This scanning electron microscope image shows the distinct bow tie shape of an optical rectenna.

Scientists debut world’s most efficient 'optical rectennas,' devices that harvest power from heat

May 18, 2021

For decades, researchers have theorized that optical rectennas could sit on everything from bakery ovens to dirigibles flying high above Earth to harvest waste heat and turn it into electricity. But to date, those goals have remained elusive. Now, engineers have unveiled the most efficient optical rectennas yet.

Hurricanes Katia, Irma and Jose on Sept. 8, 2017.

Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1––here’s what forecasters are watching right now

May 18, 2021

To get a sense of how bad the 2021 hurricane season will be, keep an eye on the African monsoon, ocean temperatures and a possible late-blooming La Niña. CIRES’s Kristopher Karnauskas shares on The Conversation.

Creative Distillation podcast header

Podcast episode navigates uncertainty and the entrepreneurial hustle

May 17, 2021

Aggressive deadlines, emails at 4 a.m. and a sense of fearlessness: How do you make sense of the behaviors of some entrepreneurs? Hosts Brad Werner and Jeff York discuss with Associate Professor Greg Fisher of Indiana University.

Galago moholi bundled up in a cloth

Pet trade may pose threat to bushbaby conservation

May 17, 2021

At night in southern Africa, primates called bushbabies emit "spooky" vocalizations that sound like crying children. What may be even spookier is the possible future these adorable creatures face.

zooplankton (Daphnia dentifera)

How plankton hold secrets to preventing pandemics

May 17, 2021

Whether it’s plankton exposed to parasites or people exposed to pathogens, a host’s initial immune response plays an integral role in determining whether infection occurs and to what degree it spreads within a population, new CU Boulder research suggests.

Illustration of a double helical covalent polymer

Scientists construct first-ever synthetic DNA-like polymer

May 14, 2021

Scientists' recent discovery with double helical covalent polymers—which are spiraling collections of nature’s building blocks—represent a huge advancement in a critical and understudied field.

New MERV-13 air filters and air handler unit on the CU Boulder campus.Ìý

To prevent next pandemic, scientists say we must regulate air like food and water

May 13, 2021

A group of 39 researchers from 14 countries say we need to change how we regulate the air we breathe inside buildings, like we do the food we eat and the water we drink, in order to reduce disease transmission and prevent the next pandemic.

Image of the globe surrounded by satellites

Crashing Chinese rocket highlights growing dangers of space debris

May 12, 2021

In this Q&A, aerospace engineer Hanspeter Schaub says that the odds of people getting hit by debris falling from space are astronomically low. But collisions in orbit around Earth could still pose a threat to satellites and astronauts.

Protestors hold up painting of George Floyd

From Rodney King to George Floyd, how video evidence can be differently interpreted in courts

May 12, 2021

Video evidence can be powerful at a trial––but it does not always lead to a fair rendering of justice. Media studies professor Sandra Ristovska shares on The Conversation.

Stacey Abrams giving a TED Talk in 2018

Stacey Abrams shares lessons in life, law with Colorado Law class of 2021

May 11, 2021

Stacey Abrams charged the graduates with three calls to action: have ambition, embrace fear and prepare for failure as they prepare for life after graduation.

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