University of Arizona in the News

It's normal to be stressed during a championship game, but there's something about the Super Bowl that creates extra anxiety for fans – compared to other sporting events. "If you really dive into football, the ball is only in play for roughly 11 or 12 minutes a game,” said University of Arizona assistant athletic director for sport psychology and wellness Rachel Webb, adding the limited amount of actionable time makes those few minutes extra crucial – and extra stressful.

The Millennium Camera, an artistic effort developed by experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats, a research associate at the University of Arizona College of Fine Arts, will capture an image of Tucson from Tumamoc Hill over the course of the next 1,000 years.

Los Angeles police arrested two people last month for spray painting graffiti across more than two dozen stories of an unfinished skyscraper in the city's downtown area. University of Arizona associate professor of geography, development and environment Stefano Bloch, who studies graffiti, called it "an exposé on the failure of oversized development," made "in vibrant colors that force us to look up."

University of Arizona scientists received 200 milligrams of material collected from the asteroid Bennu by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and returned to Earth. Initial analyses indicate the samples contain plentiful amounts of water locked up in minerals like clays and are also rich in carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorous.

Some people who have trouble sleeping turn to light therapy lamps to help bolster their circadian rhythms. The lamps emit dimmer light in the evening to encourage sleepiness and then gradually get brighter in the morning to wake up users more gently than a blaring alarm clock. "Light therapy lamps are specifically designed to trigger that 'daytime' signal in the brain.

University of Arizona scientists received 200 milligrams of material collected from the asteroid Bennu by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and returned to Earth. Initial analyses indicate the samples contain plentiful amounts of water locked up in minerals like clays and are also rich in carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous.

A massive piece of the mineral Stibnite went on display last month at the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum. A gift to the museum from world-renowned mineral collector Robert Lavinsky, the specimen measures 39.5 inches long, 16.5 inches wide and 17 inches thick and exhibits extremely high intricacy and quality.

The University of Arizona earned an Award for Excellence in Facilities Management from the Association of Physical Plant Administrators, the highest recognition the APPA gives to any institution. "It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Chris Kopach and the facilities management team for receiving APPA's Award for Excellence," said University President Robert C. Robbins.

Mountains of research link loneliness to an increased risk of dementia, depression, anxiety, heart disease, stroke and early death. In response, the Board of Supervisors in San Mateo County, California, declared loneliness a public health crisis and pledged to explore measures that promote social connection in the community. However, University of Arizona professor of psychology David Sbarra contends treating loneliness as purely a mental health issue can ignore systemic factors that make it hard to socialize.

Since University of Arizona professor of astronomy Roger Angel first proposed deploying a deflective sun shield in outer space back in 2006, the concept has gained traction among scientists as a possible way to counter climate change. "It's just like you just turned a knob down on the sun," Angel said.