News

Band diagram of conventional GaInN/GaN active region and new polarization-matched GaInN/GaInN active region of a light-emitting diode. Researchers use streamlined polarization to boost performance of LEDs

Two children have a seizure. One child never has another seizure. Twenty years later, the other child has a series of seizures and is diagnosed with epilepsy. A study being led by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is looking at what could possibly happen in the development of these two children that would lead to such extreme variations in their neurologic health.

LEDs and smart lighting could save trillions of dollars, spark global innovation A “revolution” in the way we illuminate our world is imminent, according to a paper published this week by two professors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Innovations in photonics and solid state lighting will lead to trillions of dollars in cost savings, along with a massive reduction in the amount of energy required to light homes and businesses around the globe, the researchers forecast.

A portable device that pumps oxygenated blood to a patient’s brain during a medical emergency and a new method to wash clothes that dramatically reduces the need for water, electricity, and detergent are two of the eight winning ideas in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s fall 2008 Change the World Challenge contest.

Council for Excellence in Government Recognizes 25 Individuals for Contributions to Public Service, Achieving Government Excellence Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson has been recognized as one of the “25 Great Public Servants of the past 25 years,” by the Council for Excellence in Government. The esteemed group was honored tonight at the Council’s 25th Anniversary gala, in Washington, D.C.

Findings could help marketers optimize advertising for the human mind Fads have been a staple of American pop culture for decades, from spandex in the 1980s to skinny jeans today. But while going from fad to flop may seem like the result of fickle consumers, a new study suggests that this is exactly what should be expected for a highly efficient, rationally evolved animal.

A scanning electron micrograph of cobalt nanoclusters embedded in multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Researchers at Rensselaer used these new hybrid structures, the first of their kind, to detect magnetism at the nanoscale. Photo Credit: Saikat Talapatra/Caterina Soldano

Troy, N.Y. – Mark M. Little ’82, senior vice president and director of GE Global Research, will be the keynote speaker at Rensselaer’s 2009 Trustee Celebration of Faculty Achievement. The event will kick off with Little’s presentation at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4 in the auditorium of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.

A single frame from a research video tracking the flow of water around Primo, a retired U.S. Navy bottlenose dolphin.