Daniel Strain
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Articles by Daniel Strain
How bright is the universe's glow? Study offers best measurement yet
Scientists have traveled to the edges of the solar system, virtually, at least, to capture the most accurate measurements to date of the faint glow that permeates the universe-a phenomenon known as the cosmic optical background. The new study, published Aug. 28 in The Astrophysical Journal, draws on observations from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which whizzed past Pluto in 2015 and is now nearly 5.5 billion miles from Earth.
After decades in space Voyager 1's conclusion nears
For nearly 50 years, NASA's Voyager 1 mission has competed for the title of deep space's little engine that could. Launched in 1977 along with its twin, Voyager 2, the spacecraft is now soaring more than 15 billion miles from Earth. On their journeys through the solar system, the Voyager spacecraft beamed startling images back to Earth-of Jupiter and Saturn, then Uranus and Neptune and their moons.
5 upcoming trips to the moon and how CU Boulder scientists are involved
Selfie taken by "Athena," a lunar lander built by the company Intuitive Machines, which launched for the moon Feb. 26. (Credit: Intuitive Machines) Editor's note: This story was originally published on March 4, 2025, and has been updated for International Moon Day 2026. The next few years will be a busy time for CU Boulder’s “lunatics”—what astrophysicist Jack Burns calls scientists who have a passion for exploring the moon.
4 upcoming trips to the moon and how CU Boulder scientists are involved
Selfie taken by "Athena," a lunar lander built by the company Intuitive Machines, which launched for the moon Feb. 26. (Credit: Intuitive Machines) Editor's note: This story was originally published on March 4, 2025, and has been updated for International Moon Day 2026. The next few years will be a busy time for CU Boulder’s “lunatics”—what astrophysicist Jack Burns calls scientists who have a passion for exploring the moon.
Neuroscience presents a naturalized theory of consciousness
A new theory says that when ions interact with a neural membrane, that physical process creates a hologram — a detailed internal model of the world around us.
Neuroscience presents a naturalized theory of consciousness
A new theory says that when ions interact with a neural membrane, that physical process creates a hologram — a detailed internal model of the world around us.
Two to tango: Study shows dancers’ brains sync up as they move together
Scientists at CU Boulder have discovered something that experienced ballroom dancers have long known: When dancers are in tune with each other, their brains may sync up, helping them move as one. “When we dance, our brains are actually coupling,” said Thiago Roque, a graduate student in the ATLAS Institute who led the study.
CUriosity: What are Colorado's iconic birds—and how can you see them?
In CUriosity, experts across the CU Boulder campus answer questions about humans, our planet and the universe beyond. Scott Taylor, associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and director of the Mountain Research Station at CU Boulder, shares some local birds you may never have heard of. Male greater sage grouse inflates its air sacs while trying to attract mates in spring. (Credit: Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management) Ah, spring.
Water on the moon? New study narrows down the mostly likely locations
Water likely accumulated on the moon slowly over billions of years, rather than during one big event, according to a new study by an international team of scientists The researchers, including Paul Hayne, a planetary scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder, published their findings April 7 in the journal Nature Astronomy. The study gets at a lunar mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades.
In a South Carolina swamp, researchers uncover secrets of firefly synchrony
Long-exposure photo of a firefly swarm in Congaree. Credit: Nolan Bonnie In the middle of the old-growth forests of Congaree National Park in South Carolina, fireflies put on an otherworldly display every May. Thousands of male insects belonging to the species Photuris frontalis flash together at the same time and follow the exact same pattern—a synchronous light show you can see only in few places in the United States.
In a South Carolina swamp, researchers uncover secrets of firefly synchrony
In the middle of the old-growth forests of Congaree National Park in South Carolina, fireflies put on an other-worldly display every May. Thousands of male insects belonging to the species Photuris frontalis flash together at the same time and follow the exact same pattern-a synchronous light show you can see only in few places in the United States. Scientists and nature lovers have long been fascinated by how such simple insects can work together in perfect harmony.
Compact vacuum ultraviolet laser may improve nanotechnology and power nuclear clocks
A specially designed chamber that converts visible light into vacuum ultraviolet light in a new laser. Credit: Kapteyn-Murnane Group Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have demonstrated a new kind of vacuum ultraviolet laser that is 100 to 1,000 times more efficient than existing technologies of its kind.
Compact vacuum ultraviolet laser may improve nanotechnology and power nuclear clocks
AEG Presents is going all in on Boulder, packing Folsom Field with stadium-size shows that are meant to turn the University of Colorado campus into a …
CUriosity: Why does Colorado have so many hot springs, and are they at risk?
In CUriosity, experts across the CU Boulder campus answer questions about humans, our planet and the universe beyond. Shemin Ge, professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, shares how a source of clean energy known as geothermal power could pose unexpected risks to Colorado's iconic hot springs. Visitors enjoy a winter dip in Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. (Credit: Adobe Stock) Shemin Ge remembers a winter drive she took around Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Why do we get a skip in our step when we're happy? Thank dopamine
Subject "reaches" for a target on a computer screen, while Alaa Ahmed and Colin Korbisch follow the data. (Credit: Jesse Morgan Petersen/CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science) New research by engineers at CU Boulder aims to get to the bottom of why, as the saying goes, you get a “skip in your step” when you’re happy. The study highlights the central role that dopamine, a brain chemical associated with reward, seems to play in making people move faster when they want something.
Bushbabies reclassified as 'near threatened.' Scientists share how to protect these adorable primates
Tick-tailed bushbaby. Credit: Michelle Sauther Frank Cuozzo and Michelle Sauther first traveled to South Africa in 2012 to search for some of the most unusual primates on Earth—bushbabies. These animals are nocturnal and small, often around the size of a housecat. Bushbabies have big ears, round eyes and get their names from the eerie, wailing noises they make at night.
Bushbabies reclassified as 'near threatened.' Scientists share how to protect these adorable primates
Frank Cuozzo and Michelle Sauther first traveled to South Africa in 2012 to search for some of the most unusual primates on Earth-bushbabies. These animals are nocturnal and small, often around the size of a housecat. Bushbabies have big ears, round eyes and get their names from the eerie, wailing noises they make at night. Two species of bushbabies are native to South Africa: The thick-tailed bushbaby ( Otolemur crassicaudatus) and the Moholbushbaby ( Galago moholi).
Astrobiologists search for alien life and help life on Earth in the process
On Earth, life thrives in some of the most seemingly inhospitable environments. Single-celled organisms like bacteria teem in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, where temperatures reach nearly 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). Others dwell deep underground or several miles above Earth's surface in the stratosphere. For years, scientists in a field called astrobiology have sought out these organisms.
What is 'romantasy,' and why can't readers get enough?
This Valentine's Day, love is in the air-and so are magic, flaming arrows, fairies, dragons and more. Last year, "Onyx Storm," the third book in Rebecca Yarros' Empyrean series, took the publishing industry by, well, storm. The book follows a dragon rider named Violet and her family, friends, lovers and exes at Basgiath War College. It sold 2.7 million copies in its first week on bookshelves, a 20-year record for literature marketed toward adults.
Project aims to improve multilingual emergency alerting in Colorado
On Dec. 30, 2021, people living Colorado's Boulder County began receiving urgent alerts on their phones. The Marshall Fire, which had started that morning, was growing, and county officials were urging some locals to evacuate their homes. Those warnings likely saved lives. But, in the years that followed, reporting from several news organizations revealed flaws in the alerting system. Many residents never received an alert, while those that did only received one in English.
Illustration showing NASA's Orion spacecraft returning to Earth. Credit: NASA Picture a spacecraft returning to Earth after a long journey. The vehicle slams into the planet's atmosphere at roughly 17,000 miles per hour. A shockwave erupts. Molecules in the air are ripped apart, forming a plasma—a gas made of charged particles that can reach tens of thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, many times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Scientists Just Created Tiny Earthquakes Inside a Microchip
Researchers have created a phonon laser that generates tiny, earthquake-like vibrations on a chip. The advance could simplify smartphone hardware while boosting speed and efficiency. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.com Engineers have learned how to create tiny earthquakes on a microchip—and it could change how smartphones are built. Engineers have developed a new way to create extremely small vibrations that resemble miniature earthquakes.
Faculty share 7 must-watch films from Sundance Film Festival's 40-year history
, instruction support manager, is the director of the International Film Series program. Based at CU Boulder, the program showcases films from around the world for students and community members. Christopher Nolan's sophomore film, "Memento," demonstrates the Sundance Film Festival's unique ability to spot powerful filmmakers in the indie scene-at a point in their careers when taking big swings is the only way to stand out.
Donated blood has a shelf life, and a new test tracks how it ages
A new device that tests the aging of red blood cells. Credit: Xiaoyun Ding A new, fast and easy test could revolutionize blood transfusions, giving blood centers and hospitals a reliable way to monitor the quality of red blood cells after they sit for weeks in storage. The project is a collaboration between engineers and medical researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and University of Colorado Anschutz. The team's device hasn't yet been approved for use.
Donated blood has a shelf life. A new test tracks how it's aging
A new, fast and easy test could revolutionize blood transfusions-giving blood centers and hospitals a reliable way to monitor the quality of red blood cells after they sit for weeks in storage. The project is a collaboration between engineers and medical researchers at CU Boulder and CU Anschutz. The team's device hasn't yet been approved for use. But the group hopes that it could one day help the United States better manage its precious blood supply.
An earthquake on a chip: New tech could make smartphones smaller, faster Original
by Daniel Strain for UCB News Boulder CO (SPX) Jan 15, 2026 A team of engineers has made major strides in generating the tiniest earthquakes imaginable. The team's device, known as a surface acoustic wave phonon laser, could one day help scientists make more sophisticated versions of chips in cellphones and other wireless devices, potentially making those tools smaller, faster and more efficient.
New tech generates tiny waves, could make smartphones smaller, faster
The team's device, known as a surface acoustic wave phonon laser, could one day help scientists make more sophisticated versions of chips in cellphones and other wireless devices-potentially making those tools smaller, faster and more efficient. The study was conducted by Matt Eichenfield, an incoming faculty member at the University of Colorado Boulder, and scientists from the University of Arizona and Sandia National Laboratories. The researchers published their findings Jan.
Study offers possible solution to a gravitational wave mystery
Image collected by the Hubble Space Telescope of an object called NGC 2623, which is made up of two galaxies in the final stages of merging together. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder may have solved a pressing mystery about the universe's gravitational wave background. That's the name for the ripples in space and time that move constantly through the cosmos and "jiggle us almost like Jell-O," according to CU Boulder astrophysicist Julie Comerford.
New study examines a gravitational wave mystery
Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder may have solved a pressing mystery about the universe's gravitational wave background. That's the name for the ripples in space and time that move constantly through the cosmos and "jiggle us almost like Jell-O," according to CU Boulder astrophysicist Julie Comerford.
Technology for OEM Design Engineers
By Daniel Strain, University of Colorado Boulder Physicists at University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) have designed a new material for insulating windows that could improve the energy efficiency of buildings worldwide -- and it works a bit like a high-tech version of Bubble Wrap. The team's material, called Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator, or MOCHI, comes in large slabs or thin sheets that can be applied to the inside of any window.
Physicist Jun Ye named to Quantum 100 list
This week, UNESCO named physicist Jun Ye to its Quantum 100 list -a catalogue of some of the top leaders around the world in the rapidly growing field of quantum science. Ye holds the Monroe Endowed Professorship in Physics at CU Boulder and is a fellow at JILA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Why hasn't it snowed much this year, and what does that mean for Colorado?
Jennifer Kay has a message for the skies above Colorado: "Let it snow." Kay is an atmospheric scientist who, in her free time, likes to go cross-country skiing in the Rocky Mountains. But this year, the season's typical white-out blizzards haven't arrived. Denver didn't get its first snow-a wimpy dusting of just 0.2 inches-until Nov. 29, the second latest first snow on record. Temperatures around the Front Range have also been downright balmy, drawing close to or even setting record highs.
New window insulation blocks heat, but not your view
Physicists at CU Boulder have designed a new material for insulating windows that could improve the energy efficiency of buildings worldwide-and it works a bit like a high-tech version of Bubble Wrap. The team's material, called Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator, or MOCHI, comes in large slabs or thin sheets that can be applied to the inside of any window. So far, the team only makes the material in the lab, and it's not available for consumers.
Mars spacecraft observes comet from outside our solar system
This summer, scientists spotted an incredibly rare visitor to Earth's solar system-a comet, now known as 3I/ATLAS, that entered our solar system from the galaxy beyond and is zipping past the sun at a speed of about 137,000 miles per hour. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder has gotten an unprecedented opportunity to observe this visitor from interstellar space.
New research on flares from a hot-tempered star could inform search for habitable planets
Like a toddler right before naptime, TRAPPIST-1 is a small yet moody star. This little star, which sits in the constellation Aquarius about 40 light-years from Earth, spits out bursts of energy known as "flares" about six times a day. New research led by CU Boulder takes the deepest look yet at the physics behind TRAPPIST-1's celestial temper tantrums. The team's findings could help scientists search for habitable planets beyond Earth's solar system.
Close brush with two hot stars millions of years ago left a mark just beyond our solar system
Map of the local interstellar clouds just outside Earth's solar system, with blue arrows showing in what directions these clouds are moving. The yellow arrow indicates the direction of the sun's own motion. Credit: NASA/Adler/U. Chicago/Wesleyan; https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10906 Nearly 4.5 million years ago, two large, hot stars brushed tantalizingly close to Earth's sun.
New sensors measure emissions from soil in real time
Dirt. For millennia, the dark, rich soil underlying farms and gardens worldwide has been central to human survival. It's also a lot more complex than it looks. Within every clump of soil lies an intricate network of bacteria and other microbes that humans depend on for a wide range of reasons. Among other roles, these microorganisms pull elements like nitrogen from the environment and convert them into nutrients that plants need to grow.
Pika research finds troubling signs for the iconic Rocky Mountain animal
A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder carries a warning for one of the Rocky Mountains' most iconic animals—the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a small and fuzzy creature that often greets hikers in Colorado with loud squeaks. The study draws on long-running surveys of pikas living in a single habitat about 10 miles south of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
New pika research finds troubling signs for the iconic Rocky Mountain animal
A new study led by the CU Boulder carries a warning for one of the Rocky Mountains' most iconic animals-the American pika ( Ochotona princeps), a small and fuzzy creature that often greets hikers in Colorado with loud squeaks. The study draws on long-running surveys of pikas living in a single habitat about 10 miles south of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The researchers discovered that the "recruitment "of juveniles to this site seems to have plummeted since the 1980s.
Solar physicist explains this week's colorful Aurora Borealis over the United States
Late on Friday, Nov. 7, Ryan French was flying from Denver to Chicago when he saw something surprising from his window seat: glowing green and purple lights in the skies high above the Midwest. For French, a research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder, the event was a rare opportunity to witness the phenomena he studies.
Solar physicist explains this week's colorful aurora borealis over the US
Late on Friday, Nov. 7, Ryan French was flying from Denver to Chicago when he saw something surprising from his window seat: glowing green and purple lights in the skies high above the Midwest. For French, a research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder, the event was a rare opportunity to witness the phenomena he studies.
Chemists find clues to the origins of buckyballs in space
Far from Earth, in the vast expanses of space between stars, exists a treasure trove of carbon. There, in what scientists call the "interstellar medium," you can find a wide range of organic molecules—from honeycomblike polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to spheres of carbon shaped like soccer balls. In a new study, an international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used experiments on Earth to recreate the chemistry deep in space.
What can horror films teach us about society?
Laura Patterson loves a good scare-turning the lights down, popping on a horror film, and watching the blood splash across the screen. But the scholar, an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Sociology at CU Boulder, believes that horror movies can do more than just creep you out. The genre also reveals a lot about the world we live in. "I like horror movies, on the one hand, just because they're fun, and I think being scared is really fun," she says.
Researchers wake up microbes trapped in permafrost for thousands of years Original
Researchers wake up microbes trapped in permafrost for thousands of years by Daniel Strain for UCB News Boulder CO (SPX) Oct 06, 2025 In a new study, a team of geologists and biologists led by CU Boulder resurrected ancient microbes that had been trapped in ice - in some cases for around 40,000 years. The study is a showcase for the planet's permafrost. That's the name for a frozen mix of soil, ice and rocks that underlies nearly a quarter of the land in the northern hemisphere.
Researchers wake up microbes trapped in permafrost for thousands of years
In a new study, a team of geologists and biologists led by CU Boulder resurrected ancient microbes that had been trapped in ice-in some cases for around 40,000 years. The study is a showcase for the planet's permafrost. That's the name for a frozen mix of soil, ice and rocks that underlies nearly a quarter of the land in the northern hemisphere. It's an icy graveyard where animal and plant remains, alongside plentiful bacteria and other microorganisms, have become stuck in time.
A new study seeks the way
A team of physicists and education researchers is spearheading the largest study of its kind exploring how the United States can meet the needs of the rapidly growing quantum technology industry. The study, which launched in 2024, is led by CU Boulder and Rochester Institute of Technology and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Laboratory for Physical Science Qubit Collaboratory. In recent years, quantum technology companies have begun to pop up across the United States.
Planetary scientist reflects on lessons learned from Mars, Venus and beyond
Shannon Curry remembers the first time she saw the moon up close. She was an undergraduate at Tufts University doing research in Oracle, Arizona, and got the chance to see the moon through a high-powered telescope. Curry had long been interested in space. But now, she could see the ridges of individual craters on the lunar surface in startling detail, making the moon real for her in a way it hadn't been before.
Space instrument launching this week to collect stardust
On Sept. 23, a scientific instrument from Colorado is scheduled to launch into space from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida-beginning its search for very small visitors to our solar system from the galaxy beyond. The Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX) is one of 10 instruments flying aboard NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP).
What nations around the world can learn from Ukraine
When Russia mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many outsiders expected the worst. Predictions swirled that the capital city of Kyiv would fall in a matter of days or weeks. But Kyiv, which is home to nearly 3 million people, is still standing today. So is the majority of Ukraine, even though the country has experienced extreme losses.
Physicists create a new kind of time crystal that humans can actually see
Imagine a clock that doesn't have electricity, but its hands and gears spin on their own for all eternity. In a new study, physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used liquid crystals, the same materials that are in your phone display, to create such a clock—or, at least, as close as humans can get to that idea.
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