University of Arizona in the News

Space.com Sept. 24, 2021
Ancient impact that formed Earth's moon was likely a one-two punch

A new study supports the theory the moon coalesced from material blasted into space after a Mars-size body slammed into the proto-Earth more than 4.4 billion years ago. "The standard model for the moon requires a very slow collision, relatively speaking, and it creates a moon that is composed mostly of the impacting planet, not the proto-Earth, which is a major problem since the moon has an isotopic chemistry almost identical to Earth," said lead author Erik Asphaug, professor at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.
AFP France Sept. 24, 2021
Document from 1906 falsely shared as world's oldest vaccine certificate from Ottoman Empire

A photo of a vaccine certificate has been shared hundreds of times in multiple posts on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok alongside a claim that it shows the "world's oldest vaccine certificate" that was issued in 1721 under the Ottoman Empire. However, the claim is false. Benjamin Fortna, professor of history and director of the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona, said the year at the bottom of the certificate corresponds to 1906 in the Gregorian calendar. "The date given at the end of the document states 27 Agustos 1322, which is given in the Rumi (Ottoman administrative solar) calendar," he told AFP, adding that he used the online calendar conversion provided by the Turkish Historical Society (Turk Tarih Kurumu). "What is clear is that the document dates from 1906," he said.
CBS News Sept. 23, 2021
Humans may have been in the Americas much earlier than once thought, fossil research shows

According to a paper published today in the journal Science, now-fossilized footprints were pressed into mud near an ancient lake at White Sands, New Mexico, between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, a time when many scientists think that massive ice sheets walled off human passage into North America. Unlike other pre-Clovis sites, there's no doubt humans left tracks at White Sands: "It's just screamingly obvious," says study author Vance Holliday, an archaeologist and geologist at the University of Arizona.
WIRED Sept. 22, 2021
The long lost story of the 18th century tsunami told by trees

A study co-authored by professor Bryan Black from the University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research finds a stand of old-growth Douglas fir trees on Oregon's central coast survived some lean years following a tsunami spawned by the last major earthquake to strike the Pacific Northwest – a 9.0 in magnitude – in 1700.
Popular Science Sept. 22, 2021
The jet stream is moving north. Here’s what that means for you.

A new study led by University of Arizona postdoctoral fellow Matthew Osman provides insights into how the position and intensity of jet streams in the North Atlantic have changed over the last 1,250 years. The findings predict that by 2060, jet stream locations could move out of the range of natural variability under unabated greenhouse gas emissions, creating dramatic weather for societies on both sides of the Atlantic.
Arizona Public Media Sept. 21, 2021
University of Arizona opens new office in Washington DC

University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins is fronting a delegation of University leaders in the nation's capital this week. The university is hosting a series of meetings on issues ranging from name, image and likeness rules for student-athletes to the development of data science. Robbins says the new Center for Outreach and Collaboration will put UArizona front and center amid national policy makers. "It also gives us an opportunity like we're doing all week to showcase some of the really exciting things the university is doing," said Robbins.
Salon Sept. 21, 2021
Odd methane plumes on one of Saturn's moons may be evidence of life, study says

Peculiar readings from geysers near the South Pole on Saturn's moon Enceladus have spurred researchers to probe the possibility that life might exist on the bizarre world in the outer solar system. In order to figure out why Enceladus was spewing methane, researchers at the University of Arizona and colleagues in France constructed mathematical models to calculate the probability that different natural processes might explain the Cassini data. "We wanted to know: Could Earth-like microbes that 'eat' the dihydrogen and produce methane explain the surprisingly large amount of methane detected by Cassini?" said Régis Ferrière, an associate professor in the University of Arizona Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and one of two lead authors of the study published in Nature Astronomy in July. "Searching for such microbes, known as methanogens, at Enceladus' seafloor would require extremely challenging deep-dive missions that are not in sight for several decades."
Arizona Daily Star Sept. 21, 2021
Market boom, big donors push UA's endowment past $1 billion for first time

University of Arizona causes inspired record-breaking support during the 2020-21 academic year, setting new benchmarks for overall giving and taking the endowment over $1 billion. Gifts and commitments reached $345.2 million. The previous high was in fiscal year 2019, when alumni and friends gave and pledged $334.6 million to support their areas of passion on campus.
High Country News Sept. 20, 2021
In Arizona, a radical change in juvenile detention

Ruxandra Guidi, an assistant professor in the University of Arizona School of Journalism, writes about how the Cochise County town of St. John's transformed an underused juvenile facility into a safe space for teens.
The Washington Post Sept. 20, 2021
How to have a lush yard without using too much water

Across the United States, native plants have become an increasingly popular landscaping option, particularly in drier areas. In the Western United States, where irrigation is the norm, native grass will perform better, says master gardener Mike Hauser with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.