Science News

A 38.5-acre photovoltaic array is the latest addition to the Solar Zone technology demonstration area at the UA Science and Technology Park. The 6.1-megawatt system was built by AstroSol, which expects the project to displace more than 7,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide and provide power for about 1,000 homes.

Thanks to the generosity of three professional meteorite hunters, the UA Lunar and Planetary Laboratory will own three samples of a rare kind of meteorite. The donated material is especially important in light of the upcoming OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, which is led by the UA.

The UA Office of Sustainability has completed a climate action plan to track the University's greenhouse gas emissions and provide concrete solutions to reduce them. Many efforts already are under way, with some involving faculty and students using the campus as a living lab for sustainability.

Brian Schmidt, who won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics and is a 1989 graduate of the UA, shared words of wisdom during his speech May 11 at the UA Graduate Commencement Ceremony. Schmidt urged the graduates chase their dreams, find balance in life and be happy.

UA law student Gregory Schneider is getting ready for graduation this weekend, for the birth of his third child later this year – and now for a spaceflight. He has won a suborbital trip into space, the first prize in the Space Race 2012 contest marking the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

Sand dunes on Mars move not unlike those on Earth, despite a much thinner atmosphere and weaker winds, new images taken with the UA-led HiRISE camera have revealed. The study ends a long-standing debate as to whether sand dunes on Mars are relics from the planet's past or part of its ongoing active geology.

Dozens of UA students have earned fellowships and awards from the National Science Foundation and Philanthropic Educational Organization. The award recipients represent UA programs that include anthropology, astronomy, geosciences, optical science and planetary sciences.

As part of a class, UA students designed and carried out an experiment to see if sending text message or email reminders to blood-drive volunteers would improve turnout. The reminders increased donor turnout by 11 percent.

"Last Call at the Oasis," a new documentary, recounts the stories of the most water-stressed regions in the U.S. One of the experts interviewed, the UA's Robert Glennon, frames society's problematic view of water: "We think of it as the air," he said, “infinite and inexhaustible.”

Southern Arizona is becoming known for its advancements in the field of biosciences. From 2002-10, the number of bioscience establishments grew 27 percent in the state. Said Leslie Tolbert, vice president for research at the UA: “Our goal is to be a thriving, entrepreneurial, high-tech kind of place.”

Five students who participated in federally funded graduate education preparatory programs for low-income, first-generation or underrepresented students at the UA have earned National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships.

Roy Parker, a Regents’ Professor in the department of molecular and cellular biology, and Marcia J. Rieke, a Regents’ Professor in the department of astronomy, were elected to the National Academy of Sciences on May 1, bringing the UA's membership count to 14.

Large portions of Arizona and western New Mexico are forecast to have above-normal significant fire potential now through August, according to a new report. Significant fire potential refers to the likelihood that a wildland fire will require additional resources from outside the area in which the fire originated.

This year, more than 10,000 students from the Phoenix metropolitan area will participate in Arizona Project WET. Since 2000, Arizona Project WET has grown to become the state's leading water education program for teachers and students of all grade levels.

UA researchers are investigating bacterial eating habits as part of a $1 million study to determine the environmental fate of newly developed munitions. One important goal is to reduce injuries and fatalities among troops who handle explosives.

A YouTube video featuring an image of a strange-looking object near the sun is going viral. Scientists like Alfred McEwen, who directs the Planetary Imaging Research Laboratory at UA, are now weighing in about what may be in the image, which was taken by a camera on board NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. 

Are unwanted chemicals making their way into your drinking water, post-filtration? To investigate, UA chemical and environmental engineering professor Shane Snyder's team paired up with Good Housekeeping to test whether the common water filters found in refrigerators and pitchers are actually doing their jobs. The team also has some suggestions for consumers. 

With support from Joseph and Dixie Schulman, the Schulman Telescope at the UA's Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter formally has been dedicated. The 32-inch telescope is the largest observing telescope in the country exclusively devoted to public outreach.

UA College of Engineering Design Day on May 1 will showcase student inventions that save lives, track endangered species, take you virtual horse racing and support NASA missions. Engineering seniors will compete for more than $13,000 in industry-sponsored prizes.

John Lewis, a professor emeritus at the UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, says it is. Lewis says that smaller space rocks can contain mineral worth tens of trillions of dollars.