News: Physics

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

UT Provost’s Office

Natural Sciences Undergraduates Honored for Excellence with Mitchell Awards

Josíah Garza, Anirudh Sudarshan, Lars Deutz and Nirmal Patel are 2024 UT Co-op George H. Mitchell Award Recipients.

UT is spelled in flowers south of the main mall with the UT Tower in the distance

Accolades

Celebrating the 2024 College of Natural Sciences Dean’s Honored Graduates

Meet the graduating seniors being recognized for excellence in research, academics and improving the community.

Architectural detail featuring university shield on orange tinged background

Announcements

11 Faculty Members Elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Jaquelin Dudley, Kristen Grauman, Arlen Johnson, Daniel Leahy, Xiaoqin “Elaine” Li and Tanya Paull receive major honor from AAAS.

Portraits of 11 scientists

Podcast

Is Cosmology in Crisis?

A panel of physicists and astronomers grapple with possible cracks in our modern creation myth, the standard model of cosmology.

A dramatic spiral galaxy with orange and red arms and a light blue center

Weinberg Institute

Postcards from the Field: First Light for a New High-Desert Telescope

High in a Chilean desert, scientists at the Simons Observatory probe the cosmic microwave background for clues about the history of the early universe.

A telescope enclosure sits in front of mountains under a blue sky

Announcements

New Advanced Quantum Science Institute Will Bridge Basic Research and Applied Science

Elaine Li and Xiuling Li will co-direct the new Texas Quantum Institute.

Illustration shows how atom-thin materials enable control of individual photons of light

UT News

What Can A Total Solar Eclipse Teach Us About Our Universe?

Astrophysicists and astronomers at UT Austin have used these rare phenomena to help answer fundamental questions about our universe.

A man on a ladder works on a small white building in a desert

Features

Top Prize Image in Visualizing Science Contest Captures Research Tied to the Sun

Ph.D. student Maile Marriott’s submission illustrates the complexities of the “space weather” generated by our sun.

Top Prize Editor’s Choice

UT News

Semiconductor Master’s Program Will Offer Hands-on Experience in Rapidly Growing Industry

The new program will help fill the demand for semiconductor scientists and engineers and give students a chance to lead in a booming industry.

A gloved hand uses a tool resembling tweezers to manipulate a tiny item in a well equipped lab.

UT News

Surviving a Volcanic Supereruption May Have Facilitated Human Dispersal Out of Africa

Graduate students Jessica Valdes and Keenan Riordan were on a team that found humans may have dispersed during arid times along “blue highways.”

Map of northeastern Africa indicating location of an archaeological site