In the Media | Photonics Center

The Science of Memory with Steve Ramirez

July 30, 2026

Steve Ramirez is an associate professor at Boston University, where he runs a lab dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of memory. How memory works, and importantly, how it doesn’t, are crucial questions for understanding everything from the validity of eyewitness testimony to understanding how people overcome traumatic experiences.

Steve Ramirez

New York Post

Scientists float bizarre solution to protect us from solar storms — shooting a giant ‘airbag’ into space

July 2, 2026

Researchers have proposed an unorthodox way to shield our planet from the constant barrage of solar storms — launching a giant satellite “airbag” into space to mitigate their worst effects. This interstellar sunscreen proposal, dubbed the StormWall, was detailed in a study in the journal Space Weather.

Brian Walsh

Nautilus

How to Protect Earth Against Violent Space Weather

June 22, 2026

A conversation with a scientist who invented a new storm wall for space

Brian Walsh

Spectroscopy

Exploring Emerging Photophysical Phenomena

June 18, 2026

Minjung Son, an assistant professor of chemistry at Boston University, and her group is developing nanomaterials and polaritons, which is important for energy conversion technologies.

Minjung Son

C&EN

Cellular sunscreen helps boost rice yields

June 17, 2026

Plant protein that detects singlet oxygen can also protect against it

Minjung Son

Space.com

Scientists propose spraying chemicals into Earth’s magnetic field to protect us from powerful solar storms

June 8, 2026

A team led by Brian Walsh of Boston University has proposed a bold method to actively strengthen Earth's natural defense using a fleet of spacecraft designed to blunt the impact of space weather before it hits.

Brian Walsh

NPR

How to keep Ebola patients alive

May 29, 2026

Ebola kills roughly half the people it infects, but that has more to do with the kind of care patients can access, rather than something inherent to the virus itself.

John Connor

Knowable Magazine

How to tame AI’s voracious appetite for energy

May 21, 2026

Scientists are exploring new algorithms, hardware and computing methods to lower AI’s power demands. Strategic siting of datacenters and other steps to increase green energy use are also key.

Ajay Joshi

NSF

Photonic Quantum Chips Promise Fast Future | Podcast

April 26, 2026

The future of quantum information science and engineering promises computers with unprecedented speed and capabilities. Miloš Popović, an NSF-supported associate professor, discusses a collaboration that has built a photonic quantum system into a traditional electronic chip.