News

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

Podcast

The University of AI

Art Markman and K.P. Procko consider how artificial intelligence is already changing the college experience, its promise and pitfalls, and future directions.

College students wearing spirit gear that reads "University of AI"

McDonald Observatory

Bass Foundation Gift Strengthens Outreach at McDonald Observatory

Updates to Field Station Network member McDonald Observatory will be in the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and improve and expand the visitor experience.

Aerial view of an astronomical observatory set atop a mountain

Department of Computer Science

Transforming Video Accessibility Through Artificial Intelligence

UT researchers developed an AI technology that empowers users with visual impairments to engage with digital media.

A smart phone is held by its sides via a metal stand.

Texas Advanced Computing Center

Surprising Vortex Behind New Solar Cell and Lighting Materials

Using supercomputer simulations, Feliciano Giustino and his team are revealing why perovskites are so promising for solar cells, lighting and computer memory.

A colorful image of a spherical structure of arrows pointing in all directions

Dell Medical School

Arbel Harpak: Pursuing the Next Frontier in Genetics

Arbel Harpak, recently named a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences, researches how genetic makeup can have dramatically different impacts on health and evolution in...

A scientist in white shirt stands in front of a sculpture made of aluminum canoes

Research

For Rainforest Amphibians, the Bigger the Toes, the Higher They Go

In rainforests in Gabon, amphibians with larger toes relative to their body length are found higher in the forest canopy.

Photo of orange and brown frog leptopelis boulengeri on a tree branch

Podcast

Rise of the LLMs

Greg Durrett tackles your burning questions about large language models.

A robot made of words sits on a chair and reads a book with a pile of more books at its feet

Texas Science YouTube

Insider Insights: Meet Human Development and Family Sciences Major Corinne Floyd

One honors students in Natural Sciences shares experiences with research in a smaller major.

A young woman in a sleeveless shirts poses in front of a map-like graphic with the words "Insider Insights Corinne Floyd" and the hook 'em horns graphic.

Features

What Will Extreme Weather Events Mean for Texas’s Favorite Bugs?

The answer matters for people, too, given how insects affect whole ecosystems.

A photo of a monarch butterfly on a yellow flower

McDonald Observatory

Giant Magellan Telescope Enclosure Ready for Construction

When completed in the early 2030s, the 213-foot-tall enclosure will be one of the largest mechanized buildings ever constructed.

A telescope dome under a starry sky at night with an open door and telescope visible inside