UMass Astronomy Prof. Alexandra Pope, is leading the science team developing NASA’s space telescope, PRIMA (Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics), to probe currently unobserved part of the universe’s infrared spectrum. https://bit.ly/47ijZlu

Less than two weeks before Election Day 2024, a study by a @umassjournalism.bsky.social researcher found that nearly 10% of election-related claims by ChatGPT were inaccurate. https://bit.ly/4ha4a6h

UMass Amherst is Top 25! 📢🏆 We are tied for No. 24 on the 2027 @usnews.com's Top Public School rankings — the only public university in New England to make the Top 30. https://bit.ly/3TEOPBI

Wondering about the secret lives of sharks? UMass researchers are too! They’re helping to reveal mating and predatory habits that are the key to the species’ continued survival. 🦈 https://bit.ly/4yirNzu

Relatively few people have seen a Hudsonian godwit, but UMass Prof. Nathan Senner is researching how the migratory shorebirds respond to environmental change. https://bit.ly/4xyfDl8

The Incredible Journey of a Migratory Shorebird

Godwits make the longest non-stop migration in the bird world. That might be the least of the shorebirds’ marvels. Can they survive a changing planet?

bit.ly

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Prof. Li-Jun Ma’s research could help save the banana as we know it. 🍌 https://bit.ly/4xtvSjk

The Banana Faces An Existential Threat. Can Biotech Save It?

The world's banana supply faces a severe threat from fungus. Researchers are developing gene-edited, disease-resistant bananas, with some nearing commercial deployment.

forbes.com

Join us to celebrate the @PBS documentary film, “W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause,” with the film’s director, Rita Coburn, Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m., in the Bromery Center for the Arts. https://bit.ly/4cMBI7X @umasslibraries.bsky.social

Waterfall Scientific, a startup supported by the UMass Institute for Applied Life Sciences, is revolutionizing mRNA manufacturing, with the help of $54.5 million from @arpa-h.bsky.social. https://bit.ly/3T3D3AH @umassengineering.bsky.social

Just 11% of Americans say they'd support building an AI data center in their local community, a @umasspoll.bsky.social / @wcvb5.bsky.social poll suggests. “...We can’t find a constituency that actually wants these data centers,” says Prof. La Raja, co-director of the poll. https://bit.ly/4inSC0i

The Paul and Diane Manning Food Innovation Hub will include sensory testing labs and research “collaboratories.” It will also establish the Center for the Future of Food to cross pollinate ideas about food and sustainability. via @bostonglobe.com https://bit.ly/4remmz5

With a $120 million initiative, UMass Amherst is banking on the ‘future of food’ - The Boston Globe

UMass Amherst is leading the charge to bring together everyone from farmers to food scientists to solve problems facing our global food system.

bostonglobe.com

Know what a protocluster is? UMass Astronomy does! The most distant proto-supercluster found to date could provide clues on how the universe’s earliest galaxy clusters formed and evolved, a new study says. 🌌✨ https://bit.ly/4h66v0U

Rare Ancestor of a Galaxy Supercluster Breaks Distance Record, Offering Clues to Galaxy Cluster Evolution

Learn how ancient clusters of galaxies — including the most distant proto-supercluster ever found — could provide clues on galactic evolution.

bit.ly

“...Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement have radically reshaped the Republican Party” says Provost Prof. & poll director Tatishe Nteta. A new @umasspoll.bsky.social / @wcvb5.bsky.social asked respondents when—if ever—America was truly at “its greatest.” https://bit.ly/3V8f045

With a new project bringing 40 experts together to develop policy proposals on jobs, healthcare, housing and more, @periumass.bsky.social is coming up with policies "...that could really make working people's lives better," Prof. Gerald Epstein says. https://bit.ly/4hanBvB

77% of Massachusetts’ K-12 teachers say public education in the United States is on the wrong track, a new Annual Massachusetts Educator Survey suggests. @umasspoll.bsky.social @umasseduc.bsky.social https://bit.ly/46KXchV

More than two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Congress' performance, a new national @umasspoll.bsky.social / @wcvb5.bsky.social poll suggests. The survey also suggests Democratic enthusiasm for midterm elections continues to outpace that of Republicans. https://bit.ly/4zYvwUs @bostonglobe.com

UMass researchers may have helped find the first hint of a dark-matter observation, which has never been directly detected. “This is not yet a discovery, but it is how a discovery might start,” says physics Prof. Hertel. https://bit.ly/4qQ7t5E

Excited for UMass LARP to join the 2026 Envision Resilience Challenge with @northeasternu.bsky.social, @risd1877.bsky.social, @cmu.edu & UF. Students will support Maine community efforts to address climate challenges. @envisionresilience.bsky.social @sbs-umass.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4wZdQoZ

“The remarkable thing is that virtually everybody thinks Washington is corrupt,” says Prof. La Raja, @umasspoll.bsky.social co-director. Nearly all Americans believe there is corruption in the federal government, a national poll suggests. @wcvb5.bsky.social @bostonglobe.com https://bit.ly/3SsuZcu

Calling all apple nerds!🍎🤓 UMass's Farmstand at Cold Spring Orchard made it on the Boston Globe's apple picking list! “Right now, the apple crop looks pretty outstanding for most growers,” Jon Clements said. https://bit.ly/460uz06

“Americans are overwhelmingly negative about Trump on the Iran situation,” says Prof. La Raja, co-director of the @umasspoll.bsky.social. More than two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the way Trump has handled the war, the poll suggests. https://bit.ly/4xwwOo0 @wcvb5.bsky.social @bostonglobe.com

Food science Prof. McClements says GLP-1s are shaping the way we shop for food with people looking for smaller, more nutrient-dense options. This trend could push ultraprocessed food manufacturers to trend towards healthier options. https://bit.ly/4qGlOln

How weight-loss drugs could make junk foods healthier for everyone | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Smaller portions, more nutrients – junk food is changing

sciencefocus.com

Have you seen our new bird-friendly window coverings? 🐦 They help avoid bird-window collisions and protect biodiversity across Massachusetts. https://bit.ly/4gYL7f2

As night skies grow brighter, researchers study light pollution’s impact on massachusetts wildlife

Researchers from DCR, Harvard and MIT are studying how artificial light affects ecosystems at six Massachusetts state parks and reservations, from the dark skies of Western Mass. to more developed are...

masslive.com

@periumass.bsky.social co-director and economics Prof. Gerald Epstein was on a @ceprdc.bsky.social podcast to talk about an essay collection on transformative economic policies that could reshape the landscape for working Americans. https://cepr.net/publications/mostly-economics-episode-49/

Mostly Economics – Episode 49

Dean Baker welcomed Gerald Epstein, PERI/UMass Professor of Economics, to discuss the innovative collection of policy essays titled Game Changers: Economic Policies for Working America.

cepr.net

That perfect photo of your big catch might not be as harmless as it seems. Prof. Andy Danylchuk, Sascha Clark Danylchuk, and others found that the longer a striped bass is out of the water, the more impaired it is on release. 🎣📸 https://bit.ly/4gFdAp1

Are fish photos contributing to the striped bass decline? - The Boston Globe

Two scientists, who happen to be a couple, are using new research to get anglers to rethink the need to take striped bass out of the water for a picture.

bostonglobe.com

Our first state-designated Early College partnership will give local students access to our courses from their high school classrooms, and we couldn’t be more excited! 📚 ✏️ https://bit.ly/4gxiF2s

Mount Everett will host UMass Amherst's first early college program

The University of Massachusetts Amherst's first state-designated early college program will begin Wednesday at Mount Everett Regional High School, giving students access to UMass courses from their hi...

bit.ly

It’s time to think about overseeding your lawn in the northeast U.S., and our turf extension specialist Jason Lanier knows how to get the timing right! https://www.thespruce.com/when-is-it-too-early-to-overseed-your-lawn-12065831 https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/turf

Overseeding Too Early Could Hurt Your Results—Here’s When Turf Pros Recommend Getting Started

It’s too early to overseed if you’re experiencing extreme heat, but you can’t wait too long, either. Learn about the best times to overseed lawns.

thespruce.com

Weeding the garden this weekend? Use our Weed Herbarium to identify and get information on the plants in your yard before you pluck them. 🌱 https://bit.ly/45OhnLJ https://bit.ly/4xriayh

Rethinking weeds in our gardens: Which to pluck and which to admire - The Boston Globe

Too often we reach for poison with a false notion that we can kill weeds forever and not have to deal with them. How can deeper knowledge of weeds help us create better strategies to manage them?

bostonglobe.com

@umassengineering.bsky.social researcher Prabhani Atukorale is expanding her vaccine research beyond cancer prevention to include treating the disease with the help of $2.5 million from the National Cancer Institute. https://bit.ly/4hTv0QZ

Physics Prof. Coelho Lopes de Sa is helping drive a $24.5M effort to build an AI-ready national data ecosystem, making it easier to find, access, and analyze data wherever it's stored. https://bit.ly/4y3s7BT

With US-Mexico-Canada trade deal up for review, UMass Labor Center researchers urge fixes to protect independent unions in Mexico. www.umass.edu/news/article...