Illustration of multiple molecules made up of two atoms represented by blue and red spheres

Why does matter exist? Roundness of electrons may hold clues

July 6, 2023

Physicists at CU Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made record-breaking measures of electrons, finding that these tiny particles may be more round- than egg-shaped. Their results could bring scientists closer to answering a profound mystery of existence.

Maciej Walczak and his lab group

Chemist to study molecular inner workings of Alzheimer’s disease

July 6, 2023

Maciej Walczak, CU Boulder associate professor of chemistry, won a $2 million NIH grant to investigate how certain sugars modify a brain protein associated with neurodegeneration.

Diners and servers in a restaurant.

Skipping the tip: Why some restaurants and businesses are nixing gratuities

July 6, 2023

Colorado’s iconic and newly reopened Casa Bonita restaurant is dumping tips. Will other businesses join in? CU Boulder economics Professor Jeff Zax weighs in.

Plastic bottles and other trash on a beach

The future of recycling could one day mean dissolving plastic with electricity

July 5, 2023

Every year, consumers in the United States produce millions of tons of plastic waste, and most of it winds up in landfills. New research from chemists at CU Boulder takes a first step toward making all that trash vanish.

original Beanie Babies in someone's home

Why are some Beanie Babies worth more than others? It's about supply and demand

July 5, 2023

CU Boulder expert Christophe Spaenjers answers Theo, age 8, In this Curious Kids installment of The Conversation, explaining why certain collectibles can become valuable as well as how they can lose worth. Read more.

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladmir Putin

What’s next for Putin’s Russia?

July 5, 2023

An agreement between the Wagner mercenary group and the Russian government averts a civil war for now, but the future is less clear, according to CU Boulder Russia expert and political science professor.

Polar Postdoc Leadership Workshop participants posing for group photo

Next generation of polar scientists work toward more inclusive future

July 5, 2023

After the week-long Polar Postdoc Leadership Workshop, led by the Polar Science Early Career Community Office, participants not only grew their skills and knowledge—they bonded over a shared vision to make the polar sciences more inclusive and welcoming and identified how they can support and lead their vision.

pride flags on flag poles

How the 303 Creative SCOTUS decision may change anti-discrimination laws

July 3, 2023

Professor of Law Scott Skinner-Thompson, who focuses on LGBTQ+ and HIV legal issues, discusses the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling involving the 303 Creative company, and legal implications for LGBTQ+ rights.

Buildings and people on the Harvard campus

What the SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action means for American higher ed

June 29, 2023

Kevin Welner, a lawyer and professor of education at CU Boulder, explained that individual college applicants can still mention how their race or ethnicity has shaped their lives in essays and interviews.

Orange light and smoke billow over mountain tops. (Photo by Malachi Brooks on Unsplash)

To prevent the next major wildfire, we need a ‘Smokey Bear for the suburbs’

June 29, 2023

With the Fourth of July approaching and a thick green carpet of fuel covering much of the West after a rainy spring, CU Boulder fire ecologist Jennifer Balch is calling on people to do their part to prevent the next megafire.

Pages