Science & Tech

In Rural West Texas, Measles Outbreak Signals Concerns over Federal Changes

byMadeline De Figueiredo

Amid concerns that Trump administration policies have reduced access to public health data, the Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed a measles outbreak in Gaines County, which borders New Mexico, with six cases reported so far.

Understanding the Incredibly Rare Total Solar Eclipse in Central Texas

byIsabella McGovern

With excitement over the eclipse reaching a fever pitch, Reporting Texas asked Anita Cochran, a senior research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin and assistant director of the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis to share her insight into this once-in-a-lifetime event.

From Texas to the Peruvian Amazon, a UT Researcher Preserves a Dying Language

byMichael Nolan

Nestled deep in the Amazon basin, a makeshift house sits alongside a rustic nut storage facility. Two of the occupants of this house in Peru’s remote Madre de Dios District might be the last chance of survival for the endangered language Iñapari. 
Meanwhile, over 3,000 miles away, a doctoral student is huddled over his laptop at the University of Texas at Austin. Barrett Hamp, a UT doctoral student in linguistics, has dedicated his research since 2019 to recording the indigenous language in Peru to prevent it from disappearing.  “Once a language is gone, it’s gone.  There’s no reviving it,” Hamp said.

Can’t Eclipse the Fun: How Central Texans Experienced a Rare Celestial Show

byAnissa Sanchez, Katrina L. Spencer and Michelle Lavergne

After a summer spent trying to get away from the sun, Central Texans couldn’t take their eyes off of it Saturday — safely, of course.
Through protective glasses, they watched a solar eclipse in which the moon covered 93 percent of the sun just before noon.
Reporting Texas reporters documented how some Austinites celebrated and experienced Saturday’s heavenly event.

Omitting ‘Rare’ When Ordering A Medium Rare Burger

byAmber Williams

As a child Juan Samuel Reyes chose to remain silent even when he had something to say. But now Reyes is one of several students who stutter at the University of Texas at Austin learning to communicate effectively while accepting their stutter through practice, community and advocacy. “I’m in the process of becoming more comfortable […]

Texans Heading to Cyber Games to Tackle Tomorrow’s Digital Challenges

byAndrew Logan

Two Texans have been selected by the U.S. Cyber Games to join its inaugural national team, which will represent the United States in the International Cybersecurity Challenge in Athens, Greece, in June.

Esports Gaming Seeks Validation from University

byDane Byrd and Thomas Galindo

Esports, or competitive gaming, has been growing on college campuses nationwide including here at the University of Texas at Austin. On their official website, Longhorn Gaming defines themselves as “the central hub for casual and competitive gaming at the University of Texas at Austin.” Longhorn Gaming has 23 teams competing in leagues for games across multiple genres […]

Texas A&M Entomologist Provides Insight on Global Locust Devastation

byTyler Lewis

Hojun Song, a professor in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M, has been researching grasshoppers and crickets, with a focus on the evolution of swarming locusts. Reporting Texas spoke with Song on the video conferencing app Zoom about his research.

 

Austin-based Roommates Develop Low-cost Ventilator Unit Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

byNataleah Small

Two Austin-based roommates have developed a low-cost ventilator unit made from parts widely available around the world in response to global shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In vitro testing on pig lungs for their prototype could begin soon at Dell Medical School. 

UT Scientist’s Research Should Shorten Path to Novel Coronavirus Vaccine

byAimée Knight

Jason McLellan works with the spike proteins that give the virus its shape and allow it to attach to receptors on human cells and begin to replicate.

Boiz Being Boiz: Group Members Find Identity, Community Through Drag

byHope Lenamon

Boiz of Austin aims to tear down barriers and redefine what it means to be a king in the queen-dominated world of drag.

An Undergrad Astronomy Major Helps Revolutionize Her Field

bySahar Chmais

Anne Dattilo, 22-year-old physics and astronomy undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin, discovered two exoplanets, or planets outside Earth’s solar system.