Off the Top...

Duke Cosmologists Celebrate the Rubin Observatory’s First Images

Last week, Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium displayed the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory — stunning views of the cosmos that mark a major milestone in astronomy. The event celebrated the work of Duke’s cosmology group, whose faculty, students and postdocs have played key roles in the observatory’s development, from software and data analysis to camera instrumentation and on-site commissioning in Chile. The Rubin Observatory will photograph the entire sky every three days for a decade, generating unprecedented data to study dark energy, galaxy formation and even potentially hazardous asteroids. For Duke researchers, these images signal the beginning of transformative discoveries about the universe and space-time itself.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is supported by both the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Pictures Worth a Billion Words

Federally Funded Research at Duke...

Scientists Can Tell How Fast You’re Aging From a Single Brain Scan

A new brain scan-based tool developed by Duke researchers and their collaborators can measure how fast someone is aging—years before symptoms of dementia or chronic illness emerge. By identifying at-risk individuals while they’re still healthy, this innovation opens the door to early lifestyle changes and interventions that could delay or even prevent serious age-related diseases. In tests across global datasets, faster brain aging predicted higher risks of dementia, cognitive decline, and chronic health issues—even premature death. The research offers a powerful new way to forecast long-term health and accelerate the fight against diseases like Alzheimer’s.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Brain Game

Ocean ‘Greening’ at Poles Could Spell Changes for Fisheries

A new study from Duke researchers finds ocean waters are turning greener at the poles and bluer near the equator—signaling changes in phytoplankton, the microscopic algae that form the foundation of marine food webs. As phytoplankton decline in equatorial waters, regions that depend on these ecosystems for fishing and food security could face growing challenges. The shift may lead to a redistribution of global fisheries, with potential economic and nutritional impacts for many low- and middle-income countries.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation.

Ocean Greening

More from Duke...

Prehistoric Footprints Found in Duke Paver Stone

A 370-million-year-old fossil trackway discovered in a West Campus walkway has sparked a new research project for Duke paleontologist Alexander Glass. The small footprints, embedded in a slab of Pennsylvania Bluestone near Bostock Library, may have been left by an early land-walking organism—possibly a tetrapod or arthropod. With help from Duke Facilities, the fossil-bearing stone was carefully removed in June and is now being studied and prepared for display in Grainger Hall. Glass hopes further analysis will shed light on the origin of the tracks and add to our understanding of early animal movement on land.

Prehistoric Paver Prints

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