Solitude traditionally has been defined as being physically separated from other people. But as the world becomes increasingly mediated, it’s time to rethink what ‘being alone’ really means.

Days before a 15-year-old allegedly killed four students and wounded others at an Oxford, Mich., high school, his father purchased the firearm used in the attack. A U-M study shows gun ownership among parents of teens spiked with the pandemic.

Water and sewer service affordability, at both household and community levels, is a widespread problem across Michigan. A new study warns it may get worse if left unchecked.

The city’s aging infrastructure is no match for the severe effects of climate change. But with $1 million from the Kresge Foundation, U-M’s School for Environment and Sustainability will work with local partners to mitigate flooding and other concerns.

U-M researchers will study the effectiveness of a new ammonia production process aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Bringing the process directly to farmers could cut environmental costs by reducing transportation requirements.

A proposed energy-production system based, in part, on cow stomachs could generate 40 percent more power from municipal waste streams, at a 20 percent reduced cost — and provide a viable alternative to sending waste to landfills.

U-M is developing a solution for the one in eight Americans who faces a mobility disability. A $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health is funding the creation of a modular, powered exoskeleton system that could be used on one or multiple joints of the legs.

In a first, a computer that could fit on an implantable device has interpreted brain signals for precise, high-speed, multifinger movements in primates. This is a key step toward giving those who have lost limb function more natural, real-time control over advanced prostheses.

A trio of U-M studies shows that urban and suburban neighborhoods that provide opportunities for socialization, physical activity, and intellectual stimulation may help preserve older adults’ cognitive health.