Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 1d

Saturday's Southside Science Festival was the largest event in the festival’s history, with more than 700 UChicago scientists and 200+ volunteers from across campus sharing STEM with approximately 4,300 kids and parents from across Chicago.

Largest-ever South Side Science Festival puts UChicago STEM in kids’ hands

Yewande Oluwole, 5, and her sister Jadesola, 3, love astronomy and can name every planet – even the dwarf planets. But peering through a refracting telescope at a tree branch on the University of C...

shorturl.at

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you to all the scientists and scientists-to-be who made Saturday's Southside Science Festival one for the books! @uchicagopme.bsky.social

2 3

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 5d

Join us for the annual South Side Science Festival TOMORROW, Oct. 4, from 11-6 to learn the physics of skateboarding, make your own kaleidoscope, study replicas of human fossils, and more!
https://southsidescience.event.uchicago.edu

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 6d

The Compton Lecture Series: An Intro to Climate Systems Engineering begins this Sat., Oct. 4, at 11 AM with Profs. David Keith and B.B. Cael presenting, "Climate as a 4D Problem." All are welcome to join! Livestream available.

https://efi.uchicago.edu/events/compton-lecture-series/

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 7d

The University of Chicago’s Department of Chemistry is launching a new Master of Science in Chemistry program to prepare students for careers in the sciences and to strengthen their applications for PhD, MD, or JD programs.
https://shorturl.at/Xaz5w

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 8d

A huge welcome to @mit.edu, the newest member of the international consortium constructing the Giant Magellan Telescope. UChicago is proud to be part of the distinguished group of 16 institutions supporting the project!

giantmagellan.org/2025/09/30/m...

MIT Joins Giant Magellan Telescope International Consortium

As the 10th American institution to invest, MIT expands the Giant Magellan Telescope international consortium to 16 members from the United States, Chile, Australia, Brazil, Israel, South Korea, and T...

giantmagellan.org

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 9d

A huge welcome to the new faculty joining the PSD this academic year! Learn more about their backgrounds and research at the link below.

https://physicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/article/introducing-new-faculty-in-the-physical-sciences-division-2025-26/

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 9d

A huge welcome to Autumn Quarter 2025! This quarter, we are thrilled to welcome nearly 2,500 new and returning graduate students, including the first cohort in the MS in Environmental Science program!

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 12d

Curious about the future of climate solutions? Join us for an Intro to Climate Systems Engineering on Saturdays at 11 AM, 10/4-11/22. Learn more about sunlight reflection, carbon removal, and glacial preservation and discover what it takes to put these ideas into action.

https://shorturl.at/CvTMg

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 14d

A huge welcome to over 900 new graduate students who are joining our 7 MS and 10 PhD programs! We are so glad to have you as part of our PSD community!

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 15d

📆This Friday, David Awschalom, Wendy Freedman, and Heather Zheng will explore how innovation, ethics, and empathy intersect to shape a better future at TEDxChicago: The Future is Human.
https://www.harristheaterchicago.org/performance/tedxchicago-2025-future-human

1

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 16d

🎉Congrats to Arvind Murugan for being named a 2025 Schmidt Science Polymath!🎉 The program will help support his work at the intersection of physics, biology, computation, & materials science to understand the hallmarks of life.
https://shorturl.at/M8mKk

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 16d

🎉Congratulations to physicist Zoe Yan, who received a 2025 AFOSR Young Investigator Award!🎉
https://physicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/article/zoe-yan-receives-2025-afosr-young-investigator-award/

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 19d

🎉Congrats to 5 UChicago CS students, Hilman Hanivan, Sophia Henn, Jonathan Liu, Raghav Mehrotra, and Yudai Tanaka, who were named 2026 Siebel Scholars!🎉
https://physicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/article/five-uchicago-cs-students-named-to-siebel-scholars-class-of-2026/

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · 20d

UChicago PME Prof. Andrew Cleland and Prof. Paolo Privitera of the Astronomy & Astrophysics Department and Physics Department are heading a team that recently received a $5M Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) grant to build a qubit-based neutrino detector.
https://shorturl.at/UNlzg

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Aug 14

Dark matter is intrinsically invisible, but a team working deep beneath the French Alps is using a “camera” to look for it.
https://shorturl.at/68ZjU

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jul 17

With a novel approach to X-ray spectroscopy, researchers are now able to capture detailed, ultrafast snapshots of electron interactions.

https://shorturl.at/sZXGt

1

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jul 16

🔭Watch as researchers and engineers mount a 2-ton gapless aluminum mirror—built for CMB-S4's Three Mirror Anastigmatic telescope that will scan 3% of the sky several times a day at the South Pole, helping us better understand our universe. 🌃

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

3

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jul 9

Next Wed., on the 80th anniversary of the first nuclear test, join Kronos Quartet & Allison Russell for a powerful event reflecting on nuclear risks—past, present, and future.

Kronos Quartet | A Hard Rain

MUSIC WED, JULY 16 / 7:00 - 9:30 PM REGISTRATION FORM BELOW We stand at one of the most dangerous moments in human history. As global tensi...

events.uchicago.edu

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jun 25

Many physicists believe that a muon collider—ten times the energy of the LHC—is the next step in exploring the universe’s history and secrets. UChicago physicist Karri DiPetrillo is working to turn the dream into a reality.

https://physicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/article/a-massive-endeavor/

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jun 24

Congrats to Zhe Cheng (Chemistry), Wenxin Ding (CompSci), and Carlos Servan (Math) for receiving a William Rainey Harper Dissertation Fellowship!

https://physicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/article/psd-recognizes-three-students-with-a-william-rainey-harper-dissertation-fellowship-for-2025-26/

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jun 12

🎉Giant Magellan Telescope advances to the NSF's final design phase. This milestone reflects @giantmagellan’s advanced progress and the expertise of its international consortium, which includes #UChicago as a founding institution.
https://shorturl.at/vEoVb

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jun 11

UChicago students learn from faculty with top academic & industry credentials while pursuing their interests. With MS degree programs in Applied Data Science, Computer Science & Data Science, #UChicago is a global leader in these rapidly evolving fields.

‘Theoretical rigor with practical application’: UChicago master’s in data science and computer science

Programs provide real-world skills and hands-on experience in a supportive environment

shorturl.at

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jun 9

At #UChicago, MS programs in Applied Data Science & Computer Science go beyond theory. Students gain real-world skills, mentorship and interdisciplinary insight needed to lead in today’s tech-driven world.

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago @uchicagopsd.bsky.social · Jun 9

Join the UChicago community on a double decker bus for Chicago's 54th Pride Parade!
📅: June 29
⏰: 11-3
Sign up by June 15: https://shorturl.at/VcQFn