if athletes have unrestricted drug use, it will lead to world-record performances. It won’t be that simple,' said Illinois professor Julian Woolf. Join us for these International Education Week events, Nov. 18-22 Nov 14, 2024 10:30 am International Education Week at the Illinois aims to raise awareness about the breadth of international education activities and resources available in our community. Are AI chatbots safe for children? Experts weigh in after teen's suicide Nov 14, 2024 9:00 am Newsweek (Nov. 13) 'It's important to recognize that chatbots are not mere ... glorified autocompletes but instead are closer to having real minds with beliefs and perhaps even desires about the world,' writes U of I's Ben Levinstein. Illinois hosts Michigan State to finish home schedule Nov 13, 2024 4:30 pm Illinois is back at home on Saturday, Nov. 16 to take on Michigan State for the final home game of the Memorial Stadium 100th Anniversary season. The Senior Day kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT on FS1. Thinking hands: How gesturing can help us understand difficult concepts Nov 6, 2024 9:30 am Hand gestures are a common, natural part of human communication. And if you’ve ever seen someone gesturing when on a cell phone or when trying to solve a geometry problem, you know that gestures also help us think. New book examines the impact of colonialism on Puerto Rico Nov 7, 2024 8:45 am Professor Jose Atiles' book suggests the Puerto Rican and U.S. governments exacerbated crises such as hurricanes, COVID-19, and spiraling public debt through socioeconomic, legal and racialized conditions they created. Bioengineering professors pioneer new methods in microscope technology Nov 13, 2024 9:45 am The Omni-Mesoscope has the ability to see many cells with clarity. 'The system captures a large number of images like Google Earth, examining the details of sub-cellular structure within each cell across large areas.' Illini Men's Basketball closes homestand tonight vs. Oakland Nov 13, 2024 9:30 am Illinois (2-0) hosts the final contest of a three-game, season-opening homestand on Wednesday night, welcoming Oakland (1-1) to State Farm Center (8 p.m. CT/BTN) for the second straight season. A new milestone in the study of octopus arms Nov 13, 2024 9:30 am The new model is a milestone both in biology, where it helps explain the octopus’s impressive capability, and engineering. 'The computational model is a useful testbed for roboticists to test their algorithms,' Professor Prashant Mehta said. ‘World building’ in a video games class Nov 12, 2024 11:15 am Students are searching the INHS insect collection for inspiration as they create creatures for a swampy alien planet. The students are designing characters and an environment for a Concept Art for Video Games class offered through Illinois Informatics Riley named Big Ten Freshman of the Week Nov 12, 2024 10:45 am Illini forward Will Riley is the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award after breaking the team's freshman debut scoring record last Monday, scoring 31 points on 10-for-13 shooting, including 5-for-6 on 3-pointers and 6-of-7 free throws. Quantum computing threatens cybersecurity: Are we prepared? Nov 11, 2024 1:45 pm SciTechDaily (Nov. 10) 'The problem is urgent because practical quantum computers will break classical encryption in the next decade,' says Phuong Cao, a cybersecurity researcher at the U. of I. 'The sound of neurons': Q&A with Beckman Institute Director Steve Maren Nov 6, 2024 9:30 am 'The first time I heard the sound of neurons firing, this “Pop!” “Pop!” “Pop!” that I can still remember to this day. I realized that as we do things and move through the world, our brains are actively working in real time.' Illini improve to 2-0 with home win over Marquette Nov 11, 2024 8:15 am The Illini used a strong defensive showing to move to defeat Marquette, 65-53, at State Farm Center on Sunday night. After scoring only one point in the first half, Genesis Bryant poured in 15 points across the final 20 minutes. Four Illini score in double figures in season-opening win over #19 Florida State Nov 8, 2024 8:00 am Illinois never trailed in its 83-74 victory over Florida State on Thursday night at State Farm Center. Their five-game homestand continues Sunday, when the Illini play host to Marquette. First tip is slated for 7 p.m. Can an immigrant workforce save dying factory towns? Nov 7, 2024 10:15 am Reason (Nov. 6) For U of I's Faranak Miraftab, the villification of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH, brought to mind Beardstown, IL. 'Towns around (it) are boarded up ghost towns. Beardstown shines thanks to its immigrants.' PFAS removal process aims to ease pollution ahead of semiconductor industry growth Nov 7, 2024 10:00 am With the construction of semiconductor factories expected to rise, U. of I. researchers are working to get ahead of the PFAS pollution issues associated with the fabrication process. Earthquake prediction techniques lend quick insight into strength, reliability of materials Nov 6, 2024 8:45 am 'The results of this work allow researchers to test material failure more quickly than high-powered, detailed simulation models,' said graduate student Jordan Sickle, a leader of the study. Appealing to our ‘better angels’ with the Braver Angels Nov 1, 2024 11:00 am 'Seated nearby are more than 70 undergraduate students, mostly political science majors, and a handful of facilitators... whose goal is to teach tomorrow’s leaders how to effectively facilitate dialogue across party lines.' Fighting Illini host ranked Florida State for season opener tonight Nov 7, 2024 8:30 am The 51st season of Illinois women's basketball tips off with Illinois hosting #19 Florida State tonight, 6 p.m. CT on B1G+ from State Farm Center. Illini Volleyball hosts #20 USC, Ohio State this weekend Nov 6, 2024 4:45 pm First serve versus the ranked Trojans is slated for 5 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's match against the Buckeyes is slated for 7 p.m. Fans can catch both contests on B1G+. Skin’s secret strength shields against puncture damage Nov 6, 2024 11:45 am Earth.com (Nov. 1) Researchers at Illinois have discovered that our skin is not just an exterior shell. It plays an active role in lessening the internal damage when punctured - even better than synthetic materials. Professor’s book explores the relationship between beauty and crisis Nov 4, 2024 10:15 am Mimi Thi Nguyen explores the relationship between beauty and crisis, and how examining beauty can point to the social and political conditions necessary for a good life. Her new book is 'The Promise of Beauty.' CI MED launches first-of-its-kind glaucoma surgery training for students Oct 31, 2024 9:45 am The new microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MiGS) lab is a first-of-its-kind wet lab learning opportunity for students, with hands-on training in less-invasive surgical options for preserving glaucoma patients’ sight. Join the 2024 Campus Charitable Fund Drive Oct 8, 2024 10:15 am The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign raised approximately $1.3 million in 2023 for non-profit organizations in our local community and around the world. See how you can join this important charitable effort. Have newspaper political endorsements outlived their purpose? Nov 1, 2024 10:00 am Although presidential candidate endorsements can offer readers insight into a newspaper’s thinking about the direction, needs of the country, Professor Melita Garza says there's little evidence thier endorsements sway readers' votes. Romanchuk wins men’s wheelchair race at NYC Marathon, Scaroni wins women’s event Nov 5, 2024 1:15 pm AP (Nov. 3) Illinois alumna Susannah Scaroni, who still trains with the university’s wheelchair track team, won the New York City Marathon. Daniel Romanchuk, who also trains at the U. of I., won the men’s race. Five Illini score in double figures in dominant season-opening win over EIU Nov 5, 2024 10:15 am Illinois cruised to a 112-67 win in its season opener against Eastern Illinois at State Farm Center on Monday night. Five different Illini scored in double figures, including a team-leading 31-point performance from freshman Will Riley. If Kamala Harris pulls off a victory, Trump’s efforts to overthrow the election won’t work Nov 4, 2024 1:30 pm MSNBC (Nov. 2) U. of I. political science professor Nicholas Grossman writes about the Jan. 6 attack and why Donald Trump’s efforts to overthrow the election won’t work if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election. Communication with doctor during first visit affects pain patients’ outcomes Oct 30, 2024 9:15 am U. of I. researchers found that shared decision-making and the quality of the health care provider’s history-taking and physical exam were the main drivers of spinal pain patients’ satisfaction with, trust in and agreement with their doctors. The race to save the little brown bat Nov 4, 2024 11:30 am How genomic research could rescue a species on the brink of extinction New Illinois study explores adoption of robotic weeding to fight superweeds Oct 31, 2024 9:30 am 'The exclusive reliance on herbicides for weed control has led to the appearance of superweeds, and we don’t have anything in the pipeline in terms of new modes of action,' said Professor Madhu Khanna. Illinois Men's Basketball hosts Eastern Illinois in season opener tonight Nov 4, 2024 10:15 am This will mark the ninth meeting between the programs. Illinois has won the previous eight games, all in Champaign. Ivisic ruled eligible for Fighting Illini Nov 1, 2024 10:15 am Illinois' 7-1 center, Tomislav Ivisic, is eligible to play for the upcoming basketball season. Following the completion of his review with the NCAA Eligibility Center, Ivisic is classified as a sophomore, with three years of eligibility remaining. People who research elections look at what to expect on election night Nov 1, 2024 4:30 pm U of I's John Murphy warns: 'Partisans want that beautiful picture of triumph, blue or red seas cascading across screens on election night.' But, that might be a mirage — and realizing it’s a mirage means one thing: 'Wait. … Wait until we know it’s real.' November 4-8 is First-Generation Week at Illinois Nov 1, 2024 4:00 pm This week is dedicated to raising awareness about first-gen college student experiences at Illinois. Join the Jeffries Center and First-Generation Student Initiatives in celebrating the numerous strengths first generation students bring to our campus. Excavating my own archaeology Oct 29, 2024 2:00 pm 'I stand at the edge of an archaeological excavation on the U. of I. campus, watching as students dig up the remnants of a structure I helped build 22 years ago as an undergraduate student in an experimental archaeology course.' Entrepreneurs from around the country return to campus for inaugural ‘Founders Week’ Oct 30, 2024 10:15 am 'Our network of innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs is second to none,' said Vice Chancellor for Research Susan Martinis. 'We’re working hard to keep them connected to Illinois, even if their career takes them all around the country.' Thin skin significantly blunts injury from puncture, study finds Oct 28, 2024 11:00 am Researchers found that thin animal skin significantly dissipates the energy of a puncturing projectile. In their experiments, skin worked better than a thicker synthetic gel designed to mimic skin.