Research News
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How Michigan planted its flag on Greenland — or tried to
When U-M researcher William Herbert Hobbs traveled to Greenland in the 1920s, he set off on a spree with a map and a pencil, planting Michigan-connected names on practically any feature of the landscape that caught his eye.
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Bridging gaps in rural health care with AI-powered mobile clinics
It’s like “Knight Rider” meets “Northern Exposure” in a future where AI-equipped mobile clinics help guide medical generalists through unfamiliar diagnoses and procedures. The goal is to widen access to quality health care for rural populations.
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Not so simple machines: Cracking the code for materials that can learn
It’s easy to think that machine learning is a completely digital phenomenon, made possible by computers and algorithms that can mimic brain-like behaviors. But the first machines were analog and now, a small but growing body of research is showing that mechanical systems are capable of learning, too, say physicists at U-M.
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‘Unprecedented’ level of control allows person without use of limbs to operate virtual quadcopter
A brain-computer interface, surgically placed in a research participant with paralysis in all four limbs, provided him an unprecedented level of control over a virtual quadcopter — just by thinking about moving his unresponsive fingers. Such groundbreaking technology could impact one’s ability to socialize, work, and enjoy recreational activities.
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New water purification technology helps turn seawater into drinking water without tons of chemicals
Cutting acid and base treatments from conventional desalination plants could save billions of dollars globally, making seawater a more affordable option for drinking water, say experts at U-M. A study describing the new technology has been published in Nature Water by engineers at Michigan and Rice University.
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U-M report: Program reduces homelessness, utility insecurity
U-M’s Youth Policy Lab reports that families participating in the Healthy Moms Healthy Babies pilot project, a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services program that provides enhanced home visiting services to pregnant individuals and new parents, were less likely to cut meals due to cost, forgo essential utilities, or become homeless.
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Supporting flood resilience efforts in Great Lakes states
Scientists in the School for Environment and Sustainability are always seeking to influence water policy through research in the Great Lakes states. Recent work has produced actional recommendations to enhance resilience amid a changing climate.
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U-M, Los Alamos National Laboratory to jointly develop Michigan-based AI research center
The effort builds on a recently established research collaboration between the two institutions. A facility in Washtenaw County will house one computing center to support Los Alamos scientists and engineers focused on national security AI challenges. An adjacent academic computing center will align U-M faculty and students with Los Alamos researchers.
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24 reasons to feel hopeful about the future
It’s easy to get caught up in doom and gloom, but glimmers of hope abound. LSA alums, faculty, students, and staff are creating positive change in the lives of people, animals, and the planet. They remind us that hope can come in many forms—even a bowl of yak butter.