Fiber-optic cables capture thunderquake rumbles
| psu.edu
Underground fiber-optic cables, like those that connect the world through phone and internet service, hold untapped potential for monitoring severe weather, according to scientists.
Impact of animal infectious disease to be focus of conference at Penn State
| psu.edu
Exploring the emergence, spread and control of animal diseases is the focus of the inaugural Emerging Animal Infectious Disease Conference, scheduled for March 23-25, 2020, at the Wyndham Garden Inn, Boalsburg. The event will be co-hosted by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Penn State’s Center for Security Research and Education.
Role of universities examined in disaster-preparedness, response and recovery
| psu.edu
Roughly 400 researchers and educators from more than 114 institutions across the nation recently joined together to explore how higher education can strengthen preparedness, response and recovery in the face of growing threats posed by climate change and extreme weather during the "RISE CONFERENCE 2019: Transforming University Engagement In Pre- and Post-Disaster Environments: Lessons from Puerto Rico."
Computer science and engineering professor receives $3.5M NSF grant
| psu.edu
Mahmut Kandemir, professor of computer science and engineering at Penn State, received a $3.5M National Science Foundation grant to improve Galaxy, a widely used, workflow-management system.
Penn State research projects awarded USDA organic agriculture grants
| psu.edu
Three organic-agriculture projects led by faculty members in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have received grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The funding, totaling more than $1.3 million, was awarded through USDA-NIFA's Organic Transitions Program.
Conference explores role of institutions of higher education in extreme weather
| psu.edu
The “RISE CONFERENCE 2019: Transforming University Engagement In Pre- and Post-Disaster Environments: Lessons from Puerto Rico," to be held at the State University of New York-Albany Nov. 18-20, will bring together researchers and educators from across the nation, including several from Penn State, to explore how higher education can strengthen preparedness, response, and recovery in the face of growing threats posed by climate change and extreme weather.
A little humour may help with climate change gloom
| theconversation.com
Studies show that humour is useful for engaging the public about climate change
The Secrets of Skeleton Lake
| psu.edu
With the help of Penn State’s Radiocarbon Laboratory, international researchers uncovered surprising secrets of a Himalayan lake.
Researchers confirm timeline of human presence on Madagascar
| news.psu.edu
Kristina Douglass and her research team systematically reviewed all of the archaeological radiocarbon dates for Madagascar and confirmed the timeline of human presence on the island.
Recycling rates could rise significantly with this simple tweak
| theconversation.com
Consumers are much more likely to recycle their waste after viewing messages showing the products it might turn into.
New AI app predicts climate change stress for farmers in Africa
| psu.edu
A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool available for free in a smartphone app can predict near-term crop productivity for farmers in Africa and may help them protect their staple crops — such as maize, cassava and beans — in the face of climate warming, according to Penn State researchers. The team will unveil the new tool — which will work with their existing AI assistant, called “PlantVillage Nuru” — to coincide with the United Nations Climate Action Summit held today (Sept. 23) at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City.
The new geographers: Six faculty hires are driving the future of the field
| psu.edu
Six new tenure-line geography faculty started this fall in the Department of Geography. They conduct research on a wide variety of subjects including water, climate change, natural hazards, remote sensing, social networks, data mining, economics, and inequality and diversity.