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Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences

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NASA turns to BYU for critical Mars research ahead of human missions

June 17, 2019
A multidisciplinary team of BYU chemistry and engineering researchers has been tasked by NASA to develop a system to measure the size and electrical charge of Mars dust — a detail seemingly innocuous, yet critical to the success of human missions to the Red Planet.
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Interim dean for College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences

May 29, 2019
Brigham Young University Academic Vice President James R. Rasband has announced that Gus L. W. Hart has been named interim dean of the BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, following the appointment of current dean C. Shane Reese as the academic vice president.
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BYU researchers find new target for pancreatic cancer treatment

February 05, 2019
One of the biggest challenges to cancer therapy is that cancer cells adapt to their environment and become resistant to treatment. New research by BYU professor John Price and grad student Monique Speirs found a way to slow this adaptation process — technically called metabolic reprogramming — in one of the most difficult cancers to treat: pancreatic cancer.
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100 years later: Find out who in your family was a WWI veteran

November 07, 2018
Joshua Seth Hunt grew up knowing he carried the namesake of his great granduncle, Moroni Seth McConkie, who was killed in a French train accident while serving in World War I.
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Dust storms on Saturn’s largest moon: what can they tell us about Earth’s dunes?

October 08, 2018
The images showed three unusual brightenings over fields of dunes near the equator of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Captured by the Cassini spacecraft, the images provided a glimpse of an environmental phenomenon only otherwise seen on Earth and Mars: dust storms.
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BYU internet security research garners Facebook praise

August 19, 2018
You know the green lock in the corner of your browser? That symbol represents thousands of lines of code program developers went through to encrypt your data so an attacker cannot read or modify it. The software used to make your Web communication secure is notoriously hard for developers to use, but a BYU team developed a new system that cuts the thousands of lines of code down to just a few.
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Stopping a tiny — and deadly — fly in its tracks

July 04, 2018
Sixty million people in sub-Saharan Africa live at risk of African sleeping sickness, a disease caused by parasites transmitted through the tsetse fly. In the late stage of the disease, when the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier, the results are oftentimes fatal.
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BYU students win E3 game competition

June 14, 2018
With their genre-bending "Beat Boxers," BYU animation students take the top prize at E3's College Game Competition.  

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Scientists reveal the secrets behind Pluto's dunes 

May 30, 2018
An international team of scientists have discovered a series of dunes on Pluto — a finding that indicates the planet's surface is younger and more dynamic than previously thought.

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Chevron Phillips Chemical teams up with BYU researchers to speed up catalyst development

May 02, 2018
New research from a BYU and Chevron Phillips team could help open doors to tackle “grand challenges in catalysis chemistry.”

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"Alexa, can we have a real conversation?"

April 12, 2018
A team of computer science students is one of eight selected to compete in Amazon’s Alexa Prize Challenge. They were given a $250,000 grant and tasked with programming a bot who can hold a conversation on a range of popular topics.

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BYU research could predict how many homers your favorite MLB player will hit this season (Aaron Judge, anyone?)

March 05, 2018
Using more than 100 years of MLB data, BYU researchers developed a home-run prediction model for current players.

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Meet the new president of math

February 01, 2018
As president of the Math Association of America, BYU's Math Department chair is committed to sharing the joy of math with undergrads across the country.

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Let’s make a deal: Could AI compromise better than humans?

January 19, 2018
BYU researchers developed an algorithm that teaches machines not just to win games, but to cooperate and compromise — and sometimes do a little trash-talking too.

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BYU researcher co-authors paper in world’s top scientific journal

December 18, 2017
Nature paper offers insight into supermassive black holes by looking at a galaxy 8 billion light years away.
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Want safe travels? Find freeways with these features

November 16, 2017
A solid median, wide shoulders, minimal hills — and a high speed limit? BYU researchers explore freeway features that minimize crash risk.

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Researchers use Wikipedia to give AI context clues

September 19, 2017
A team of BYU computer scientists is teaching artificial intelligence agents how to interact with the world in a way that makes sense.

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BYU-created mini tool has massive potential

August 30, 2017
BYU researchers have created a miniaturized, portable version of a tool now capable of analyzing Mars’ atmosphere — and that’s just one of its myriad possible uses.

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