Man holding pole crouches in stream

How an overlooked study over a century ago helped fuel the Colorado River crisis

Dec. 14, 2023

At the start of World War I, a scientist named Eugene Clyde La Rue hiked the American West to estimate how much water flows down the Colorado River. His findings were ignored, but leaders today don't have to make the same mistake, says CU Boulder hydrologist Shemin Ge.

Photo of an ancient saddle made of wood

Archaeologists unearth one of earliest known frame saddles

Dec. 12, 2023

Recovered from looters, a new archaeological discovery from a cave in western Mongolia could change the story of the evolving relationship between humans and horses in the ancient world.

Artist's depiction of planet orbiting star

14-inch spacecraft delivers new details about ‘hot Jupiters’

Dec. 11, 2023

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) spacecraft, led by a team of scientists from CU Boulder, is about the size of a cereal box. It has also recorded incredibly detailed measurements of the atmospheres of planets hundreds of light-years from Earth.

Brian Hynek holding a walking stick on the shore of a lagoon

Deep within an inhospitable desert, a window to first life on Earth

Dec. 6, 2023

In Argentina's Puna de Atacama, a parched plateau more than 12,000 feet above sea level, a series of lagoons are home to microbial communities that seem to resemble nothing else alive on Earth today. But time may be running out to study them.

Colorful microscopic image of a regularly repeating pattern

‘Doughnut’ beams help physicists see incredibly small objects

Dec. 4, 2023

A new laser-based technique can create images of structures too tiny to view with traditional microscopes, and without damaging them. The approach could help scientists inspect nanoelectronics, including the semiconductors in computer chips.

Vladimir Putin sits in a crowd at a sporting event

Who supports Putin? Men, older generations and traditionalists, study shows

Nov. 30, 2023

In a new study led by CU Boulder, researchers surveyed more than 8,400 people in six former Soviet Union nations about their support for the controversial Russian leader. In Ukraine, at least, Russia's long and bloody invasion seems to have backfired on the leader.

A solar panel.

5 ways CU Boulder researchers are working to address climate change

Nov. 27, 2023

Across the university, researchers are racing to find solutions to slow the rate of climate change and potentially reverse its course.

A wheat field

Interactive map shows where your food comes from

Nov. 21, 2023

With the holiday season upon us and the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, kicking off this month, researchers launched Food Twin to show where crops come from—and how climate change could impact this fragile network.

Hands typing on a laptop keyboard

Should AI read your college essay? It’s complicated

Nov. 8, 2023

Artificial intelligence tools should never replace human admissions officers, says CU Boulder scientist Sidney D’Mello. But new research suggests these platforms could help colleges and universities identify promising students amid mountains of applications.

hand holds a smartphone while the other hand scrolls through a facebook profile on a laptop

Social media is a lot like junk food. Here’s how to make healthy choices

Nov. 1, 2023

In the wake of a historic lawsuit filed against the social media giant Meta by more than 30 states, the ATLAS Institute’s Annie Margaret shares her take on how apps like Facebook and Instagram are affecting the mental health of young people. It’s not too late, she says, for people of all ages to build a healthier relationship with their smartphones.

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