Science

Atop one of the highest points in the Nashville area, a spiral sculpture of stone is taking shape that will combine art and science in an innovative approach to making science compelling, especially to students. Read More

Lawrence Krauss is a theoretical physicist. But Google his name and you don't get a list of scientific publications. Read More

Giving a closer listen to a sound most of us try to avoid — fingernails scraping on a chalkboard — has won Vanderbilt psychologist Randolph Blake an unusual and coveted award, the Ig Nobel Prize. Read More

Internationally renowned psychologist Hans H. Strupp, who helped psychotherapy gain legitimacy as a scientific discipline, died Thursday, Oct. 5, at Alive Hospice. Read More

Research by Vanderbilt mathematicians is getting increased recognition via one of the top industry standards — how often its published papers are cited in major mathematics journals. Read More

Kenneth C. Catania, a Vanderbilt University neuroscientist who studies odd-looking mammals for clues about the workings of the human brain, was named Tuesday as a MacArthur Fellow. Read More

For the last week, astronomers gathered in Prague have debated, among other topics, what the right answer is to the question 'Is Pluto a planet?' This debate has captured the attention of huge numbers of people, many of whom have passionate opinions on this question. And now, by the vote of a small majority from among the 424 professional astronomers who happen to be members of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) — I am not — and who also bothered to attend the first part of the final plenary session of the meeting — more than 2000 persons attended the IAU meeting but did not participate in the vote — a decision has been made. The answer: vagueness and confusion. This debate will continue. Read More

The much-loved and long-running science fiction series Star Trek introduced viewers to plenty of fantastical ideasófrom the Borg to Vulcan mind melds to a transporter that could beam humans across space. But behind the lscience fiction lay quite a bit of real science, according to Vanderbilt University psychologist Randolph Blake. Read More

David Weintraub, professor of astronomy at Vanderbilt University, is the author of the upcoming book Is Pluto a Planet?, to be released in the fall by Princeton University Press. In the book, Weintraub argues that Pluto, and many other celestial objects, should be considered planets, contrary to the International Astronomical Union's vote Aug. 24 in Prague. Read More

Keeping the lights on around the clock in neonatal intensive care units may interfere with the development of premature babies' biological clocks. Read More

A humble aquarium fish may hold the key to finding therapies capable of preventing the structural birth defects that account for one out of three infant deaths in the United States today. Read More

Reddish-brown crystals of a radioactive mineral called monazite can act as microscopic clocks that allow geologists to date rock formations that have been altered by the action of high-temperature fluids, a process that frequently leads to the formation of rich ore deposits. Read More

A Vanderbilt University physics professor is one of 13 young scientists named a 2006 Cottrell Scholar, a $100,000 fellowship designed to encourage early-career science researchers who show promise. Read More

President George W. Bush announced June 15 that he will nominate Camilla P. Benbow to the National Science Board, an independent body that oversees the National Science Foundation. Benbow is Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College. Read More

With a thousand distractions vying for your attention, how do you stay focused? Just who, or rather what, is in charge of your brain? New research into how the brain manages information has found that an area previously thought to be just an information collector in fact plays the role of an executiveóhelping to filter out extraneous information to help you stay focused. The findings offer potential insights into helping people with attention disorders. Read More

Vanderbilt engineers are a key part of the team in an ambitious national effort to advance the field of fluid power, which could lead to reductions in fuel consumption, state-of-the-art rescue robots and new devices to aid people with mobility impairments. Read More

A team of researchers has achieved a long-sought scientific goal: using laser light to break specific molecular bonds. The process uses laser light, instead of heat, to strip hydrogen atoms from silicon surfaces. This is a key step in the manufacture of computer chips and solar cells, so the achievement could reduce the cost and improve the quality of a wide variety of semiconductor devices. Read More

Frustrated with cell phone dead zones, busy signals, e-mail spam, endless voice mail loops and other exasperating aspects of technology? Now, imagine the plight of a soldier needing quick information in a life-or-death scenario who has to deal with the same issues. Read More

Last year, the amount of external funding that Vanderbilt University researchers received from peer-reviewed contracts and grants increased by 15 percent to reach an all-time high of $444 million. Read More

Doug Fisher, associate professor of computer science and computer engineering at Vanderbilt University, talks about the state of the art in artificial intelligence and robotics in this interview by Adelyn Jones of WRLT FM radio in Nashville. The interview was aired Sunday, March 19, and was co-produced by Dan Buckley. Music by John Scofield. (Used with permission from Tuned In Broadcasting and John Scofield.) Read More