Natural Sciences

EARTH SCIENCES - Three universities — including the University of Oregon’s Oregon Hazards Lab, known as OHAZ; the University of Nevada, Reno; and ALERTCalifornia at the University of California, San Diego — have integrated their wildfire monitoring networks under a single software platform, ALERTWest. This partnership allows unprecedented sharing between monitoring systems and provides wildland firefighters easier access to real-time data.

PHYSICS - Professor Richard Taylor is interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 podcast Deep Calm with Michael Mosley. During the podcast, Mosley and Taylor discuss how fractals can improve our physiology.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY, PHYSICS, POLITICAL SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY - This ADPI Heritage Month, the UO Alumni Association reflects on the many contributions of Ducks identifying as Asian, Desi, and Pacific Islander. Meet College of Arts and Sciences alumni and the careers they have developed after college.

BIOLOGY, OREGON INSTITUTE OF MARINE BIOLOGY - Scientists at the University of Oregon have discovered that colonies of gelatinous sea animals swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes using coordinated jet propulsion, an unusual kind of locomotion that could inspire new designs for efficient underwater vehicles.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - While not a miracle cure, there might indeed be some health benefits to the trend of cold plunging, new research from the University of Oregon suggests. A study led by Chris Minson, the Kenneth and Kenda Singer Professor in Human Physiology at the UO.The study was published in the December 2023 edition of the Journal of Thermal Biology.

COMPUTER SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY - Artificial intelligence can detect art forgeries and take scientific research in new directions. But its impact on the classroom raises as many questions as answers. Can AI help students learn what they need to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace—and at what cost? Read more in CAS Connection!

BIOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE - University of Oregon neuroscientist Judith Eisen has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for her work on neuron development and how the enteric nervous system in the gut regulates and interacts with microbes in the intestine. Eisen is head of the Department of Biology and a member of the Institute of Neuroscience.

Success at the University of Oregon looks different for each student, from academic achievement to personal growth to career readiness.

COMPUTER SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, SPANISH - Two College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate students—Ethan Dinh and Alex Staben—win first and second place at the Clark Honors College's Three Minute Thesis.