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January 2012 | Home

Research News

An oboe for the brain

Parag Patil

What do U-M profs, technology start - ups, and brain probes have in common?

Sweet!

football player

Photo highlights from the 2012 Sugar Bowl.

Most commented
Health

Too sweet!

a child watching television

A U-M study shows that kids + TV - supervision = unhealthy snacking.

'Hugo' and the history of movies

the moon with a rocket in its eye

More than a fine family film, 'Hugo' is Martin Scorsese's homage to early movies -- and part of a tradition of films about film.

Faculty

Surprise reunion

Joseph Arsong

From Ghana to Michigan, a teacher and student meet again.

U-M Heritage

five women of the 1920s standing together and laughing'Remember your mother!'

In 1921, a finger-wagging guide for Jazz Age freshmen admonished them to follow a strict social code. Much of the advice now seems strange and funny, though some of it applies equally well today.

 

U-M in the World
Mary Sue Coleman

Mary Sue Coleman's open letter to President Obama

In December, U-M president Mary Sue Coleman called for Obama's leadership in restoring the United States' higher education system.

Related: Can the public Ivies be saved? (Washington Post)

On Campus
a video still of an bright open space in Aiken commons at the Michigan Law School

The Law School's beautiful new space

Video: With its mix of classic architecture and light, open space, the Law School's Robert B. Aikens Commons is a gathering spot, a study cove and a place for fortuitous encounters between students and faculty.

A(nother) day in the life of U-M

UM campus buildings at midnight

Once again, our intrepid photographers spend 24 hours documenting the Ann Arbor campus.

U-M in the News

Media coverage of the University of Michigan

Alum Darren Criss continues his rise to stardom with a stint on Broadway's 'How to Succeed in Business..."; a call for health care providers to take the lead in health care reform; a U-M physician named the NBA's concussion expert; education profs ranked among 'most influential'; a study shows chiropractic and exercise beat medication for neck pain; Barry Larkin named to baseball Hall of Fame; and more.

Research News
a graphic of light being created out of empty vacuum

Physicists' 'light from darkness' breakthrough named a top 2011 discovery

The physicists directly observed, for the first time, light particles that flicker in and out of existence in the vacuum of space. They witnessed the long-predicted quantum mechanical phenomenon known as the dynamical Casimir effect. "One of the profound consequences of quantum mechanics is that we know that something can come from nothing," said U-M's Franco Nori.

Technology
an insect equipped with electronic equipment on its back

Insect cyborgs may become first responders, search and monitor hazardous environs

A fascinating new invention could make it possible to use living insects, equipped with tiny battery packs and electronics, to enter hazardous environments and send back data and even video safely to first responders.

Research News
scuba divers measuring underwater features

U-M divers retrieve prehistoric wood from Lake Huron

Under the cold clear waters of Lake Huron, U-M researchers have found a five-and-a-half foot-long, pole-shaped piece of wood that is 8,900 years old. It seems to have been carved by humans, and carried across a land bridge that no longer exists. The simple object may provide clues to long-enduring mysteries about Great Lakes history.

Environment
video still of aquarium with rocks on bottom and tubes running around it

150 rivers in a lab

More than 3,000 gallons of Huron River water were trucked to the U-M campus recently to create 150 mini-Hurons that are used to study how environmental changes affect freshwater habitats like rivers and streams.

Environment
smokestack

‘Fingerprinting’ method tracks mercury emissions from coal-fired power plant

For the first time, the chemical "fingerprints" of the element mercury can directly link environmental pollution to a specific coal-burning power plant. "We see a specific, distinct signature to the mercury that's downwind of the power plant, and we can clearly conclude that mercury from that power plant is being deposited locally," said U-M researcher Joel Blum.

Related: Acid rain threatens Great Lakes sugar maples

On campus
mortar board cap

Ross School to deliver Executive MBA program in Los Angeles

The program will allow West Coast professionals to earn an MBA while still pursuing a full career.

On Campus
a student in the cockpit of the Michigan solar car

This is Michigan Engineering

Video: A fun and hectic race through the campus and world of U-M Engineering.