Science and Technology

The design of next-generation nuclear power plants and other critical energy facilities will undoubtedly be influenced by the Japanese tsunami and its devastating effects on Japan's nuclear reactors, says Michael C. Constantinou, PhD, professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering at the University at Buffalo.

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of northern Japan and the tsunami it triggered demonstrate the need for an integrated approach to preparing for, mitigating and responding to extreme events, say researchers at the University at Buffalo, MCEER and the UB Center for GeoHazards Studies, who spoke to media in a briefing Friday on UB's North Campus. Video commentary from UB faculty experts is available here: http://bit.ly/eeUn1S

Scientists and engineers at the University at Buffalo and UB's MCEER (Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research) will be available to discuss with media the powerful magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck the northern coast of Japan and has triggered tsunamis and evacuations throughout half the world.

In a new study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, University at Buffalo researcher Michael A. Stefanone, PhD, and colleagues found that females who base their self worth on their appearance tend to share more photos online and maintain larger networks on online social networking sites.

Computer scientists at the University at Buffalo and at Janya Inc. have developed the first software system that will allow for computational processing of documents in Urdu, Pakistan's national language and one of the world's five most-spoken languages.

Esther Takeuchi, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Greatbatch Professor of Advanced Power Sources at the University at Buffalo, will be one of nine living inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, according to an announcement today by the NIHF, which honors legendary inventors whose innovations have changed the world.

Researchers at the University at Buffalo and Amrita University in India have developed the framework for a smart environment that can track people's whereabouts without the use of invasive technologies such as constant filming or radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The new tracking method could improve safety and security in nursing homes, hospitals and other closed spaces while providing occupants with freedom from continuous surveillance.

The cofounders of New York City-based design firm Weiss/Manfredi will speak at the University at Buffalo today (Wednesday, Feb. 23) in a lecture honoring Sydney Gross, a School of Architecture and Planning student who died following a car accident on July 24, 2009.

New nanomaterials research from the University at Buffalo could lead to new solutions for an age-old public health problem: how to separate bacteria from drinking water.

There's never been a dull University at Buffalo moment for Kourtney Brown. Standing 6-feet-tall, Brown is a star athlete on the women's basketball team, as her recent record-breaking 35-point scoring night against Miami of Ohio shows.