Woman works at large piece of scientific equipment

Weeks later, potentially harmful chemicals lingered in homes affected by Marshall Fire

July 6, 2023

In the wake of the devastating Marshall Fire, a team of chemists and engineers from CU Boulder undertook a first-of-its-kind study to explore homes that survived the blaze. Their results reveal the potential health hazards that wildfires can leave behind in buildings.

Illustration showing two merging black holes creating undulations in the fabric of space and time

Scientists use exotic stars to tune into hum from cosmic symphony

June 28, 2023

An international collaboration, including researchers from CU Boulder, has for the first time uncovered compelling evidence of what scientists call the "gravitational wave background"—enormous undulations in the fabric of space and time.

Man wearing a lab coat and gloves makes adjustments inside a large metal chamber

Space tractor beams may not be the stuff of sci-fi for long

June 1, 2023

One day, small spacecraft could fly around Earth, using devices called electron beams to remove hulking, derelict spacecraft from orbit without ever having to touch. It may sound like science fiction, but aerospace engineers from CU Boulder say they could be ready to test the idea in space in just five to 10 years.

asteroid covered in shadows with sun in the background

Avoiding Armageddon: Researchers narrow down list of potentially hazardous asteroids

May 31, 2023

The asteroid 7482 (1994 PC1) measures about two-thirds of a mile across. It will also remain in Earth's vicinity for much of the next 1,000 years. CU Boulder aerospace engineer Oscar Fuentes-Muñoz says its important to study objects like this one to make sure they don't pose a risk to life on our planet.

Man moves a piece on a wooden board, while several other people watch sitting at school desks

Collective property rights spark spirit of cooperation that extends beyond managing land

May 25, 2023

Since the 1990s, Indigenous groups and other communities around the world have increasingly fought for, and secured, collective property rights to the land they live on. New research suggests that these arrangements can have impacts not just on ecosystems like forests but on the psychology of people.

Several microrobots, with three fins, seen under the microscope

These tiny, medical robots could one day travel through your body

May 24, 2023

CU Boulder engineers have designed a new class of "microrobots" several times smaller than the width of a human hair that may be able to treat human illnesses like interstitial cystitis—a painful bladder disease that affects millions of Americans.

Artist's depiction of a planet covered in volcanoes

Newly discovered planet is the size of Earth, but may be covered in volcanoes

May 17, 2023

A team of astrophysicists, including two researchers from CU Boulder, have caught a glimpse of a new and rocky planet called LP 791-18d. There, temperatures on the dayside could climb to more than 250 degrees Fahrenheit, while volcanoes blast the planet's surface.

Person wears a shirt made out of kombucha leather with glowing LED lights

Kombucha chic: How one student uses microbes, and time, to grow her own clothes

May 4, 2023

Biodesign researcher Fiona Bell says that anyone, anywhere can grow their own clothing right from their kitchens. You start by brewing a batch of kombucha.

A biodegradable "artificial muscle" made with material stamped with an image of a carrot

Grad student helps design ‘artificial muscles’ you can toss in the compost bin

April 20, 2023

Mechanical engineering student Ellen Rumley was part of a robotics club in high school, but she could never get over the clunkiness of rigid, metal machines. Now, she's designing soft robotic actuators that work like animal muscles. They're also completely biodegradable.

Image of the sun fringed in white light as seen during an eclipse

Scientists heading to tip of Australia to observe rare eclipse

April 6, 2023

CU Boulder astrophysicists Kevin Reardon and Sarah Bruce are traveling across the globe to the fringes of Australia to witness a rare event—a total solar eclipse that will last just one minute but could help scientists answer a burning mystery about the sun.

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