For more than a century, scientists have wondered why physical structures like blood vessels, neurons, tree branches, and other biological networks look the way they do. The prevailing theory held that nature simply builds these systems as efficiently as possible, minimizing the amount of material needed. But in the past, when researchers tested these networks against traditional mathematical optimization theories, the predictions consistently fell short. 

More than a billion years ago, in a shallow basin across what is now northern Ontario, a subtropical lake much like modern-day Death Valley evaporated under the sun’s gentle heat, leaving behind crystals of halite — rock salt.It was a very different world than the one we know today. Bacteria were the dominant form of life. Red algae had only just appeared on the evolutionary scene. Complex multicellular life like animals and plants wouldn’t show up for another 800 million years. 

The School of Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has launched a new minor in quantum computing, positioning students at the forefront of one of the most rapidly developing fields in technology.

A new study from RPI and NASA reveals that a radically different telescope design could accelerate the search for potentially habitable worlds beyond our solar system.  

Researchers at RPI’s schools of science and engineering are exploring new ways to manipulate matter with light to unlock a new generation of computer chips, photovoltaic cells and other advanced materials.

Professor Steven L. Tait, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Chemistry, Herman T. Briscoe Professor of Chemistry, and Associate Director of the Electron Microscopy Center at Indiana University (IU), has been appointed Dean of RPI’s School of Science following a nationwide search.  

Nikhil Koratkar, Ph.D., the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), one of the highest professional distinctions awarded by the world’s oldest chemical society.

Professor Yuri V. Lvov, Ph.D., and a team of oceanographers develop a first-of-its-kind model of internal wave dynamics that lays the foundation for new, more reliable models of ocean circulation.

When a 100-year flood hits a city, traffic doesn't suddenly stop or disappear — it adapts.

A discovery with major implications for cancer treatment has been made by a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), University of Binghamton, and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.