‘We’re the First’: Spacecraft En Route to Conduct UT’s Search for Water on Europa

byAlex Lamb

Scientists working for the University of Texas at Austin’s Institute for Geophysics in the Jackson School of Geosciences have developed airborne radar equipment capable of seeing through Europa’s thick layers of ice to determine whether water is present. They call this equipment REASON, and it launched in October aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft on a five-year journey toward the distant orbit of Jupiter.

Understanding the Incredibly Rare Total Solar Eclipse in Central Texas

byIsabella McGovern

With excitement over the eclipse reaching a fever pitch, Reporting Texas asked Anita Cochran, a senior research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin and assistant director of the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis to share her insight into this once-in-a-lifetime event.

From Texas to the Peruvian Amazon, a UT Researcher Preserves a Dying Language

byMichael Nolan

Nestled deep in the Amazon basin, a makeshift house sits alongside a rustic nut storage facility. Two of the occupants of this house in Peru’s remote Madre de Dios District might be the last chance of survival for the endangered language Iñapari. 
Meanwhile, over 3,000 miles away, a doctoral student is huddled over his laptop at the University of Texas at Austin. Barrett Hamp, a UT doctoral student in linguistics, has dedicated his research since 2019 to recording the indigenous language in Peru to prevent it from disappearing.  “Once a language is gone, it’s gone.  There’s no reviving it,” Hamp said.

Can’t Eclipse the Fun: How Central Texans Experienced a Rare Celestial Show

byAnissa Sanchez, Katrina L. Spencer and Michelle Lavergne

After a summer spent trying to get away from the sun, Central Texans couldn’t take their eyes off of it Saturday — safely, of course.
Through protective glasses, they watched a solar eclipse in which the moon covered 93 percent of the sun just before noon.
Reporting Texas reporters documented how some Austinites celebrated and experienced Saturday’s heavenly event.

Omitting ‘Rare’ When Ordering A Medium Rare Burger

byAmber Williams

As a child Juan Samuel Reyes chose to remain silent even when he had something to say. But now Reyes is one of several students who stutter at the University of Texas at Austin learning to communicate effectively while accepting their stutter through practice, community and advocacy. “I’m in the process of becoming more comfortable […]

Texans Heading to Cyber Games to Tackle Tomorrow’s Digital Challenges

byAndrew Logan

Two Texans have been selected by the U.S. Cyber Games to join its inaugural national team, which will represent the United States in the International Cybersecurity Challenge in Athens, Greece, in June.

Esports Gaming Seeks Validation from University

byDane Byrd and Thomas Galindo

Esports, or competitive gaming, has been growing on college campuses nationwide including here at the University of Texas at Austin. On their official website, Longhorn Gaming defines themselves as “the central hub for casual and competitive gaming at the University of Texas at Austin.” Longhorn Gaming has 23 teams competing in leagues for games across multiple genres […]

Texas A&M Entomologist Provides Insight on Global Locust Devastation

byTyler Lewis

Hojun Song, a professor in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M, has been researching grasshoppers and crickets, with a focus on the evolution of swarming locusts. Reporting Texas spoke with Song on the video conferencing app Zoom about his research.

 

Austin-based Roommates Develop Low-cost Ventilator Unit Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

byNataleah Small

Two Austin-based roommates have developed a low-cost ventilator unit made from parts widely available around the world in response to global shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In vitro testing on pig lungs for their prototype could begin soon at Dell Medical School. 

UT Scientist’s Research Should Shorten Path to Novel Coronavirus Vaccine

byAimée Knight

Jason McLellan works with the spike proteins that give the virus its shape and allow it to attach to receptors on human cells and begin to replicate.

Boiz Being Boiz: Group Members Find Identity, Community Through Drag

byHope Lenamon

Boiz of Austin aims to tear down barriers and redefine what it means to be a king in the queen-dominated world of drag.

An Undergrad Astronomy Major Helps Revolutionize Her Field

bySahar Chmais

Anne Dattilo, 22-year-old physics and astronomy undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin, discovered two exoplanets, or planets outside Earth’s solar system.

Texas Faces Another Unpredictable Mosquito Season

byKayla Meyertons

With the start of the 2019 mosquito season upon us, state public health officials plan to proceed as usual — expecting the worst.

Playing with Fire, UT Professor Sparks Interest in Chemistry (and Sometimes Things Explode)

byAlexia Puente

A a girl in Michigan, Kate Biberdorf discovered joy and beauty in science. She brings that sense of wonder — and plenty of pyrotechnics — to her students at the University of Texas.

Huge Current of Tropical Air Connects Weather Extremes

byCHRISTOPHER DE LOS SANTOS

Summer snow in Canada while Texas bakes: It’s all about the teleconnection.

UT System’s Los Alamos Lab Bid Promises Prestige But Also Challenges

byScott Squires

Managing the national laboratory could bring millions in research dollars to UT campuses. But the UT System also would have to address a string of serious problems there.

Cadavers Remain Vital Partners in Training Doctors at Dell Medical

byDanielle Smith

As some substitute software for real bodies, the UT-Austin school uses both in its study of anatomy.

Science, and Chance, Propelled African-American Engineer to NASA

byLouise Rodriguez

She has broken barriers as an African-American woman in engineering. Now she leads a top project at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Nonprofit Provides Channels Into Technology for High School Girls

byKatherine Heighway

Portland-based ChickTech’s programs are generating interest in science, technology, engineering and math in Central Texas.

In Austin, Avoiding the Rush or Carpooling Can Pay Off

byKatherine Heighway

Metropia, a smartphone app, offers gift cards and charitable donations to drivers who share rides or travel during off-hours.