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Pennsylvania businesses brace for upheaval ahead of crucial skill games deadline
From taverns to gas stations to so-called skill games parlors, business owners across the state are bracing for an unknown future as time runs out for...
Ag Progress Days showcases college research, AI tool and animal health updates
Visitors to the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building during Penn State’s 2026 Ag Progress Days, Aug. 11-13, will have the chance to learn more about the college’s cutting-edge research driving innovation in modern agriculture.
Country music star boots duo from his tour because of its use of ‘Satanic imagery’
Twin Temple shared the news on social media.
How ‘skill games’ exploded across Pennsylvania — and sparked a multimillion-dollar political fight
Parx Casino and Pace-O-Matic spent millions battling over Pa. gambling policy. Lawmakers now must decide who wins.
Arts Fest 2026 Friday event, entertainment lineup
From the arts to education and improvisation, day three of the 60th annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has a loaded program of events.
Measles cases surpass 100, now spreading in seven Pa. counties
Pennsylvania has surpassed 100 measles cases this year — a grim milestone reached this week as a dozen new infections were confirmed by state health...
AMC Entertainment (AMC) Among Our Best Penny Stocks According to Billionaires
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AMC) is one of the Best Penny Stocks to Invest In According to Billionaires. Recently, on June 25, AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AMC) announced the closing of a registered direct stock offering by selling 95,250,000 shares at $2.00 each. The company raised approximately $200 million in gross proceeds. Management noted that […]
Pa. to join 38 states and D.C. in collaboration enabling counseling outside state lines
Pennsylvania residents will soon be able to access behavioral healthcare even if they’re out of state or move away, thanks to a bill that passed...
Proposed rule could gut American science, Penn researcher warns
The Trump administration is seeking not only to cut research funding, but to give political appointees veto power over how and what kinds of scientific study are permissible.
Huntsville City FC Names Garvich To Head Business Operations
Penn Garvich, with nearly a decade in sports business experience in the Rocket City, has been named managing director of business operations for the
Country music star announces return to touring: ‘See y’all on the road’
The 42-year-old singer stepped away in June.
Superstars in science: Local students excel at PJAS state competition
Carbondale Area and Mid Valley students competed in the 2026 Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science state competition at Penn State University’s main campus in May. The students presented scientific research projects in science,…
Longtime friends and business partners thrive as architecture grad students
Setareh Farashzadeh and Yasaman Ghaffarian came to Penn State as close friends and established architects in pursuit of the history and theory behind their chosen field. Originally from Iran, the duo started their own practice after earning their bachelor’s degrees and jointly decided to expand their understanding of the built environment. Their interests and underlying friendship led them to the dual master of architecture and master of science in architecture program in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School.
Science on Target: Q2 2026 Research Spotlight
Basic Biology Consortium breaks new ground in ALS In 2022, Target ALS awarded funding to Drs. Jonathan Cooper-Knock (University of Sheffield, project lead) and Michael Snyder (Stanford University), along with fellow consortium members Drs. Ophir Shalem (University of Pennsylvania) and Eran Hornstein (Weizmann Institute), for their project “Exploring the landscape of ALS genetics with machine […]
Hungary moves to overhaul university models banned from Horizon Europe
Hungary’s new government is aiming to overhaul the governance model of the institutions and universities that lost access to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ funds “in a short timeframe,” according to Péter Horváth, the new state secretary for science policy and innovation. “As of today, the two non-university foundation-controlled institutions under my remit have been transformed,” he told Science|Business. “We hope the universities will follow and that this will be enough to satisfy the EU’s demands.”Under the previous government, led by Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, many academic and scientific institutions were restructured and made into special public trust foundations, with members strongly linked to the government given lifelong mandates and significant decision-making powers with little oversight. The European Commission deemed that this undermined academic freedom and transparency in the country, leading to a ban on 34 institutions in 2022, including 21 universities, which saw academics in Hungary lose access to Horizon Europe grants. The new Hungarian government, elected in May and led by Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party, has promised to dismantle this governance model and restore the institutions to EU programmes. As a result, the European Commission has promised to return access to the Erasmus+ education mobility programme, but so far no concrete agreement has been made on the Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation. Hungary has already made legislative changes in June to allow the institutions to be reformed and set a timeline for the implementation.The non-university foundations, which are mainly cultural centres such as the Foundation for Hungarian Culture or the Makovecz Campus Foundation, will all be dissolved by August 31 this year, a date tied to EU-set milestones that Hungary must meet to unlock frozen funds, with control transferred to relevant ministries. Meanwhile, the universities will have until 31 August 2027. For each university foundation, the government will set the dissolution date and the body to take over operations. There is no final decision on a permanent new model for the universities, according to Hungarian MEP Eszter Lakos, who is shadow rapporteur for the Horizon Europe specific programme, a separate piece of legislation detailing implementation rules for the EU’s next research programme, due to start in 2028. “The aim of the transition year is to settle this with [the universities], not to impose a model, and not to put them under state control,” she told Science|Business. “The goal is to give academic independence back to universities.”There are three models that are most likely to be implemented. One would be a return to a traditional, state-run model. Another could be a newer, more self-standing public institution. A third option would be a reformed version of the foundation models that meet EU standards. According to Lakos, the dismantling of the system put in place by the Orbán government is well underway and if all goes according to plan, Hungary could regain access to EU research money by the start of the next academic year in 2027. “I believe that the Hungarian government is doing the necessary changes so the universities could return as beneficiaries to Horizon from the next school year,” she said. In the meantime, “the universities, institutes and cultural assets carry on under proper public stewardship rather than a handful of unaccountable trustees,” said Lakos. The laws passed in June impose new safeguards: board terms are capped at four years and renewable only once, appointments are made through open competitions and sitting politicians cannot join joining these boards.It remains unclear whether a domestic science funding programme set up as a back-up scheme by the former government following the EU funding ban, called HU-rizon, could be continued. “This programme should never have had to have been established in the first place, but it has proven to be quite popular,” he said. “I am considering continuing this programme with a refined focus on helping international collaborations.”Re-organising the research network One of the first priorities for Horváth and his cabinet is to resolve questions over the future of the Hungarian Research Network, Hun-Ren. The network of academic institutes was taken away from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2019 and turned into a quasi-private organisation, with similarities in its governance to the public trust foundations.Horváth and his team have consulted over 5,000 representatives from the network and the conclusion is broad unhappiness with the directors of all the institutes involved. “We have presented the results to the president and the chief executive of the network and this is currently being discussed,” Horváth said. The plan is to re-integrate the network back into the Academy of Sciences but in an improved way, “learning from mistakes of the past,” he added. The government also wants to reintegrate four humanities and social science research centres into the network that the previous government had transferred to Eötvös Loránd University. The transfer brought sharp criticism from the academic community, with a group of Hungarian research heads, including European Research Council grant recipients, sending an open letter to Orbán warning that the transfer would “cause historically significant harm to the entirety of Hungarian scientific life.” The transfer was “one of the biggest shames in Hungarian research in the past 20 years,” Horváth said. “We want to immediately re-integrate them back into the research network and to regain the trust of these institutions, because the way they were treated was really unfair.”Another pressing issue is the Élvonal Excellence Research and Talent Development Foundation, led by Nobel laureate Ferenc Krausz. The foundation signed a financing agreement with the former government earlier this year for a budget of over €730 million over the next five years. The goal is to create a world-class centre to attract top talent from abroad and to develop local researchers. But there was little transparency about this foundation, and news of its huge budget, which is nearly as much as Hungary’s entire research budget, caused a stir in the media following the recent elections. Another issue is that, as with the foundation boards of the institutes banned from Horizon Europe, there was little-to-no oversight of decisions led by Krausz. “It was an excellent idea but an unacceptable execution,” Horváth said of the foundation. “The fact that this is out of the Hungarian funding scheme, mostly concentrating on one person who decides on the budget is unacceptable for us.”The government plans to merge the centre with the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, the country’s R&D funding agency, with a reduced budget. Horváth is hopeful that Krausz will still be involved. The new government’s R&D goalsA phrase that crops up regularly during the discussion with Horváth is “democratic process.” The new state secretary is determined to involve Hungary’s research community in shaping future policies. This marks a departure from the previous government’s approach, and several people in Hungary’s research community have commented on the openness of the new government. In terms of concrete goals, Horváth and his team already have plans. He wants to create a new science fund in Hungary, based on the best practices of other European countries. The fund would not be tied to annual government budgets and would provide long-term, stable financing. “If we were to succeed in creating this fund, then I think it would be one of the biggest achievements for me in this period of government,” Horváth said. On the innovation side, he is looking into how best to bring in the private sector. “We want to make sure that we are working with the private sector to support innovation,” Horváth said. One of his big aims is to introduce entrepreneurship teaching into high schools. Hungary already has a reputable national academy offering research and innovation training in the field of natural sciences, and Horváth wants to expand this to all disciplines and across the whole country. “One of the main ways to elevate our innovative businesses is to teach our children to be innovative,” he said. “This will probably need ten years to pay off, but this is what we should do. Our aim is to make Hungary strong in our region, and this is what is needed.” Related articlesHungary’s Horizon Europe performance in numbersCommission unlocks Erasmus+ cash for Hungary, Horizon could be next‘Academic Huxit.’ Hungarian researchers speak out on impact of EU ban A more difficult task will be funding. The new government is aiming to increase research spending to 2% of the GDP by 2030, and then increase it to 3% in line with EU objectives. Currently, spending sits around 1.3%. But according to Horváth, the current budget, inherited from the previous government, is “heavily in the negative,” so any plans to increase research spending will have to start next year. Achieving 2% by 2030 already needs a big push, almost doubling the research budget. “This is something we’d definitely like to reach, and something I can see us achieving,” he said. “From the 2030s, I’d like to see an innovative generation growing up that can help us reach the 3% target.” Positivity in the new governmentDespite the many challenges facing Horváth and his team, the mood is positive. “It feels a bit like a start-up right now. Everyone is working 24/7, day and night, trying to do as much as they can. There is a lot of energy,” he said. It is a big change for the state secretary who, like many in his cabinet, is coming from a background in research or business, and not in politics. “Six weeks ago, I was sitting with my microscope and my research PhDs, so it’s been a big change for me,” said the computer scientist, who was previously the director of the Institute of Biochemistry at the Hun-Ren Biological Research Centre in Hungary and worked at the Institute for AI for Health at Helmholtz Munich. But he is relishing the task to transform the country’s R&D landscape. “We feel enormous support from the Hungarian people, but also from Europe,” he said. “We’ve received a lot of letters of support from around Europe. There is big trust there, and huge responsibility on our side. We want to get everything back on track, and there’s a lot to do.”
Bipartisan support on US House panel for examining private equity in youth sports
Some Democrats promoted a bill sponsored by Pennsylvania Rep. Chris DeLuzio that would ban private equity from youth sports.
Weekend roundup: Summer entertainment at full blast in July
Things to do in southeastern Pennsylvania this weekend.
Rep. Scott Perry votes against bipartisan affordable housing bill
The Pennsylvania Republican cast one of just 32 votes against the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
A model global health academic partnership flourishes in Botswana
The Botswana-UPenn Partnership has surpassed its goal of addressing HIV/AIDS and has broadened its scope to enhance national access to care and training.
Stomach illness caused by parasite spreading to Pennsylvania and N.J., health officials warn
Do data centers impact our physical health? Studies are few and far between.
There research into physical health impacts related to data centers is still in its early stages, but seems comparable to other industries.
Science news blues
The hemorrhage of local journalists nationwide continues, according to the Local Journalist Index 2026, a project of Rebuilding Local News and Muck Rack.
PENN Entertainment (PENN) Opens New Aurora Casino As Valuation Debate Heats Up
Index moves and a new Illinois casino put PENN in focus PENN Entertainment (PENN) has just opened its US$360 million Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora in Illinois, while also moving from the Russell 1000 family into several Russell 2000 indices. See our latest analysis for PENN Entertainment. The recent opening of Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora and PENN Entertainment’s move into several Russell 2000 indices comes alongside a 50.17% 3 month share price return and a 19.13% 1 year total...
Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State OL Donnie Harbour
Will Donnie Harbour continue to develop to have an impact on Penn State's offensive line in 2026?
Apple’s A20 Pro To Break A 13-Year Convention With The 96-Bit LPDDR6, But Pinches Pennies On The iPhone 18 Pro Duo’s NAND As A Counter
The A20 Pro chip within the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max is reportedly departing from the 64-bit bandwidth that Apple has used for 13 years now.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) To Remain Fully Operational Amid New York Penn Station Redevelopment
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (NYSE:MSGE) is one of the top stocks to buy according to Ariel Investments. On June 9, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (NYSE:MSGE) entered into a non-binding agreement with Penn Transformation Partners for the development of the New York Penn Station. Under the terms of the agreement, Madison Square Garden will […]
Moon school district, PIAA sued after students barred from sports following family’s move
A mother this week sued Moon Area School District and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, alleging her constitutional rights were violated when district administrators barred her sons from playing school sports after the family moved there from the neighboring Sto-Rox district. The civil rights lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court
2 new measles cases reported in Chester County as regional Pennsylvania outbreak grows
A measles outbreak that began in April now includes cases in seven Pennsylvania counties as health officials try to increase vaccination rates.
Jon-Paul Maria named interim head of Materials Science and Engineering
Jon-Paul Maria, Dorothy Pate Enright Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State, has been named interim head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, effective July 1.
SEE IT: Pennsylvania Democrats boot GOP lawmaker from House floor over patriotic America 250 suit
Republican lawmaker Eric Davanzo says he was ejected from the Pennsylvania State House floor for wearing a patriotic suit celebrating America 250.
Federal judge blocks Postal Service from carrying out Trump mail-in ballot order
A federal judge blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing President Donald Trump's executive order on mail-in ballots nationwide, citing a 2020 agreement.
Allegheny Health Network, Heritage Valley finalize combination in Pennsylvania
The deal brings Highmark Health-owned AHN’s hospital count to 16, and the combined system will invest about $285 million over the next decade to bolster Heritage Valley’s facilities.
ArtBeat: Spotlight on the local arts events and entertainment
Here’s a closer look at what you can expect from the area’s events: July 3 First Friday Reception: The Downtown Art Market Gallery in Knoxville invites the community to its First Friday Reception from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. July’s featured artist is Lynnda Tennpenny, who will showcase a collection of mixed-media artwork. Admission is free, […]
Penn State's Rocco Becht praises QB2 Alex Manske
Penn State quarterback Alex Manske faces a critical path forward after an injury sidelined his spring development.
How Investors May Respond To PENN Entertainment (PENN) Aurora Casino Opening And Russell 2000 Shift
PENN Entertainment recently celebrated the grand opening of its new US$360 million Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora in Illinois, while also being moved from the Russell 1000 family of indices into the Russell 2000, Russell 2000 Value, and Russell 2000 Dynamic indices as part of the latest rebalancing. This combination of a large-scale brick-and-mortar investment and a shift toward small-cap and value-oriented index inclusion reshapes how both fundamental and index-tracking investors may...
3 Reasons Why I'm Loading Up on Penn Entertainment in the Second Half of 2026
Penn Entertainment stock is soaring and it has the potential to build on those gains in the second half of 2026.
3 Reasons Why I'm Loading Up on Penn Entertainment in the Second Half of 2026
Penn Entertainment stock is soaring and it has the potential to build on those gains in the second half of 2026.
America at 250: Innovations That Transformed Business
Wharton faculty explore the American business innovations that transformed industries, reshaped markets, and changed the way the world works.
PENN Entertainment Sheds Indiana Bid to Boost Income Tax Base
Penn Entertainment Inc. convinced the Indiana Supreme Court to allow the casino operator to exclude unapportioned wagering taxes it paid to other states from its in-state income tax base.
College basketball returns to KeyBank Center this October with doubleheader
The first game of the day will see Daemen College take on St. John Fisher, followed by Saint Bonaventure taking on Penn State.
LDI and American Healthcare
A news feature from the Pennsylvania Gazette reflects on LDI’s history and leaders, and how they are currently meeting the federal health policy moment.
PENN Entertainment to Report Second Quarter Results and Host Conference Call and Webcast on August 6
PENN Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) announced today that it will release its 2026 second quarter financial results at 7:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, August 6,...
How Penn State Beaver is helping farmers respond sooner to animal health challenges
Penn State Beaver is helping strengthen animal health and agricultural resilience across western Pennsylvania through the Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center, which gives farmers and veterinarians closer access to critical and timely testing.
Here’s where, when to see fireworks in central Pa. this week
You only turn 250 once, but Americans are going to celebrate that anniversary the usual way: with fireworks.
PENN Entertainment: A Cautious Buy As The Turnaround Takes Shape
PENN Entertainment is transitioning from a digital-betting disappointment to a credible turnaround story. Check out why PENN stock is a buy.
Pennsylvania measles outbreak tops 70 cases as health leaders pledge to get spread ‘under control’
The most recent measles outbreak started in the area of Lebanon and Lancaster counties in late April. Cases now span six counties.
Important Penn State prospect makes notable physical transformation
Penn State star Max Granville’s career has been stunted by injuries so far, but his body transformation is sure to excite fans.
Lingering distrust, low vaccine rates threaten containment of Lancaster measles outbreak
LANCASTER, Pa. — A growing distrust of health professionals seems to be undermining their efforts in central and southeastern Pennsylvania to stop...
Senators, Pennsylvania businesses to represent Commonwealth at Great American State Fair
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WHTM) — Pennsylvania will be represented at the Great American State Fair after all. The Commonwealth’s delegation to the U.S. Senate announced a planned “strong…
Egor Shilov Drafted 43rd Overall By Colorado Avalanche
Penn State hockey commit Egor Shilov was drafted 43rd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft: Shilov quickly flew up the NHL Draft radar after an outstanding 2025-26 season with the Victoriaville Tigers of the QMJHL. He had 82 points (32 goals, 50 assists) in the regular season, good for 7th […]
Trump admin rule puts reproductive health care for 160K Pa. patients at risk, lawsuit says
A lawsuit says family planning and health organizations in Pennsylvania could face federal funding delays or denials due to a new Trump administration policy.
Country music icons play final show after 6 decades together: ‘What a run we’ve had’
The popular group thanked fans as it took its final bow.
As Pa. measles outbreak worsens, state health official issue strong call to action: 'We are not just sitting back and watching this virus spread'
LANCASTER, Pa. — State Health Secretary Debra Bogen on Friday issued a strong call to action in the wake of a measles outbreak not seen in Pennsylvania...
Pennsylvania’s Health Secretary unveils plan to combat measles outbreaks
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — Pennsylvania’s Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen was in Lancaster County on Friday, giving an update about the measles outbreak in the state, with most of …
Athlete of the Year finalist: Penn Manor standout provided the power for Comets in 3 sports
Anneli Starry didn’t know what she had in Joelle Kroesen. The Penn Manor girls lacrosse coach labeled the then-freshman as a swing — an athlete who is rostered on two
How PENN’s US$360 Million Aurora Resort Shift At PENN Entertainment (PENN) Has Changed Its Investment Story
PENN Entertainment has opened the US$360 million Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora, replacing its former Fox River riverboat with a 388,500-square-foot, 24/7 land-based resort featuring over 1,000 slots, 50 table games, a sportsbook, 226-room hotel, spa, event center, and extensive dining options. The Aurora project, which created around 700 permanent roles and mirrors PENN’s broader shift into higher-amenity land-based properties, highlights how the company is reinvesting heavily to refresh...
PENN Entertainment (PENN) Just Overtook the 20-Day Moving Average
Should investors be excited or worried when a stock crosses above the 20-day simple moving average?
Sam Fuld, player-turned-business exec, is a new Wharton grad. Up next: The Phillies’ future.
Last month, Fuld graduated from Penn's Wharton School and formally assumed his new role as the Phillies' president of business operations.
Making Our Own Luck
We are cross-posting a piece that former NIH official Kris Willis wrote for Macroscience. Kris is now the President and Founder of the Woodley Park Institute, for which I’m a board member. Picking winners or hedging bets? Federal science agencies have long wrestled with the question of how to ensure their billions of dollars of grants and contracts result in maximum benefits for Americans. On the surface, it might seem that a goal-oriented, interventionist style of management would be the best policy: prioritize our most pressing problems and distribute funding accordingly.This top-down strategy creates a unique hazard, though: bad choices can send resources in the wrong direction, resulting in slow progress that impedes the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens. Moreover, if decision makers pursue an applied advance when the underlying scientific principles remain poorly understood, they risk costly failures and a loss of support for the research enterprise at large. Examples include Nixon’s 1971 War on Cancer, undertaken on the premise that a cure could be achieved in less than a decade, the drive to build an operational commercial fusion plant by the mid-1990s, and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which failed to produce the effective treatments and prevention strategies promised by 2025. The contrasting laissez-faire approach is to hedge your bets. If the path to an advance is impossible to predict, then the wisest choice might be to distribute funding to as widely as possible. The main risk of this strategy is that spreading funding thinly may limit the resources available to the most promising research, resulting in the same negative outcomes as the interventionist approach: limited support for the most promising topics, slow progress, and delayed returns. In reality, at science agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, program managers navigate between these two extremes, setting some funds aside to target high-priority areas and using the rest to cover the widest possible range of meritorious proposals. This middle path seems like the most rational way to proceed, but it still requires making choices. How much should be set aside for high priority topics? What should those topics be? How should we define merit? Expert opinion can provide a helpful guide, but leading experts can have remarkably different opinions about what matters and what should be prioritized. Moreover, experts and administrators alike can be risk averse, giving an edge to high-profile, well-established concepts. What’s really needed is a data-driven framework to help guide decision-making, one that doesn’t simply repackage prestige or incumbency. Recognizing breakthroughs years in advance Many breakthroughs fail to attract funding or recognition at the earliest stages of development. Katalin Karikó, for example, spent years struggling to win grants for work on mRNA that would eventually win her and Drew Weissman a Nobel Prize. Similar stories can be told about Jim Allison’s groundbreaking studies leading to the development of cancer immunotherapy, Stan Pruisner’s demonstration that prions can self-replicate without DNA, or Robin Warren and Barry Marshall’s proof that Helicobacter pylori, not stress, causes ulcers. Yet at some point, the scientific community recognizes and responds to transformative breakthroughs like these. How does that change happen? And what if science funders could identify the areas that are on the cusp of a breakthrough? Those questions led my collaborators and me to study how scientists responded to past breakthroughs. Based on patterns in that data, we developed a means of predicting future breakthroughs, using biomedicine as a proof of concept. It’s worth taking a moment to describe how our approach works. Briefly, our prediction process begins by grouping the 18 million or so peer-reviewed papers in PubMed, the authoritative database of biomedical research, into roughly 50,000 unique topics. A small subset of these topics are so widely acclaimed as breakthroughs that they have been recognized with a major prize like a Nobel or a Lasker Award. We theorized that studying the development of these outliers over time, especially before they gained acclaim, was the key to identifying future instances of them. After defining topics, we chose 21 representative breakthroughs and asked what they looked like before they won prestigious prizes. To answer that question, we re-ran our topic-mapping algorithm repeatedly, winding back the clock one year each time, stringing together the years to follow the progress of each field as it grew and advanced. We found that in each case, the years leading up to a discovery followed a pattern: a burst of papers on a new, rapidly evolving topic, many of which quickly became influential. These characteristics—the percent of papers that are new, the percentage of papers that are brought in from other topics, and the influence of each individual paper—can all be measured separately for any given topic. Together, they act as a predictive signal that is detectable an average of five years before a transformative discovery is made, and up to thirty years before the discovery receives a major prize. Scanning the current research landscape for topics that display this signal allows us to predict what work will likely produce a future breakthrough. Each year we analyzed includes four or five signals, a number that appears to have remained constant across a twenty year time frame. In their classic work on the sociology of science, Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar established that the desire to participate in a major discovery is an important motivator for scientists as they consider whether they should take up (or abandon) a research problem. Although further work is needed, the simplest explanation for our results is that this behavior is widespread enough to detect at scale. A foundational advance, or something like it, draws the attention of scientists and causes them to change the direction of their research. They vote with their feet, staking their own reputation and careers by publishing on and citing the new idea. That upswell of interest is the foundation of our breakthrough signal. What kind of research does our model identify as a breakthrough? After building a model based on the patterns in our 21 preselected breakthroughs, we tested it by identifying all early signals of discovery from 1994 through 1997. Of the 18 signals we found in that time period, 17 can be traced forward in time to a breakthrough. Examples include super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see the image above), the directed evolution of proteins and enzymes (Chemistry Nobel, 2018), and sequencing the human genome (National Medal of Science, 2008). The discovery of the role of leptin signaling in obesity is a particularly interesting case study. Around 1950, scientists noticed the existence of a type of lab mouse that suffered from a unique inherited form of obesity. When given the freedom to choose their own diet, these mice ate more than normal and preferred food that was high in fat. Researchers had few clues as to why the animals overate; early experiments pointed to the existence of a soluble ob factor found circulating in the bloodstream that regulated appetite, but its identity was unknown. In 1994, Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues identified and sequenced the ob gene, noting that the protein it encoded appeared to fit the profile of a circulating factor. A year later, a trio of high-profile publications demonstrated that ob was a hormone that regulated body weight and fat deposition by regulating appetite. One of these was co-authored by Friedman, who christened it leptin from the ancient Greek word for thin. Using our model, the data from 1996 make it clear this advance would become a breakthrough. Scientists had flocked to study the biology of the new hormone, generating the flurry of new papers and citations required to produce a signal. One of these demonstrated that serum leptin concentrations reflected the amount of adipose tissue in the human body, providing clinical validation of the earlier mouse studies. Before the identification of leptin, scientists were unable to point to a specific molecule that controlled appetite and adiposity, so that it was impossible to rule out non-physiological causes of obesity; its characterization fundamentally changed our concept of weight gain. In 2010, Friedman and fellow pioneer Douglas Coleman were awarded a Lasker for the discovery. Our work also identifies breakthroughs in clinical practice and behavioral and social sciences, even though these areas are less likely to draw the attention of major prize committees. One example that falls into this category is the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, a leading cause of death among Americans over the age of 65. Relative to the previous standard of care, it reduces in-hospital mortality by almost four-fold. In 2017, Timothy Chuter received the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Jacobsen Innovation award for his multiple refinements to the technique. Another under-recognized breakthrough identified by our model is the development of standardized survey instruments to assess the quality of life for HIV+ patients. The antiretroviral cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s reduced AIDS mortality, but treatment came with serious side effects. The new evaluations showed that patients whose disease progressed had worse physical functioning than Americans with other chronic diseases, while those who were asymptomatic maintained a health-related quality of life on par with the overall US population. This evidence made it possible for patients and activists to argue that even in the absence of a total cure, and in spite of the side effects, alleviation of symptoms was a worthwhile priority for clinicians. My colleagues and I have failed to identify any significant recognition for the physicians and health policy experts who pioneered this advance, although in 2016, researchers called for the World Health Organization to set targets for good health-related quality of life as part of its framework to end the AIDS pandemic. From forecasting to funding How should science funders use our predictions? Any serious discussion of what we should do with this new capability needs to begin with an understanding of its limitations. We can’t (and shouldn’t) invest all of our resources in the small number of topics predicted to produce breakthroughs. Innovative new fields are born from existing ones; they rarely arise de novo. If funders don’t maintain a diverse portfolio, the breakthroughs of tomorrow will have no antecedents. Think of this as eating the seed corn, or killing the goose that lays the golden egg. There are also multiple goals of funding beyond basic scientific discovery, including translating discoveries into clinical practice, developing new technologies, supporting economic development, and training new scientists. The investments needed to accomplish these goals are likely different from those required to support emerging breakthroughs. Finally, we must be aware that we may not capture every instance of a breakthrough. The concept is fuzzy, and not every significant discovery is recognized with a major award. Further, breakthroughs are rare, meaning that our dataset is, by necessity, small. This makes formal estimates of accuracy challenging. Although our overall success rate appears to be high, any one signal may turn out to be a false positive. We found one apparent example: the development of the third generation COX-2 inhibitors, Vioxx and Celebrex, which were much celebrated in the early 2000s as effective but non-addictive pain relievers, meets all the algorithmic criteria of a breakthrough. Five years after it received FDA approval, researchers demonstrated that Vioxx was associated with serious cardiovascular complications, and the manufacturer voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. Celebrex remains available, although like other NSAIDs, it carries an FDA warning for increased cardiovascular risk. Decision makers who were overly focused on the breakthrough potential of this research might have wasted substantial resources nurturing an area that ultimately proved to be a failure—but so would those who relied on expert opinion at the time. That said, the potential benefits of funding the next mRNA vaccine or cancer immunotherapy years earlier than we might have are large. When we can’t assume the outcome of an action, it’s worth conducting an experiment. Can targeted support for areas that are poised to produce a breakthrough increase the return on scientific investment without cannibalizing future advances? With the necessary administrative infrastructure in place, conducting this experiment would be straightforward. First, identify all the breakthrough signals between 2018 and 2023, select half at random, and commit to a decade of investment. For biomedicine, a six year window should yield about 30 topics with the potential to produce a breakthrough. Providing strong support to half of these might be accomplished for $300 million a year. That’s roughly half of the recent annual budget of the NIH Common Fund or around 20% of the fiscal year 2025 budget for ARPA-H. After five years, then again at ten, compare to see which group — the one that was actively managed, or the control — produced more breakthroughs, and on what timescale. Although we used biomedicine as an example, the same experiment could just as well be run for physics, materials science, or any other discipline. Any attempt to undertake such an experiment should keep three points top of mind. First, we can predict the topic of future breakthroughs, but the people and vision for how to move the work forward are still important. In practice, this means success requires active program managers with the expertise to develop the science and the authority to do so, including by recruiting investigators. Second, we would be wise to learn from the failures of past attempts to fund transformative research. High among these are funding modestly repackaged work, confusing the genuinely novel with the merely unfamiliar, and relying too much on incumbent investigators. All of these risks can be mitigated by thoroughly and intelligently integrating high quality data into portfolio management. Finally, we need to have patience. Even with strong funding support, producing a breakthrough takes time. If supporting breakthroughs is the best way to nurture the birth of new fields, we also need to accurately describe and properly manage the other two stages, so that we invest wisely throughout the productive lifetime of ideas and divest once they reach the point of diminishing returns. We would benefit from more study of all of these phases, especially the transition from one to another. More research could answer questions like: When does a breakthrough become an established field? How do the availability of funding, the size and characteristics of the available workforce, and the accumulation of evidence that disagrees with prevailing models affect a field’s decline? Exactly how do old ideas give birth to new ones, and can we speed up the process? The more we understand about the dynamics of scientific progress, the better we can maximize the odds that our curiosity leads to results. I’d call that finding a way to make our own luck.
Misericordia University Students Earn Top Honors at Pennsylvania Academy of Science's 101st Annual Meeting
Misericordia University students earned multiple prestigious awards while showcasing undergraduate research at the 101st Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science (PAS), held this year on the Misericordia University campus—the first time the statewide scientific organization has hosted its annual conference at the university.
Q&A: What does science say about plants as medicine?
Plants have always played an integral role in traditional medicine and healing practices, according to Kent Vrana, Elliot S. Vesell Professor of Pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine…
Pa. measles cases jump, spread to Northumberland County
An unprecedented measles outbreak in the state has spread to an additional county, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Wednesday. Health officials...
Fox News Poll: Looking ahead to America's 250th anniversary
A Fox News survey finds 53% of voters are proud of America and 54% believe the best days are ahead as the nation nears its 250th anniversary.
Megan McKnight named director of Health Promotion and Wellness at Penn State
Megan McKnight brings extensive experience in health promotion, prevention education and student well-being initiatives to her new role as director of Health Promotion and Wellness at Penn State, effective June 29.
PENN Entertainment Celebrates Grand Opening of Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora
PENN Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) (“PENN” or the “Company”) today celebrates the grand opening of Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora, the all-new, $360 ...
PENN Entertainment Celebrates Grand Opening of Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora
WYOMISSING, Pa. & AURORA, Ill., June 24, 2026--PENN Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) ("PENN" or the "Company") today celebrates the grand opening of Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora, the all-new, $360 million state-of-the-art casino and hotel. PENN’s latest land-based property replaces the former riverboat property that operated on the Illinois shores of the Fox River since 1993.
Penn LDI and Monogram Health Announce Second Research Partnership
The University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and Monogram Health have launched a second research initiative, backed by a $600,000 gift, to improve care for patients…
President Trump tells politician to 'run up here' during speech
President Donald Trump introduces Pennsylvania Congressman Ryan Mackenzie at a rally.
Trump touts U.S. economy and oil prices in a midterm pitch in Pennsylvania
The president told supporters in a key swing district that oil is coming down and prices will follow as cost-of-living issues are top of mind for voters ahead of November.
Trump’s midterm liabilities on display in visit to toss-up district
A campaign-style appearance in Pennsylvania revealed the delicate position of Republicans facing tough reelection fights. They still need Trump’s voters, but are increasingly cautious about embracing him too closely.
Trump touts falling oil prices, economy at Pennsylvania rally
The president spoke at a Mack Trucks factory in Macungie on Tuesday
Trump touts falling oil prices, economy at Pennsylvania rally
The president spoke at a Mack Trucks factory in Macungie on Tuesday
Trump touts falling oil prices, economy at Pennsylvania rally
The president spoke at a Mack Trucks factory in Macungie on Tuesday
Want to age better? Researchers say 4-minute routine may help prevent dangerous falls
A Penn State clinical trial finds just four minutes of daily strength exercise can improve mobility, balance, and leg strength in older adults.
Top States for Business: Pennsylvania's Gov. Shapiro on data center backlash
CNBC's Scott Cohn joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to share his conversation with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on data centers and red tape in the state.
Schuylkill student places first at Future Business Leaders of America conference
Penn State Schuylkill student earned national recognition at the Future Business Leaders of America's National Leadership Conference, held June 6-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Carter Strouse, a third-year corporate communication major with a minor in business and the sports certificate, earned first place in Business Communication, outperforming competitors from colleges and universities across the country.
Lancaster General Health sells downtown Lititz office building for $8.1M
The new owners of a historic mill that most recently served as Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s administrative offices will look to revitalize the building as a mix of retail,
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on new fast track business development and company investments
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) joins 'The Exchange' to discuss business development in the state, taxes in the state and more.
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association et al. v. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. et al.
The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) and its member, the Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania (FHCCP), sued the Trump administration to protect the integrity of the Title X family planning program. Title X is the country’s only dedicated federal program for family planning services. For more than 55 years, the program has provided access to effective contraceptive methods, cancer screenings, testing and treatment for STIs, and other preventive services, with priority given to patients with low incomes.
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center adopts “Heart-in-a-Box” technology to expand reach of donor hearts
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has performed its first heart transplant using a new cardiac preservation technology that keeps donor hearts pumping outside the body…
Air Force award supports research on electronics that can survive extremes
Betul Akkopru-Akgun, assistant research professor in Penn State's Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute, has received an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program award to investigate how electricity and heat move through materials used in extreme environments.
SAFES grants to address Critical Issues Initiatives in College of Ag Sciences
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, through its Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, known as SAFES, recently announced its latest awards to accelerate the advancement of its Critical Issues Initiatives.
Bill ensuring health coverage for families of fallen officers in Pa. gets unanimous committee nod
A bill ensuring continuous coverage for families of fallen officers advanced through committee but the cost would fall on cash-strapped municipalities.
Only Hunter Albright Until Penn State Football
Three straight redshirt freshman offensive linemen-this one is local!
Rock star pauses mid-concert to ask crowd for World Cup game score
"You can think of tonight as a gathering to celebrate the World Cup, with some music interspersed.”
Penn State earns another commitment from Class of 2028
The Penn State Nittany Lions earned another commitment from the Class of 2028 today with kicker Carter Petri.
New steps lead to a major renovation on the Ligonier home tour
Moving to Western Pennsylvania from Boca Raton, Fla., Matt and Ruth Redmond wanted a century-old house that needed a major rehab, and they knew exactly...
Supreme Court faces new wave of cases over state election laws
The Supreme Court is considering new appeals regarding voting laws in Arkansas, Texas, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Israel Pennerman: From The Bahamas to Biomedical Science, A Journey of Discovery & Purpose
Fall 2025 Graduate | Public Health Science For Israel Pennerman, pursuing a degree in Public Health Science was never simply about earning a diploma. It was about gaining the knowledge and skills needed to address health challenges facing communities around the world. Originally from Nassau, The Bahamas, Pennerman arrived at Saint Augustine’s University with a […]
4 sets of triplets born at hospital in Pittsburgh
Doctors at Allegheny Health Networks' West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh delivered four sets of triplets recently.
Four star edge rusher chooses Michigan over Penn State
Penn State misses out on top edge rusher Ifeanya Emedobi as he commits to Big Ten rival Michigan instead.
Is PENN Entertainment, Inc. (PENN) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
Is PENN a good stock to buy? We came across a bullish thesis on PENN Entertainment, Inc. on TradersPro’s Substack. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on PENN. PENN Entertainment, Inc.’s share was trading at $21.84 as of June 15th. PENN’s trailing and forward P/E were 77.43 and 13.14 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. […]
2027 NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Caleb Bacon, LB, PSU
Penn State linebacker Caleb Bacon enters 2026 after a productive Iowa State career that included team captain honors, All-Big 12 recognition.
Schwebel Baking Co. to wind down operations, liquidate its business
Founded in 1906, Schwebel’s is based in Youngstown and sells bakery products across Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York.
Türkiye’s Democratic Breakdown: Authoritarian Consolidation and the Sources of Resilience
Lessons from Global Democratic Resistance is a public panel series that brings together frontline activists, civic leaders, institutional actors, and field‑informed scholars to examine how democratic actors have resisted, responded to, and learned from democratic backsliding across countries. The series aims to identify practical lessons and comparative insights for those defending democracy today and is organized by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in collaboration with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance at the Harvard Kennedy School; the Cornell Center on Global Democracy; Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania; the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame; the Democratic Futures Project at the University of Virginia; Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.
Celebrate Independence Day at ‘An American Salute’ in Hershey
The sounds of summer – and the spirit of Independence Day – will fill the air once again as Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine invite the community to a beloved seasonal tradition.
Penn State Health names vice president, Primary Care Service Line
Penn State Health has named Naomi Shreiner vice president, Primary Care Service Line, a newly established leadership role designed to strengthen and coordinate primary care across the health system.
11 catalytic converters stolen from vehicles at Franklin County business
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– More than 10 catalytic converters were stolen from a local transit company in Chambersburg earlier this month, according to Pennsylvania State Police. State Polic…
Primer: Michigan Football edge rusher target set to make commitment
Edge rusher Ifeanyi EMedobi is set to announce his commitment today, choosing between Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State. We preview his decision:
Q&A: What does science say about plants as medicine?
Plants have always played an integral role in traditional medicine and healing practices, according to Kent Vrana, Elliot S. Vesell Professor of Pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine, and they ...