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News

From the College of Natural Sciences

Posts highlighting some of the many articles mentioning College of Natural Sciences faculty and students in the media.

No Correlation Between Ride-Sharing Services and DWI in Austin

No Correlation Between Ride-Sharing Services and DWI in Austin

​Matt Hersh, a lecturer in the Department of Statistics and Data Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, recently applied some statistical science to the contentious debate over the impact of ridesharing in Austin.

Students Develop Apps to Help Detect Skin Cancer

Students Develop Apps to Help Detect Skin Cancer

​Rachel Graubard and Vatsal Shah, both alumni of the Freshman Research Initiative's DIY Diagnostics stream, have created two apps which could help patients detect skin cancer at home. 

Radio Doc Features Research and Outreach at McDonald Observatory

Radio Doc Features Research and Outreach at McDonald Observatory

A radio documentary about The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory has garnered KRTS, or Marfa Public Radio, a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for documentary news.

Scientists Develop Mosquito-Killing Algae

Scientists Develop Mosquito-Killing Algae

David Herrin, University of Texas at Austin professor of molecular biosciences, led a team of researchers which has developed algae that produce chemicals toxic to disease-carrying mosquitoes. 

Data About LGBT Students Could Help Address Harassment and Bullying

Data About LGBT Students Could Help Address Harassment and Bullying

​Collecting data about school discipline encounters involving LGBT students could help policymakers and educators create a safe learning environment for LGBT teens, suggests a new research brief co-authored by Stephen Russell, Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at UT Austin, in collaboration with the Equity Project at Indiana University. 

In Case You Missed It: The Hook Covers CNS Research

In Case You Missed It: The Hook Covers CNS Research

The Hook, a weekly video series by the Texas Exes alumni association, has covered three CNS research stories in the past couple of months. ​The research spotlights feature scientists from diverse areas such as computer science and marine biology.

Pi Pops Up Where You Don’t Expect It

Pi Pops Up Where You Don’t Expect It

​Why do we celebrate Pi, the world's most famous number, every year on Pi Day? Finding the exact value of Pi has fascinated people since ancient times and mathematicians have calculated the irrational number out to more than 13 trillion digits. Lorenzo Sadun, professor of mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin, explains on The Conversation why this number captivates us and how it appears in many unexpected places.

Researchers Try To Develop Zika Detection, Understand Epidemiology

Researchers Try To Develop Zika Detection, Understand Epidemiology

​Undergraduate researchers in UT Austin's Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) join the effort to develop a readily available test for the newly spreading Zika virus. 

Gravitational Waves Discovery Has Deep UT Connections

Gravitational Waves Discovery Has Deep UT Connections

The recent detection of gravitational waves at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), which is partially led by executive director and University of Texas at Austin alumnus David Reitze, has even deeper roots at UT Austin.

Gender Bias Common in STEM Classrooms

Gender Bias Common in STEM Classrooms

​Male biology students tended to have 19 times more gender bias when nominating the smartest person in the class as opposed to female students, according to recent research done jointly by Sarah Eddy of  the Texas Institute for Discovery Education in Science (TIDES) and Dan Grunspan of the University of Washington. 

Sugar Guidelines Necessary to Combat Childhood Obesity

Sugar Guidelines Necessary to Combat Childhood Obesity

​Recent federal regulations on the labeling of added sugar are a necessary step in combating childhood obesity, writes Jaimie Davis, associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, in the Austin American-Statesman. 

Dinosaur Blood Vessels Found Unfossilized and Analyzed for the First Time

Dinosaur Blood Vessels Found Unfossilized and Analyzed for the First Time

​The extant blood vessels of a duck billed dinosaur have been discovered and analyzed after 80 million years, in an effort led by Tim Cleland, a postdoctoral Collaborative Opportunities for Research Educators (CORE) fellow at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Chemistry. 

Development in Textile Defect Detection Wins Walmart Foundation Grant

Development in Textile Defect Detection Wins Walmart Foundation Grant

Bugao Xu, UT Austin professor in the School of Human Ecology, and his research team have developed a detection system for textiles using optical sensors, which garnered the praise and support of the Walmart Foundation, including a $350,000 grant. 

What you probably don’t know about holiday weight gain

What you probably don’t know about holiday weight gain

Molly Bray, chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences, penned a Texas Perspectives piece in late December warning of the dangers of overeating during the holiday season that was picked up by several Texas newspapers:Dallas Morning NewsFort Worth Star-TelegramAustin American Statesman
Research Finds Men Intimidated by Smarts

Research Finds Men Intimidated by Smarts

​A study by Paul Eastwick, associate professor in the Department of Relationships and Family Sciences, was featured on ABC News and many other media organizations last week. This study found that men's response to intelligent women may not be what men themselves think it will be.