USA Today

The largest comet ever discovered in modern times is zooming toward the sun

Gary Bernstein of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the giant comet he and Ph.D. candidate Pedro Bernardinelli discovered. "We have the privilege of having discovered perhaps the largest comet ever seen—or at least larger than any well-studied one—and caught it early enough for people to watch it evolve as it approaches and warms up," Bernstein said.

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The New York Times

The largest comet ever found is making its move into a sky near you

Ph.D. candidate Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein of the School of Arts & Sciences have discovered the largest comet ever observed, with a nucleus between 62 and 125 miles long.

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A person standing on a stairwell, being photographed from above.

A link between childhood stress and early molars

Penn researchers discovered that children from lower-income backgrounds and those who go through greater adverse childhood experiences get their first permanent molars sooner.

Michele W. Berger ・

Forbes

New drug may bypass SARS-CoV-2 blockade of innate immune response

Researchers led by Sara Cherry of the Perelman School of Medicine have identified a drug that may prevent and treat COVID-19 by activating the body’s immune response.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

These Penn scientists discovered how the brain engages in imagination

Joseph Kable of the School of Arts & Sciences and alumni Arthur Lee and Trishala Parthasarathi used MRI brain scans to study the neuroscience of imagination.

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Person sitting at a table with blurry people in front and a screen hanging on the wall behind, which reads, "Experiential effects on brain development."

Scientists say active early learning shapes the adult brain

Through the Abecedarian Project, an early education, randomized controlled trial that has followed children since 1971, Penn and Virginia Tech researchers reveal new discoveries about brain structure decades later.

Michele W. Berger ・

Scientific American

A better way to cool ourselves

Dorit Aviv of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and international collaborators wrote an opinion piece about their work developing a healthier and more sustainable alternative to air conditioning.

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A young person wearing a mask and polka dot t-shirt leaning against a faux wooden wall.

A mental health checkup for children and adolescents, a year into COVID

As a whole, this group experienced a significant short-term psychological toll. Though the long-term consequences aren’t yet known, particularly given how the year disproportionately exacerbated adverse childhood experiences, Penn experts remain cautiously optimistic.

Michele W. Berger ・