News: Research

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

McDonald Observatory

Astronomers Thought the Early Universe Was Full of Hydrogen. Now They’ve Found It.

Astronomers using data from the Hobby–Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) based at UT made the discovery.

A globular heat map of galaxies is juxtaposed beneath a measure of 100,000 light years

Department of Computer Science

Top 4 Harmful Traits of AI Companions

Brad Knox detailed the psychological and social risks of AI systems designed for companionship at the Texas Symposium on Machine Learning, Responsible AI & Robotics.

A person in a dark room stares at the glowing screen of a smart phone

Research

New Model Shows How Behavioral Flexibility Affects Animal Evolution

Animals able to change behaviors but slow to evolve might fare better than previously thought amid climate change.

A squirrel leans over a natural pool of water to take a sip

Research

Wildflowers Mix it Up to Survive Drought

Researchers at UC Davis, UT and elsewhere use global data on plants and droughts to create framework for planning.

A bunch of orange flowers bloom from small, green bushy plants

Research

Which Mating Call to Choose? People Are in Accord with Bugs, Bats and Frogs

Music to the ears of amorous amphibians and other creatures sounds best to humans, too, a new study finds.

Three birds perched on a wooden rod. Their body feathers are white and black with white chests, brown cheek patches and reddish orange beaks.

Research

A Secret Weapon from Salmonella Could Help Us Maintain Healthier Microbiomes

The discovery could also lend itself to the development of future antibacterial therapies.

An illustration of pink, rod-shaped bacteria connected by filaments

Research

Experimental Chemo Drug May Trick the Immune System Into Fighting Cancer

The finding suggests other chemo drugs, too, may be making cancer cells cause a surprising immune-system reaction.

A microscope image of round cells that resemble lemon slices, but stained purple.

Research

Rooted in Nature: A Bio-Inspired Strategy Using Bacteria to Enhance Plant Fitness

A biologist takes inspiration from fungus-growing ants in his research with microbes that grow on roots in soil.

Leafcutter ants on fungus

McDonald Observatory

A Sea of Light: HETDEX Astronomers Reveal Hidden Structures in the Young Universe

Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment researchers have made a record-setting 3D map of the early universe.

A computer-simulation shows pixels labeled with stars and an inset. The overall map is labeled 100 million light years. The inset showing swirling gases is labeled 10 M light eyars.

Research

A Step Towards Needed Treatments for Hantaviruses in New Molecular Map

An innovative imaging technique enabled dramatically higher resolution structures than previous efforts.

Two views of a mushroom-shaped protein complex with individual proteins colored in vibrant red, green, blue and yellow