COS News

The effects of climate change can be seen everywhere, in the global refugee crisis, an even worse allergy season and, now, even in the very concept of time. Scientists have recently pinpointed how meltwater from the polar ice caps is throwing off Earth’s rotation to the point that those who really care about precision timekeeping...

Steve Chien’s contributions to space exploration started relatively close to home. In the early 2000s, the distinguished researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory helped develop weather satellites that used artificial intelligence to track wildfires, monitor volcanoes and allocate relief aid for natural disasters. Now, his greatest ambition is to take AI beyond our solar system...

The Create ceramics studio in Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood is a tapestry of gentle, sturdy neutrals. Earthenware pots, bowls and teacups awaiting paint jobs rest on light gray shelves; white drop cloths and stone potter’s wheels take up most of the wood floor, all of it bathed in low afternoon sunlight gushing through storefront windows. But...

Salvatore Cambria, a retired U.S. Army major general, had not visited Northeastern University since he graduated with a biology degree in 1976. On Friday, he made his return while receiving an unprecedented honor. Maj. Gen. Cambria was inducted into the United States Army Cadet Command Hall of Fame — the first Northeastern graduate to be...

Undergraduate researchers are an integral part of the Marine and Environmental Sciences department and significant contributors to our labs’ scientific advancement. We caught up with undergraduate student Mark Teh to chat about his exciting research endeavors both within the MES department and with external partners.   Q: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself,...

“3 Body Problem,” Netflix’s new big-budget adaptation of Liu Cixin’s book series helmed by the creators behind “Game of Thrones,” puts the science in science fiction. The series focuses on scientists as they attempt to solve a mystery that spans decades, continents and even galaxies. That means “3 Body Problem” throws some pretty complicated quantum...

The Robert M. Scarborough Award for Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry is a national award presented to two graduate students or postdoctoral researchers annually. Candidates must have “demonstrated a key role in and contribution to a research project with direct medicinal chemistry applications and relevance.” This year, Northeastern’s very own Alicia Wagner was the recipient for...

Touchscreens have long been integral to our everyday life — humans use them to work, play, talk with loved ones and snag Lightning Deals on Prime Day. In recent years, they’ve shown potential for the animal kingdom as well, leading to a growing body of academic researchand a proliferation of consumer products promising to leverage...

Grace Arents, a fourth-year environmental and sustainability sciences student, had never had a glass of wine before when she saw a posting for a co-op at a winery on NUWorks. Still, her interest was piqued and she applied to spend a semester learning enology — the process of making wine — in Napa Valley. Before...

The total solar eclipse isn’t the only reason to keep your eyes to the sky this year. For the first time in 80 years, a star system 3,000 light years away will be visible to the naked eye thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime nova outburst. NASA announced that the nova, which will create a “new” star...

In the world of termites studied by Northeastern professor Rebeca Rosengaus, worker termites spend their few short months on Earth cleaning and feeding their enormous long-lived queen mother and tending to her eggs and their young siblings. Since termite workers and queens both possess a network of genes called the Queen Central Module, it has...

The moon’s shadow will cast a path of daytime darkness as it traverses the country on a narrow path from Texas to Maine during April 8’s solar eclipse. Those located inside the 115-mile-wide corridor known as the “path of totality” will experience a total eclipse, says Northeastern professor Jonathan Blazek. If it’s not cloudy, stars will...