In the wintertime Arctic, cracks in the ice called “leads” expose the warm ocean directly to the cold air, with some leads only a few meters wide and some kilometers wide. They play a critical role in the Arctic surface energy balance. If we want to know how much the ice is going to grow […]

The term “antitrust”—for some maybe a dimly held memory from a high school U.S. history class—has come into focus recently as tech companies have come under scrutiny for their business practices. But antitrust and antimonopoly policy isn’t the same now as it was in the days of Teddy Roosevelt, says University of Utah economist Marshall […]

The flat dry lakebed (also called a playa) surrounding Utah’s Great Salt Lake is more than 750 square miles—an area bigger than Houston. The wide-open landscape is surprisingly varied and is the realm of coyotes, bison, and a few hardy plants. It’s probably safe to say that no one knows the Great Salt Lake playa […]

University of Utah distinguished professor of chemistry Peter Stang and professor of pediatrics Anne Blaschke were two of 168 academic inventors named as Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors for 2019. Stang opened pathways in organic chemistry reactions and now explores ways to form molecules into self-assembled geometric shapes. Blaschke played key roles in […]

In a world of rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, plants should be happy, right? Experiments have shown that, yes, increased carbon dioxide does allow plants to photosynthesize more and use less water. But the other side of the coin is that warmer temperatures drive plants to use more water and photosynthesize less. So, which […]

Fifteen years ago, University of Utah forest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni wanted girls to have a Barbie doll that represented a career like hers, or at least one that wore rubber boots and carried a climbing rope and helmet. But with a lack of tree canopy field gear among the existing accoutrements for the doll, Nadkarni […]

Jack Longino is a global ant expert and has traveled the world documenting and discovering ant species. But for his latest discovery, he didn’t need to go any farther than his own backyard. In August 2018, just after dark, Longino caught a glimpse of four ants in his garden that really looked out of place. […]

This release includes material produced by March of Dimes. In the United States, 1 in 10 babies is born preterm, or at a gestational age of less than 37 weeks. The causes of preterm birth are complicated but the effects are clear: Preterm birth has lasting consequences for the child and their family. The 2019 […]

“What are you?” It’s a loaded question, and for people with multiple racial ancestries, it can be a body blow to that person’s sense of identity and inclusion. According to new research from University of Utah psychologists Jasmine Norman and Jacqueline Chen, questions such as “What are you?” and other experiences of discrimination are related […]

For more than 30 years, University of Utah entomologist Jack Longino has been watching the ground. Whether he’s deep in a tropical jungle or scanning the sidewalks of a Central American city, Longino is always looking for ants. “Ants rule!” he says. Recently, Longino compiled those decades of work into a monograph, detailing 234 species […]