Engineering students working with snow

Mechanics of snow course takes advantage of fresh powder

March 18, 2022

Most mechanical engineers will work with materials such as metals, polymers, ceramics and composites during their careers. However, a course taught in CU Boulder's mechanical engineering department asks students to draw inspiration from another material—snow.

Gas tank

New method could lead to cheaper, more efficient ways to capture carbon

March 16, 2022

A new tool developed by CU Boulder researchers could lead to more efficient and cheaper technologies for capturing heat-trapping gases from the atmosphere and converting them into beneficial substances, like fuel or building materials.

Researchers in the field

Expedition to highest active volcano unearths clues about life on other worlds

March 7, 2022

This past December, three CU Boulder researchers climbed up the side of the world’s highest active volcano, 22,615-foot Ojos del Salado, to understand how tiny organisms persist at one of the driest and highest points on the planet. This first-of-its-kind project may ultimately help inform the search for existing and extinct life on other planets.

A young woman plays a game of Wordle with a dog on her lap

What the Wordle trend can teach us about language and technology

March 3, 2022

Computational linguist Alexis Palmer spoke with CU Boulder Today about the popular online word game, strategies to win and how Wordle offshoots could benefit lesser-known languages.

Several fire ants crawl on the ground

The physics of fire ant rafts could help engineers design swarming robots

March 2, 2022

Fire ants survive floods by forming rafts made up of thousands of wriggling insects. New research reveals how these creepy-crawly lifeboats change shape over time.

Close up photo of a component of an atomic clock in the lab

New research paves the way for atomic clocks 50 times more precise

Feb. 16, 2022

Physicists have shown that two tiny atomic clocks, separated by just a millimeter or the width of a sharp pencil tip, tick at different rates—a powerful test of Albert Einstein's 1915 theory of general relativity.

Researchers pose in their lab behind glass with the words "COVID Warriors" written on it.

How the CU community tackled COVID-19 on campus and beyond

Feb. 16, 2022

CU Boulder's researchers reflect on an unprecedented year for research amid a devastating pandemic.

A stuffed zebra toy sits on a box with buttons

Robots help kids tell stories—with a little help from stuffed animals

Feb. 15, 2022

“I goed to school, and my friends were not listening.” Layne Hubbard, who earned her doctorate from CU Boulder in 2021, is developing new technology to help young kids take charge of their own stories.

Members of the GEER team watch a drone take off from a snowy driveway

Engineers deploy drones to survey Marshall Fire, gather lessons for future disasters

Feb. 14, 2022

Just after first responders extinguished the flames of the Marshall Fire, a team of engineers from across the country hit the ground in an urgent effort: to collect data on the disaster before it disappears for good.

Researchers in the field

Novice to expert: Immersive undergraduate research transforms students

Feb. 7, 2022

After nine weeks immersed in a research experience at CU Boulder, undergraduate students could analyze scientific papers and graphs more like experts, according to a new CIRES-led study.

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