News
Bioengineering
April 06, 2020
Few fields of research hold such sweeping promise for improving lives as bioengineering, a deep strength at Princeton and one of our highest priorities for growth going forward.
Tiny polymer springs give a boost to environmental clean up
April 06, 2020
Princeton researchers have found that a promising class of cleaning solutions behave in ways that both confound traditional fluid models and explain their usefulness to remediation efforts.
Giant umbrellas shift from convenient canopy to sturdy storm shield
April 01, 2020
In a new approach to storm surge protection, a Princeton team has created a preliminary design for dual-purpose kinetic umbrellas that would provide shade during fair weather and could be tilted in advance of a storm to form a flood barrier.
Multi-year datasets suggest projecting outcomes of people’s lives with AI isn’t so simple
March 31, 2020
The machine learning techniques scientists use to predict outcomes from large datasets may fall short when it comes to projecting the outcomes of people’s lives, according to a mass collaborative study led by researchers at Princeton.
Innovation funds propel research to improve health, computing and sustainability
March 31, 2020
Funded by Princeton alumni, parents and other donors, this year’s Innovation Research Grants total more than $1.3 million.
Fix to longstanding flaw in sensor readings could lead to energy-saving building designs
March 30, 2020
An unexpected result at a conference led Princeton researchers to uncover a significant error in the method used for decades to measure radiant heating and cooling in buildings.
New mathematical model can more effectively track epidemics
March 25, 2020
A new mathematical model developed by Princeton and Carnegie Mellon researchers improves tracking of epidemics by accounting for mutations in diseases. Now, the researchers are working to apply their model to allow leaders to evaluate the effects of countermeasures to epidemics before they deploy them.
Mechanical forces shape bacterial biofilms’ puzzling patterns
March 20, 2020
Belying their slimy natures, the sticky patches of bacteria called biofilms often form intricate, starburst-like patterns as they grow. Researchers at Princeton University have combined expertise in molecular biology, mechanical engineering and mathematical modeling to unravel the physical processes underlying these curious crinkles.
Water-balloon physics is high-impact science
March 19, 2020
Water balloons may seem like a trivial matter. A toy for mischievous kids in summer. But for scientists, the behavior of balls of liquid wrapped in a thin elastic membrane is critical to everything from understanding blood cells to fighting fires.
Food systems are fodder for curbing cities’ environmental impacts
March 13, 2020
Focusing on urbanization as a key driver of environmental change in the 21st century, researchers at Princeton University have created a framework to understand and compare cities’ food systems and their effects on climate change, water use and land use. The research will allow planners to estimate the impact of a city’s food system and evaluate policy actions.