Science

Research Spotlight: Locus Coeruleus Degeneration and Its Pathological Role in Alzheimer's Disease

By Rachel Horn · Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025

The locus coeruleus (LC) — a tiny, ancient brainstem structure that regulates arousal, attention and memory—plays a far more critical role in cognition and disease than long assumed, and its early deterioration is now recognized as a key marker of Alzheimer’s progression. Emerging interventions such as vagus nerve stimulation and even music-based therapies may help modulate LC function, offering promising avenues for preserving cognitive health as we age.

Image courtesy of Joshua Umansky-Castro, grad. This artist’s conception depicts the release of the Alpha CubeSat light sail into Earth’s orbit.

Cornell Students Deploy World’s First Free-Flying Light Sail

By Laine Havens · Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025

Cornell’s $30 Million Agricultural Investment Signals a Lasting Shift Toward High-Tech Farming Leadership

By Gillian White · Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025

Cornellians Weigh in on RFK Jr’s 2025-2030 Guidelines for U.S. Nutritional Policy

By Hana Kang · Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025

Mary Bellakbira Blends Fashion and STEM to Redefine Hormone Health

By Zeinab Faraj · Monday, Dec. 1, 2025

“Fashion to me is about how you feel,” said Mary Bellakbira ’26. “How you feel is directly linked to your hormones and the way those two affect each other has been the subject of my research.”

Cornell GeoData Blends Engineering with Earth Science in Environmental Sensor Projects

By Tania Hao · Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025

Cornell’s CU GeoData project team brings together engineering and earth science students to design and deploy low-cost environmental sensors aimed at improving regional climate data and research. Through these interdisciplinary, student-run projects, the team hopes to expand accessible environmental data for local communities, support research on environmental change and strengthen real-world fieldwork and engineering experience.

Anemones and Accessibility: Rowan Lopez ’26 Supports Students Seeking Undergraduate Research

By Angelina Tang · Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025

Rowan Lopez ’26 is conducting groundbreaking research on a species of anemone that engages in fights. He also helps other undergraduates get involved in research.

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Designing a Better World, One Polymer at a Time: The Journey Behind Prof. Coates’s Franklin Award

By Marissa Gaut · Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

Prof. Geoffrey Coates’s Franklin Award recognizes not only his pioneering work in sustainable polymer design but also the decades of collaborative innovation driven by the students, postdocs and colleagues who built that science alongside him. Together, their collective creativity and persistence have transformed visionary molecular ideas into real-world materials that advance environmental sustainability.

Learning Brought to Life: Transformative Experiences in Introductory Field Biology

By Leah Chang · Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

Cornell’s Introductory Field Biology course, NTRES 2100, transforms ecological learning through immersive, place-based experiences led by longtime instructor Prof. Marc Goebel. Blending hands-on fieldwork, interdisciplinary training, and collaborative research, the course equips students with the skills and perspective to understand and engage with the natural world far beyond the classroom.

AEI Fellow Roger Pielke Jr.’s Talk at Cornell Climate Impact Speaker Series Sparks Controversy

By Andrea Kim · Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025

Roger Pielke Jr. spoke at Cornell Atkinson’s Climate Impact Series on Wednesday, eliciting concerns from members of the scientific community due to his ties to the American Enterprise Institute and its alleged conflicts of interests.

Psychology in the Spotlight: PSYCH 4500 Brings the Mind to Life at the Sciencenter

By Susan Su · Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

Students in PSYCH 4500 are transforming concepts from psychology and cognitive science into playful, hands-on exhibits for children at Ithaca’s Sciencenter. By blending research on science communication with engaging design and community engagement, the course equips students to make abstract mental processes tangible, interactive and accessible for young learners.

Reviving Take Back the Tap: Reducing the Waste of Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles at Cornell University

By Elsa Huelsbergen · Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

Revived by new student leadership, Cornell’s Take Back the Tap campaign works to counter widespread misconceptions about tap water and the environmental costs of bottled water. The initiative promotes water sustainability through class outreach, educational materials and student ambassador efforts that highlight Cornell’s clean, high-quality tap water.

Cornell’s First Snowfall: Dress Warmly as Snow Showers And Winds Sweep Campus

By Chris Owen · Monday, Nov. 10, 2025

Ithaca's first snowfall of the season began on Nov. 11, leaving students and faculty layering up as the long and cold Ithaca winter begins.

‘The Heart of Eco’: How Ecology House’s Pet-Friendly Legacy Stands Up to a Pet Ban

By Angelina Tang · Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025

Once known for its pet-friendly policy, Cornell’s Ecology House banned non-fish pets in 2024 following a student’s escaped snake, ending decades of a defining tradition. Residents and alumni say the change diminished Eco’s distinctive culture and community, though its legacy as a haven for animal lovers endures in name and memory.

Hybrids, Heat and Hunger: How Cornell Scientists Are Breeding Climate-Resilient Crops

By Rebecca Ryan · Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

As shifting rain patterns and rising heat challenge farmers, Cornell’s Prof. Margaret Smith underscores that sustaining global food security will require combining hybrid breeding, genetic diversity, and adaptive management.

Cornell Joins 11 Other Universities In Lawsuit Against Department of Defense’s Plan To Slash Indirect Research Grant Costs

Cornell University Receives $5.1 million Autism Research Grant

By Marissa Gaut · Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

Cornell researchers received a $5.1 million NIH grant to establish the Autism Replication, Validation, and Reproducibility (AR²) Center, which will enhance transparency and reliability in autism research through data reanalysis, model validation, and open scientific collaboration.

Strategic Orbit: Cornell PhD Student’s Perspective on the Rise of Space Warfare in U.S. Defense Policy

By Rebecca Ryan · Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

Once science fiction fantasy, “space warfare” has entered the realm of U.S. defense strategy with satellites, logistics, and orbital dominance now central to national security. Cornell Ph.D. candidate Avishai Melamed explores how technological competition with China, private-sector partnerships, and sustainability concerns are reshaping the geopolitics of space.

More Than a Jack-O’-Lantern: The Science Behind Pumpkins

By Laine Havens · Friday, Oct. 31, 2025

Neither purely pie nor porch prop, the pumpkin haunts the boundary between science and superstition — a gourd so undefinable that even botanists can’t pin it down. From “zumpkins” born in backyard compost to hybrids bred for spooky perfection, the modern pumpkin’s true essence lies not in taxonomy, but in tradition.

Halloween Forecast: A Soggy Weekend Ahead

By Nicholas Stein · Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025

This Hallo-weekend is shaping up to be chilly and rainy as a low pressure system runs through the Ithaca area.

Building Clean Water Futures: Cornell AguaClara’s Mission to Engineer Global Change

By Marissa Gaut and Kitty Zhang · Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025

AguaClara, a Cornell-born initiative founded in 2005, harnesses the power of gravity to deliver sustainable, electricity-free drinking water treatment to communities worldwide. Designed and researched by Cornell students, its innovative systems now serve over 100,000 people across Honduras, Nicaragua, and India — advancing both engineering innovation and global health equity.