Life, Earth And Space

Not a moonshot: Karan Jani explores possibility of lunar observatory to better understand fundamental physics, astronomy and cosmology Est. reading time: 2 mins. Read More

The School of Medicine Basic Sciences brought together a biologist, a Christian theologist, a philosopher and an astrophysicist June 17 for a lab-to-table conversation exploring their views and academic perspectives on the origins of life. Read More

Led by Vanderbilt astrophysicists, researchers work with data from thousands of galaxies to investigate the origins and physics of black hole binaries in nearby galaxies. Est. reading time: 2 mins. Read More

NSF funding will support the development of new techniques to search for signatures of exotic interstellar phenomena. Read More

How do academics with diverse areas of expertise view the origins of life? A June 17 virtual discussion hosted by the School of Medicine Basic Sciences will bring together perspectives from single-cell biology, theology, space and time and metaphysical philosophy to explore the unique and common understandings among the fields. Read More

Biological scientist discovers the third way by which bees can tell time: temperature. Est. reading time: 2 mins. Read More

Vanderbilt astronomers lead group that created the roadmap for studying supermassive black holes after detecting the low-frequency gravitational waves they create. Est. reading time: 2 mins. Read More

Elizabeth Chamberlain, a U.S. National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow in earth and environmental sciences, has been awarded the 2021 Dr. Richard Faas Research Prize by the International Association of Sedimentologists. Read More

Vanderbilt environmental scientists show that patterns found in fossil records of ancient ecosystems may be the key to combating today’s biodiversity crisis and making informed conservation decisions. Read More

Chemical signatures and microscopic wear patterns in dental fossils show that the diet of sabertooth cats included mammoths. Read More

Join Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory on Saturday, April 17, at 8 p.m. CT for a free, educational star party and discussion. Read More

Dental analysis from Larisa DeSantis shows that polar bears may not be able to compete for food sources as their environment melts away. Read More

The Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative is hosting a free presentation by prominent paleoconservationist Michael Archer, who will discuss how understanding ancient life can help conservationists save endangered species today. The virtual event will be Wednesday, March 24, at 3:10 p.m. CT. Read More

Billy Teets, director and resident astronomer for Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory, will lead a discussion of the history of the Voyager spacecraft—including their engineering, major discoveries and what they are up to today. The virtual event will be at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 25. Read More

Vanderbilt astronomers have painted their best picture yet of an RV Tauri variable—a rare type of stellar binary—by mining a 130-year-old dataset that spans the widest range of light yet collected for one of these systems, from radio waves to X-rays. Read More

Seth Bordenstein, Centennial Professor of Biological Sciences and director of the Vanderbilt Microbiome Initiative, has been elected to fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology. Read More

Vanderbilt paleoclimatologists deploy first calcium isotope analysis of North American stalagmite to show how past weather extremes may predict events in California. Read More

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History senior scientist Kay Behrensmeyer will discuss fossilization and its relevance to our understanding of ancient life on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 3:10 p.m. CT. Read More

Sean B. Carroll, a world-renowned evolutionary biologist whose discoveries have shed light on the evolution of animal diversity, will deliver the 2021 Darwin Day Lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 3:10 p.m. CT. Read More

Thanks to her passion for astronomy, as well as mentoring from faculty, undergraduate Samantha Bianco is both a named co-author on a graduate-level scientific research paper and the first Vanderbilt student officially to have completed an Immersion Vanderbilt project. Read More