What can Pokémon character names teach us about language?
With Pikachu back on the big screen, USC researchers are taking a serious look at the linguistics of the Pokémon universe to better grasp how the brain processes language.
Plan to recycle aircraft scrap wins USC Wrigley Sustainability Prize
This USC-grown research team has built a prize-winning chemical process to extract and resell in-demand carbon fibers from airplane carcasses.
Social media entrepreneurs: Community leaders or corporate sellouts?
USC Annenberg’s David Craig delves into the fragile distinction between leading an online community and being a corporate-backed influencer.
Why do certain innovative ideas succeed? The answer may be hidden in millions of documents
A two-year project, funded by the National Science Foundation, brings USC and Stanford researchers together to comb through mountains of text data and determine what fuels new concepts that last.
How intelligent workstations will use AI to improve health and happiness
Do you want to be warm or cold? Is it time to stand rather than sit? An interdisciplinary team — made up of designers and USC professors — is using AI to create tech-savvy desks with health and well-being in mind.
How autonomous ships can lead to safer waterways
To remove the human error that causes so many marine collisions, USC researchers are exploring driverless ships that rely on data analytics and artificial intelligence.
To make self-driving cars safer, researchers test what they ‘see’
A new USC study looks to soothe fears over self-driving cars by identifying errors in their perception algorithms before they hit the road.
Unpacking the mysteries of beatboxing: Linguists and engineers team up
Beatboxers expertly manipulate their vocal tracts to make sounds unknown in any language. Through the use of cutting-edge MRIs, USC researchers plan to find out how they do it.
This Tiny Fish Could Unlock Mysteries About Growing Old
The killifish are coming to USC, and they might just have the answers to holding back aging.
For Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, thoughtful design can have big impact
New research from a USC professor reinforces the value of designing to maximize natural light, especially for aging adults with a variety of health issues.
How tobacco companies use social media to hook a new generation of smokers
USC’s Robert Kozinets documents how Big Tobacco is crafting creative Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns — with dubious motives.
Childhood love of chemistry leads to large-scale energy research and coveted Sloan Fellowship
After being inspired by science as a child in Romania, Smaranda Marinescu draws inspiration from nature to develop efficient and inexpensive catalysts for harnessing energy from renewable sources.
Using artificial intelligence tools to identify levels of violence in movies
A new AI tool, developed by PhD students at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, can assess the amount of violence in movies and help producers, screenwriters and studios predict MPAA ratings.
USC researchers find new evidence of deep groundwater on Mars
The scientists’ new study suggests the deep groundwater could still be active, and in a broader geographical area than previously considered.
Satellite built by USC students ready for launch
It’s the third time USC has built and delivered a miniature satellite, or CubeSat, for space.
How wastewater treatment plants spread antibiotic resistance — with potentially dire consequences
USC researchers find that even low concentrations of a single type of antibiotic leads to resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics. What will happen if antibiotics are no longer effective?
The Better Batteries That Will Power Your Phone — and a Green Future
As the world’s energy demands grow, batteries could be key to storing sustainable energy.
Researchers develop algorithm through which robot learns to walk
The work opens exciting possibilities for understanding human movement, creating responsive prosthetics and developing robots that adapt to complex and changing environments.
New tool tracks injuries in older adults, helps in fighting elder abuse
The Geriatric Injury Documentation Tool emerged from a new study led by Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Laura Mosqueda, which confirms the need for improved documentation.
Diet reverses Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in lab model
The findings — focused on components contained in green tea and carrots — lend credence to the idea that certain readily available, plant-based supplements might offer protection against dementia in people.
Fasting-mimicking diet holds promise for people with digestive problem
USC study indicates periodic low-calorie diet could help patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A clinical trial shows reduction of inflammation.
Scientists use satellite technology to detect and ultimately prevent genocide
At USC Dornsife’s Spatial Sciences Institute, Andrew Marx uses satellites and data such as crowdsourced mapping to analyze and inform human migration and refugee policy.
What if your broken shoe could repair itself?
USC Viterbi researchers have developed 3D-printed rubber materials that can fix themselves, a potential game changer for industries like shoes, tires, soft robotics and even electronics.
New method uses AI to screen for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
The tool uses a camera and computer vision to record patterns in children’s eye movements and compares them to other children’s patterns.