The California Institute of Technology aims to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education.
Pasadena, CA
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New observations reveal neutron stars paired with stars like our Sun.
caltech.edu/about/news/sun-l…
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We're thrilled to note that Katie Bouman, who worked on this historic project to take the first #blackhole photograph while studying at MIT, will be Caltech's newest faculty member! ow.ly/MdZY50pT2Ye
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This view... 😍
ALT Snow capped mountains as viewed from the 9th floor of Caltech Hall
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Caltech supports the action taken by Harvard and MIT to seek a restraining order to halt the immediate implementation of the rule—the Institute is filing an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit. We are also exploring other potential courses of action the Institute might take.
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SoCal just experienced an M 4.5 quake, probably along the Puente Hills thrust fault system, the same one that ruptured in the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake. The aftershock forecast can be found here: earthquake.usgs.gov/earthqua…
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No time to waste! President-elect Biden’s leading scientific advisors are getting straight to work today; @francesarnold and @eric_lander are captured in this photo by @maria_zuber after the official appointments were announced yesterday.
ALT Frances Arnold sits with her laptop at a table several seats away from Eric Lander. Photo by Maria Zuber.
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Congratulations to alumna Andrea Ghez (MS ’89, PhD ’93) on winning the 2020 #NobelPrize in #Physics. Ghez shares half of this year’s prize with Reinhard Genzel “for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the center of our galaxy.”
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#Einstein, like most of us, needed a vacation sometimes. In 1922, he traveled through the Middle East, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and Spain. A new book from an editor of the Einstein Papers shares the diary he kept during his journey. Read the Q&A here: einstein.caltech.edu/
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A 7.1 magnitude quake occurred at approximately 8:19 pm in the Ridgecrest area of Southern California. The quake was felt on the Caltech campus, however no damage and no injuries have been observed or reported. We are working with local agencies and monitoring the situation.
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Today we join together in mourning the death of Nobel Laureate Bob Grubbs.
"Bob was an inspiration to Caltech colleagues and to scientists around the world. ... We will keenly miss his wisdom and vision," says Caltech president Thomas F. Rosenbaum.
caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
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A new view of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy! In a major milestone, researchers have imaged polarized light encircling that massive object, which could help humanity better understand the physics of black holes. #MagnetizedBlackHole
caltech.edu/about/news/astro…
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We congratulate @francesarnold on being appointed by President-elect Biden to co-chair the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. PCAST advises the president on matters involving science, technology, education, and innovation policy. ow.ly/dDT950Da07M
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Today, we announce a $100M gift from Donald Bren, chairman of Irvine Company and a Caltech lifetime trustee, to form the Space-based Solar Power Project (SSPP).
The goal: Develop technology to capture solar power in space for use on Earth.
caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
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Congratulations to alumnus Charles M. Rice
(PhD ’81, Biochemistry), today awarded the #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine together with Harvey J. Alter and Michael Houghton ”for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus.”
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It’s a drone … it’s a bot … it’s LEONARDO! LEO’s unique features—a propeller-powered drone paired with bipedal legs—allow for navigation in terrain that would be impassable to other robotic explorers.
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Jessica Watkins, former Postdoctoral Scholar in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, is on her way to the @Space_Station after launching today at 3:52 a.m. EDT aboard the @SpaceX #Crew4 mission! Watkins will make history as the first Black woman on the ISS crew.
ALT Jessica Watkins waves for the camera, wearing a blue NASA jumpsuit. Credit: NASA
ALT A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off in the early morning of April 27, 2022. Credit: NASA
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If we WERE living in a simulation, would we know?
Caltech's Houman Owhadi suggests quantum physics experiments could be a key way of discovering paradoxes indicative of computer simulation shortcuts. ow.ly/EK6150BSuhA
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Caltech Pres. Rosenbaum announced the Institute's decision to remove the names of six historical figures affiliated with eugenics and the Human Betterment Foundation from buildings, assets, and honors memorializing them. caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
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Congrats, Caltech postdoc Jessica Watkins! You're going to space! #NewAstronauts @NASA caltech.edu/news/caltech-pos…
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Congratulations to Rob Phillips, who was recently awarded Caltech's top prize for excellence in teaching. One nominator cited Phillips's "remarkable ability to make scientific discovery feel special." ow.ly/S8aB50DOqys
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Can you tell the difference between simulation and reality with these bubble rings? If you’re having a hard time, then we’re doing something right! caltech.edu/about/news/solar…
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Caltech mourns the passing of Murray Gell-Mann. He died May 24 at the age of 89.
A Nobel Laureate in Physics, Gell-Mann is perhaps best known for developing the theory of "quarks." caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
ALT A portrait of Murray Gell-Mann taken in 1966. Gell-Mann is holding a stick of chalk and standing in front of a chalkboard.
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.@francesarnold is the first woman at Caltech to win a #NobelPrize. We are inspired by her. #chemistry #STEM #WomenInSTEM
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Alumna Andrea Ghez has won the 2020 #NobelPrize in Physics for pioneering research that helped reveal a supermassive black hole lurking at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
ow.ly/Zc0M50BLiBG
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Hosea Nelson (@TheNelsonLab, PhD '13), Caltech's newest professor of chemistry, is looking for easier, safer, and more sustainable ways to create the many objects made possible through synthetic chemistry.
caltech.edu/about/news/a-con…
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While aboard the @Space_Station, astronaut and Caltech alumnus Bob Behnken (MS '93, PhD '97, @AstroBehnken) took the time to record a message of welcome to students and postdocs starting their Caltech journey this week. 👨🏼🚀.👏
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Caltech joins the world in mourning the passing of Stephen Hawking.
Breaking News: The physicist Stephen Hawking has died at 76. He roamed the cosmos from a wheelchair, making discoveries that changed how we see the universe. nyti.ms/2DpGK6O
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Congratulations to Caltech’s Frances Arnold, winner of the 2018 #NobelPrize in Chemistry!
BREAKING NEWS:
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the #NobelPrize in Chemistry 2018 with one half to Frances H. Arnold and the other half jointly to George P. Smith and Sir Gregory P. Winter.
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We’re pleased to share the news that Laurie Leshin (MS ‘89, PhD ‘95), president of @WPI, has today been named the next director of @NASAJPL and vice president of Caltech. caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
Read on for more about Leshin…
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Sarah Reisman, the Bren Professor of Chemistry and a leader in the area of natural product synthesis has been selected as the new chair of Caltech's Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (CCE).
caltech.edu/about/news/new-c…
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We find the proposed order by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program deeply troubling.
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Happy Birthday to Caltech’s Richard Feynman, who would have been 99 today. Check out Feynman’s lectures online at feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/\
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Congrats to @ehtelescope for creating the first-ever picture of Sgr A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way! The team included Caltech's @klbouman, who co-led one of the EHT teams (the imaging team) with colleagues from @MITHaystack & @IAA_CSIC. eventhorizontelescope.org/bl…
ALT The first image of the black hole at the heart of our galaxy.
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A new @LIGO Laboratory study has measured the effects of quantum fluctuations on an object at the human scale. ow.ly/nDM850Aokic
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This robot has been engineered to solve the problem of navigating unfamiliar terrain–like that of extraterrestrial bodies.
Researchers (from @Caltech, @Northeastern, and @NASAJPL) were inspired by animals such as the chukar bird and seals. caltech.edu/about/news/new-b…
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Our community mourns a giant in the fields of space physics and planetary astronomy. Edward C. Stone, Caltech's David Morrisroe Professor of Physics, Emeritus, has passed away.
caltech.edu/about/news/edwar…
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Caltech will build a new center devoted to understanding quantum systems and their emerging uses, thanks to a visionary gift by Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg.
Innovative architecture will maximize collaboration, facilitating big, broad scientific impact.
caltech.edu/about/news/ginsb…
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A new high-pressure ventilator (VITAL) developed at @NASAJPL (which is managed by Caltech) was approved for use today by the FDA! 👏👏👏
Now, @innovateCaltech is offering a free license for the technology and is on the hunt for manufacturers. ow.ly/5hNi50ztz4Z
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Entrepreneurs and philanthropists Stewart and Lynda Resnick pledge $750 million to Caltech in the largest gift ever for #environmental #sustainability research. caltech.edu/about/news/stewa…
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Read all about Frances Arnold, the newest Nobel laureate in the Caltech community, and her groundbreaking work in the field of directed evolution. #NobelPrize #chemistry #STEM #WomenInSTEM caltech.edu/news/frances-arn…
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For those keeping score, since 2015 @NSF @LIGO has spotted evidence for:
• 13 black hole mergers
• 2 (probably) neutron star mergers
• 1 (possible) neutron star black hole merger
• AND over 30% of those observations occurred in just the last 30 days!
ow.ly/uPae50tV0Rh
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Caltech’s Seismological Lab will host a press conference to provide data and insight at 9:30 pm PT.
Prelim M7.1 Earthquake 35.767, -117.605 Jul-06 03:19 UTC, updates go.usa.gov/xyDfq
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Jensen (Jen-Hsun) Huang, Founder and CEO of @nvidia will deliver the keynote address at Caltech's 130th Annual Commencement Ceremony on June 14, 2024.
caltech.edu/about/news/nvidi…
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Congratulations to alumnus Ardem Patapoutian (PhD ’96) on winning the 2021 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine. Patapoutian shares half of this year’s prize with David Julius “for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch.”
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We are proud to recognize professors Dianne Newman and Jonas Peters for their election to @americanacad.
This election is a recognition of "extraordinary people who help solve the world’s most urgent challenges ... and contribute to the common good..." 👏
ALT Dianne Newman, pictured in her laboratory
ALT Jonas Peters, pictured in a green landscape with mountains in the distance
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We’re part of the @AmazonScience #PiDay celebration in #TimesSquare honoring scientists, engineers, and mathematicians past, present, and future!
Fact: Caltech and @NASAJPL scientists and engineers have been roving Mars for 9,019 days: amzn.to/pi-day-2022
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Congratulations to Caltech’s Kip Thorne (BS ’62) and Barry Barish, winners of the 2017 #NobelPrize in Physics!
BREAKING NEWS The 2017 #NobelPrize in Physics is awarded to Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne @LIGO.
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Physicists' latest achievement with neutral atoms paves the way for new #quantum computer designs ow.ly/7hVq50Be6mi
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Caltech is doubling the number of students hosted in the WAVE Fellows program (thanks to support from several Institute research centers). WAVE aims to increase the participation of underrepresented students in #STEM doctoral studies.
caltech.edu/about/news/expan…
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At Caltech in the early 1980s, John Hopfield merged his background in physics with neurobiology to create a simple computer model that behaved less like the computers of that time and more like the human brain.
caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
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Today graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021 gathered for a long awaited in-person celebration. Congratulations, graduates! 👏🎓🎉.
Watch the recorded ceremony, including remarks by Distinguished Alumnus @AstroBehnken on YouTube: piped.video/JpkzbiXye7U
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Caltech joins 20 institutions in the West in a lawsuit challenging the DHS/ICE order to revoke foreign student visas.
This action follows a separately filed amicus brief, which Caltech joined with 58 other American universities and colleges.
ow.ly/cJAF50Ay83L
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Caltech mourns the passing of chemistry professor and Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail. ow.ly/4UlB302Rygz
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Congratulations to Nergis Mavalvala, who spent time as a postdoc at Caltech and as a staff scientist with @LIGO, on being named the new dean of MIT’s School of Science! 👏 news.mit.edu/2020/nergis-mav…
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We celebrate Professor Cisse’s accomplishments and are proud to share that he joined Caltech earlier this year as a professor of physics with @PMACaltech!
We’re highlighting outstanding Black researchers in the US to celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth. Today we recognize @IbrahimCisse_, MIT associate professor of physics and biology and recipient of the 2021 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science #BHM
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We remember the life and work of geologist Leon Silver, recognized for having taught Apollo astronauts how to perform field geology on the moon, who died on January 31 at age 96.
caltech.edu/about/news/leon-…
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Giants of physics gather every three years at the Solvay Conference (this was the conference at which Einstein and Bohr debated the nature of matter).
This year quantum information and matter was the subject of focus. John Preskill offered this keynote: arxiv.org/abs/2208.08064
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Mark your calendars! Caltech is hosting a two-day celebration, May 11–12, in honor of the beloved physicist's 100th birthday. caltech.edu/news/remembering…
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Touchdown confirmed!
I’m safe on Mars. Perseverance will get you anywhere.
#CountdownToMars
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In a story of lost and stolen #books and scrupulous detective work, a Caltech historian and his former student have unearthed previously uncounted copies of Isaac Newton's groundbreaking science book "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica." ow.ly/hEgt50Chbol
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Richard Murray (BS '85) has been named as Chair of Caltech's Division of Biology and Biological Engineering. caltech.edu/about/news/richa…
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Ernie's food fed our stomachs, his kindness fed our souls. Congratulations to Ernie on his retirement—he will be missed.
Story via @ePasadenaNow: ow.ly/YU2g50BUFTL
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This is not a choreographed "dance" - these robots are flying autonomously and not bumping into one another thanks to a system developed by Caltech engineers. ow.ly/CwjK50Az9YP
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A 6.4 magnitude quake occurred at approximately 10:33 am in the Ridgecrest area of Southern California. The quake was felt on the Caltech campus, however no damage and no injuries have been observed or reported. We are working with local agencies and monitoring the situation.
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Congratulations to Caltech alumnus John F. Clauser (BS ‘64) who shares the 2022 #NobelPrize in Physics “for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities pioneering quantum information science.”
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Congratulations to @davidvanvalen on being named a 2020 Rita Allen Foundation Scholar. This award is given to early-career biomedical scientists whose research "holds exceptional promise for revealing new pathways to advance human health."
ow.ly/eyLb50ATXJX
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Can't tell a striker from a right midfielder? Yisong Yue's computer algorithm can. Read more about the technology at caltech.edu/news/training-ma…
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What if a vaccine could protect against pandemics that haven’t happened yet?
A new vaccine candidate from the @BjorkmanLab produces immunity against #COVID19 variants and a spectrum of additional related viruses.
👉 caltech.edu/about/news/sars-…
ALT This infographic illustrates the new vaccine, composed of RBDs from eight different viruses. A table shows the broad spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 variants and related coronaviruses that the vaccine induces protection against
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Alumnus, Caltech Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus, and visionary philanthropist Gordon Earle Moore (PhD '54), a pioneer of the modern electronics industry and a cofounder of Intel Corporation, passed away on March 24, 2023. He was 94 years old.
caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
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We remember Masakazu (Mark) Konishi, who passed away on July 23 at age 87.
Konishi was renowned for his work on the neuroscience underlying the behavior of owls and songbirds, and an adviser to dozens of scientists in his nearly 40 years with Caltech. ow.ly/rjEH50AHJmP
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Framing matters.
We are so excited to see Frances Arnold’s portrait hung alongside those of other notable individuals such as @Lin_Manuel Miranda and @IndraNooyi in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. vanityfair.com/style/photos/…
ALT Portrait of Nobel laureate Frances Arnold by Katy Grannan for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
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At last night's #Feynman100 event at Beckman Auditorium, the audience enjoyed an evening filled with lots of memories, laughter, and a few surprises! If you missed it, you can still watch the entire program at ustream.tv/caltech.
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Caltech is honored to partner with @NASA in continued management of @NASAJPL for the next five years. caltech.edu/news/caltech-awa…
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Want to take a Caltech course on machine learning? Now's your chance! @edXonline #MOOC #MachineLearning edx.org/course/learning-data…
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A new camera developed in the lab of Lihong Wang is capable of taking as many as 70 trillion frames per second. That's fast enough to see waves of light traveling and the fluorescent decay of molecules. 🤯
ow.ly/VLEF50zAh2w
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We are disappointed and saddened to announce that our undergraduate program must be fully remote in fall 2020. New protocols released by LA County preclude in-person instruction and on-campus dormitory living, which necessitates this decision. (1/5)
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“Innovation comes straight out of diversity. ... The diversity of Caltech is what makes us innovative.” -@francesarnold
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Caltech physicists and their colleagues using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) @CERN have made a new observation of very rare events that could help take physics beyond its current understanding of the world. caltech.edu/about/news/exper…
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#OTD in 1994, the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook up Southern California. @DrLucyJones remembers the day and explains how it heralded a new era in earthquake research.
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Congratulations to Kimberly See (@echemkim) for winning a 2019 Beckman Young Investigator Award! See will use the award money to fund her research into new battery technologies. 🔋 ow.ly/H8Wq50uwKfr
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Read more about Barry Barish and Kip Thorne (BS '62), winners of the 2017 #NobelPrize in Physics caltech.edu/news/barish-and-…
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David Baltimore, President Emeritus and the Judge Shirley Hufstedler Professor of Biology, Emeritus at Caltech and a co-recipient of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, passed away on September 6, 2025. He was 87 years old.
caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
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.@NASAJPL News: NASA Voyager 2 could be nearing interstellar space. caltech.edu/news/jpl-news-na…
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New study shows that individuals with anxiety escape distant threats of danger sooner ow.ly/AXM250un2lz
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Remember when @NASAInSight landed and we were all excited because of the mole that #Caltech folks helped test? (And remember the awesome @Oatmeal comic explaining how amazing the mole is?)
Well, it's time - @NASAInSight has released the mole! ow.ly/eOrv50lkbPJ
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Seismologists from Caltech are using fiber optic cables to monitor and record the aftershocks from the 2019 #Ridgecrest earthquake sequence in greater detail than previously possible.
Read about how it works here: ow.ly/GRxn50vaum8
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For the first time in nine years, astronauts heading to the #ISS will launch from American soil.
Caltech alumnus Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) will be one of a pair of astronauts aboard this historic flight, a partnership between @NASA and @SpaceX nasa.gov/nasalive
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Happy #DemotionDay!
#OTD in 2006, the International Astrophysical Union (IAU) officially demoted Pluto based on @plutokiller's discovery of Eris, which was calculated to be slightly more massive than Pluto.
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Caltech mourns the passing of Harry Jeffrey Kimble, a giant in the field of physics, who died on September 2.
caltech.edu/about/news/calte…
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And with that... it's official! Our #Caltech2020 graduates have joined the ranks of @CaltechAlumni!
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