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Science and Technology
What can dogs tell us about how robots can locate objects? Gestures may be as important as words
March 13, 2026
By incorporating insights from canine companions, researchers enable robots to use both language and gesture as inputs to help fetch the right objects.
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Study: Electrical stimulation can restore ability to move limbs, receive sensory feedback after spinal cord injury
March 11, 2026
In new results from a clinical trial, researchers show that electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can restore the muscle control and sensory feedback required for coordinated walking movements.
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New sensor network makes real-time flooding, air-quality data available to Rhode Island communities
March 10, 2026
Data from flood sensors that track coastal and roadway flooding, along with air-quality readings and weather information, are freely available to the public through a new dashboard.
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Photos: Students capture lunar eclipse images from Barus & Holley rooftop
March 9, 2026
Students from Brown’s Astronomy Club and an introductory astronomy class gathered at the observatory atop the Barus & Holly building to photograph a total lunar eclipse.
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How long does it take to get last liquid drops from kitchen containers? These physicists know the answer
March 4, 2026
In a research project that has real implications for their regular laboratory work, a pair of physicists at Brown University shed light on everyday fluid dynamics in the kitchen.
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Brown University researchers launch AI legislation tracking and analysis portal
March 3, 2026
As a tool for researchers, lawmakers, journalists and the public, the CNTR AISLE Portal provides analysis of state- and federal-level AI bills pending across the U.S.
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Brown University professor John Donoghue wins Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
February 3, 2026
Donoghue was awarded the prize, considered among the most prestigious honors in engineering, for pioneering work in developing brain-computer interfaces, which enable the restoration of voluntary communication and limb function in people with paralysis.
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Parts of the tropics may warm more than expected as CO2 rises, study finds
February 2, 2026
A reconstruction of temperature in Colombia during the Pliocene, when CO2 levels were similar to today, suggests that parts of the tropics might soon experience more dramatic warming than previously expected.
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New strategy addresses persistent problem in next-generation solid-state batteries
January 6, 2026
Brown University engineers showed that applying a temperature gradient across a solid-state electrolyte blocks destructive dendrite growth, offering a practical solution to a major barrier in battery technology.
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Binding agents: Chemistry and Art course builds connections between the laboratory and the studio
December 10, 2025
A class taught by chemist Li-Qiong Wang teaches the molecular building blocks of artistic expression and enables students to make some art of their own along the way.
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LZ experiment sets new record in the hunt for dark matter, glimpses neutrinos from the sun’s core
December 8, 2025
With contributions from Brown faculty and students, the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment analyzed the largest dataset ever collected by a dark matter detector, and the results provide the strongest constraints yet on low-mass WIMPs.
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Research provides new design specs for burgeoning sodium-ion batteries
November 20, 2025
A study provides new guidance for designing sodium-ion batteries, which are emerging as a less expensive and more environmentally friendly complement to lithium-based batteries.
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New study: AI chatbots systematically violate mental health ethics standards
October 21, 2025
Researchers at Brown University found that AI chatbots routinely violate core mental health ethics standards, underscoring the need for legal standards and oversight as use of these tools increases.
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With new analysis, Apollo samples brought to Earth in 1972 reveal exotic sulfur hidden in Moon’s mantle
October 6, 2025
Sealed Apollo 17 samples analyzed with new techniques reveal that the Moon’s interior contains sulfur isotopes unlike those found on Earth, according to research led by a Brown University scientist.
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New research center will work toward better, more reliable computer simulations
October 1, 2025
The center will unite mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists at Brown, NYU and Georgia Tech to tackle longstanding problems in how simulations handle extreme physical events.
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New research suggests path toward more durable smartphones and flexible electronics
September 9, 2025
Researchers from Brown University’s School of Engineering have discovered new details about how destructive cracks form in flexible electronic devices — and how to prevent them.
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Researchers uncover similarities between human and AI learning
September 4, 2025
By working to understand how new AI systems integrate flexible and incremental learning, researchers gained insights about the human brain.
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Shaky cameras can make for sharper shots, new research shows
September 4, 2025
A new imaging technique turns motion blur into an advantage, using a jiggling camera and a clever algorithm to create super-resolution images sharper than would be possible with a steady camera.
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‘Bridge’ of stray stars reveals active merger of two galaxy clusters
August 5, 2025
In a preview of observations that will be made routinely by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, astronomers found evidence indicating that a galaxy cluster is merging, a first for a nearby (astronomically speaking) cluster.
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National Science Foundation renews Brown’s national mathematics institute with $16.5 million
August 4, 2025
The grant will fund the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics through 2030, offering opportunities to explore mathematical concepts that underpin everything from AI to industrial design.
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Brown University to lead national institute focused on intuitive, trustworthy AI assistants
July 29, 2025
A new institute, based at Brown and supported by a $20 million National Science Foundation grant, will convene researchers to guide development of a new generation of AI assistants for use in mental and behavioral health.
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Divers led by Brown marine biologist discover surprising changes to offshore kelp forest
July 18, 2025
A research trip to a biodiversity hotspot in the Gulf of Maine underscores the importance of continued monitoring of marine ecosystems.
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Video: Brown computer scientist on generative AI’s opportunities, threats
July 3, 2025
In a video interview, the leader of Brown’s Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination and Redesign discussed the anxieties and possibilities surrounding artificial intelligence.
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Faster topology optimization: An emerging industrial design technique gets a speed boost
July 2, 2025
A new algorithm helps topology optimizers skip unnecessary iterations, making optimization and design faster, more stable and more useful.
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From the Lab: Brown engineers tackle brain injuries with innovative wearable technology
June 24, 2025
A collaborative team led by the School of Engineering’s Haneesh Kesari works to better prevent, detect and understand traumatic brain injuries by designing tools like sensor-equipped helmets and harnesses.
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With potential implications for mechanical systems, study reveals physics of ‘nick shot’ in squash
June 12, 2025
A new study, born out of an interest in using science to explain the everyday world, shows how competing forces conspire to keep the ball from bouncing, making it impossible for an opponent to return.
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Brown University undergraduates harness ‘spooky’ quantum effects for 3D holography imaging
May 21, 2025
Two Brown students developed a new technique called Quantum Multi-Wavelength Holography, which creates high-fidelity 3D images using quantum entangled photons.
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Streaked slopes on Mars probably not signs of water flow, study finds
May 19, 2025
Researchers analyzed a global database of 500,000 strange streaks that occur on steep Martian slopes, concluding that they’re most likely caused by dry processes rather than liquid flow.
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What lies beneath: Using rock blasted from craters to probe the Martian subsurface
May 14, 2025
By analyzing how far material ejected from an impact crater flies, scientists can locate buried glaciers and other interesting subsurface features.
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Targeted nanoparticles show promise for more effective antifungal treatments
May 12, 2025
In an advance that could lead to better treatment of troublesome fungal infections, Brown University engineers have developed a nanoscale drug delivery system specially targeted to fungal cells.
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Researchers develop AI motion 'translation' model for controlling different kinds of robots
May 8, 2025
A new AI model created by researchers at Brown can generate motion in all kinds of robots and animated figures — humanoids, quadrupeds and more — from simple text commands.
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Scientists probe the mystery of Titan’s missing deltas
April 18, 2025
New research finds that despite large rivers and seas of liquid methane, Saturn’s moon Titan seems mostly devoid of river deltas, raising new questions about the surface dynamics on this alien world.
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Golden eyes: How gold nanoparticles may one day help to restore people’s vision
April 16, 2025
A team of Brown University researchers has identified a promising new approach that may one day help to restore vision in people affected by macular degeneration and other retinal disorders.
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Large Hadron Collider experiment, including Brown physicists, awarded Breakthrough Prize
April 7, 2025
This year’s Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to experimentalists at the Large Hadron Collider, where Brown physicists have played key roles in revealing the deepest mysteries of the universe.
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Researchers develop new design and fabrication method to make lightsails for interstellar travel
March 27, 2025
In a potential step toward sending small spacecraft to the stars, researchers have developed an ultra-thin, ultra-reflective membrane designed to ride a column of laser light to incredible speeds.
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In labs across Brown, STEM Day brings science to life for local high school students
March 25, 2025
The eighth annual Department of Chemistry event offered high schoolers a sneak preview of STEM careers along with interactive science demonstrations led by Brown students and faculty.
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Brown hosts National Academy of Engineering symposium on neurotechnology, neural engineering
March 15, 2025
The symposium focused on the ways in which engineering research can be brought to bear in better understanding the nervous system and treating injury and disease.
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Brown launches new master’s degree program in sustainable energy
March 13, 2025
Combining cutting-edge science, technology and engineering education with economic and policy instruction, the on-campus program will prepare students to be change-makers in the global transition to renewable energy.
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Why is Mars red? Scientists may finally have the answer
February 25, 2025
A new study led by Brown University researchers shows how a water-rich mineral could explain the planet’s color, hinting at a wetter, more habitable past on the Red Planet.
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Brown astronomers create new technique to eliminate signals disrupting sensitive radio telescopes
February 12, 2025
An unexpected television signal traced to an airplane led to a new method for pinpointing unwanted radio signals, as growing satellite activity threatens the future of radio astronomy.
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Discovery of new class of particles could take quantum mechanics one step further
January 8, 2025
A study led by a team of Brown University researchers could lead to new ways of exploring quantum phenomena, with implications for future advances in technology and computing.
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Bennu asteroid samples get close-up look at Brown for clues into life’s origin
October 29, 2024
Pieces of the asteroid Bennu, collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, are being studied at Brown as part of an effort to better understand the solar system’s early history and the origins of materials necessary for life on Earth.
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Passages: Nobel Prize winner and Brown professor of physics Leon Cooper
October 28, 2024
The distinguished physicist, who taught at Brown for more than five decades and was awarded the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing the theory of superconductivity, died on Oct. 23.
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Celestial wonders: Once-in-80,000-year comet and northern lights illuminate October skies
October 23, 2024
Brown University astronomers captured stunning images of a once-in-a-lifetime comet and vibrant auroras across the skies above Rhode Island.
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Researchers show how AI tools can be tuned to reflect specific political ideologies
October 22, 2024
As large language models play an increasing role in public discourse, a new study led by Brown researchers raises important ethical questions about the potential ways AI tools can be adapted by users.
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Brown launches online master’s degree in data science with a focus on policy and governance
October 15, 2024
In the master of science degree program, students learn how to use data responsibly, giving local and global learners valuable training in responsible AI development and implementation.
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IBES at 10: A decade of innovative research and teaching in environment and society
October 4, 2024
Founded in 2014, the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society has become a leader in producing boundary-breaking, solutions-driven research while educating the next generation of environmental leaders.
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At inaugural technology and society symposium, a focus on sustainable energy solutions
September 19, 2024
A daylong conference brought together experts from Brown’s School of Engineering and beyond to spark collaborations in renewable energy, carbon capture and energy-efficient technologies for a sustainable future.
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From the Lab: Brown chemical biologists impact health by focusing on the molecular level
September 11, 2024
By understanding tiny, powerful molecules, a collaborative research team led by Professor of Chemistry Ming Xian develops innovative chemical tools that could lead to new medical treatments.
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New mass spectrometry technology from Brown scientists could transform tiny sample analysis
September 9, 2024
A new method developed by the Brown team dramatically reduces sample loss, paving the way for more accurate and efficient protein analysis.
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