University of Arizona in the News

Popular Science May 3, 2023
Urban water crises often boil down to classism

Many factors contribute to the development of today's water crises, including changing land cover and use, urban infrastructure maintenance, and climate change, according to Adriana Zuniga-Teran, neighborhood design and environmental sciences expert and assistant professor of geography, development, and environment at the University of Arizona.
Scientific American May 3, 2023
Surviving in the ephemeral pools of life

Ecologist Sharon Collinge, director of the Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies at the University of Arizona, discusses the "extreme lifestyle" of creatures that inhabit vernal pools – a type of ephemeral wetland habitat that is there one month, gone the next.
The Conversation May 3, 2023
AI is helping astronomers make new discoveries and learn about the universe faster than ever before

University of Arizona Distinguished Professor of Astronomy Chris Impey writes in support of the use of artificial intelligence to help astronomers unlock the secrets of the universe.
CNN May 2, 2023
Webb telescope detects mysterious water vapor in a nearby star system

A team of astronomers led by Sarah Moran with the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory detected water vapor coming from an exoplanet, or its star, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. About 30% larger than Earth and three times as massive, GJ 486 b orbits a red dwarf star once every two Earth days. It is likely tidally locked, with a permanent day side and a permanent night side.
Arizona Daily Star May 2, 2023
UArizona ties school mark as 11 athletic programs record perfect APR scores for 2021-22

The University of Arizona Department of Athletics achieved a record-breaking year in the classroom last school year, with 11 programs earning perfect 1,000 single-year Academic Progress Rate scores: men's basketball, golf, tennis, track and field, and cross country, as well as women's cross country, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, beach volleyball, and volleyball.
The Huffington Post May 2, 2023
Why you wake up earlier as you get older

Experts say that as we age, our bodies change both internally and externally, which results in changes to our sleep patterns. So, for a younger person, dinner time may help the brain understand bedtime is in a few hours. For someone older, this connection may not happen. "The wiring of the brain is likely not sensing ... and responding to the inputs as well as it should because it's an aging brain," said Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, the director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at University of Arizona Health Sciences. These inputs include sunset, sunlight, meals, social cues and physical activity that help mark where we are in a day. "These are all what we call 'time givers,' or they give time to the brain," he said.
PBS May 1, 2023
New book 'Merchants of the Right' explores culture surrounding guns in America

Seemingly daily, the U.S. receives yet another stark reminder of the pervasiveness of guns in society, with hundreds of millions of firearms in circulation nationwide. In her new book, "Merchants of the Right," University of Arizona associate professor of sociology Jennifer Carlson explores some of the forces behind that saturation and the political culture that goes with it.
Newsweek May 1, 2023
Lake Mead rises as video shows billions of gallons of water released

Lake Mead has seen a steady rise in water levels over the past few days after the release of a huge volume of water from Glen Canyon Dam. A video of the action received more than 350,000 views since it was posted Sunday. Before the release, the reservoir reached record-low water levels in recent weeks."Prolonged drought and over-allocation have dramatically reduced the amount of water in the Colorado River and the stored water in Lake Mead and Lake Powell," said Andrea Achilli, an associate professor of chemical and environmental engineering at the University of Arizona. "They are the largest reservoirs in the U.S. and are essential to the management of the Colorado River Basin. We are experiencing the driest conditions in the last 1,200 years."
Toronto Star April 29, 2023
He nearly died pursuing HIV's origins. Then this Canadian scientist set his sights on the COVID lab leak theory. Here's what he found

The work of University of Arizona Professor Michael Worobey, head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has taken him into dangerous jungles and raging scientific controversies. This profile centers largely on his research into the origins of COVID-19.
Inverse April 29, 2023
Moonquakes? Scientists are cracking open the mystery of icy moons

Seismic activity could be the source of the mysteriously smooth terrain on several moons circling Jupiter and Saturn, according to a recent study led by Mackenzie Mills, a doctoral student at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Lab.