Skip to Main content Open mobile menu Close mobile menu

Next Evolution of Socialization

Now that virtual work and schooling have become prevalent, what’s the next big draw to keep people online to socialize, too?

Will photo and video sharing naturally develop towards interaction in fully immersive environments? Personal safety and information security regimes will have to develop in tandem with new modes of interactivity, along with plans to provide access to every community as even more transactions move online.

Investigate This Theme By Degree

Departments conducting research relating to Next Evolution of Socialization are wide-ranging. Learn more about the multi-disciplinary approaches to gaining Next Evolution of Socialization in your undergraduate degree.

Select a degree below to learn more about their research in Next Evolution of Socialization

Explore all
A shining white beaker containing a fleshy tumor being held up by a pair of silver tweezers in a blue-gloved hand
Biomedical Engineering
A blood sample flows through a small maze-like "labyrinth" device designed to used to help better detect cancer cells.
Chemical Engineering
A plethora of colorful stop, speed limit, and other street signs lay against a chicken-wire fence
Civil Engineering
A smiling female student points to a wall map lit up in bright yellow, orange, and fushia
Climate & Meteorology
Two male researchers discuss their project outside on a sunny day while working on their laptops
Data Science
A bright light in the center encircled by a vibrant ring of purple with the shadows of people in the background.
Engineering Physics
A professor pours a liquid from a brown glass bottle onto a growing plant in a farmer's field
Environmental Engineering
A hammer strikes a red-hot metal that glints with light
Materials Science & Engineering
A student spins the bottom level of a giant Rubik's Cube
Mechanical Engineering
The view of the laboratory room is warped in a convex optical lens
Space Sciences & Engineering

Photosynthesis copycat may improve solar cells

The new approach moves energy efficiently and could reduce energy losses converting light into electricity.

Toward manufacturing semitransparent solar cells the size of windows

A peel-off patterning technique could enable more fragile organic semiconductors to be manufactured into semitransparent solar panels at scale.

Helping robots learn what they can and can’t do in new situations

What should a robot do when it cannot trust the model it was trained on?

The post Helping robots learn what they can and can’t do in new situations appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Latest two-legged walking robot arrives at Michigan

Built to handle falls, and with two extra motors in each leg, the new robot will help U-M roboticists take independent robotic walking to a whole new level.

The post Latest two-legged walking robot arrives at Michigan appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Machine learning links material composition and performance in catalysts

Understanding how to design better catalysts could enable sustainable energy tech and make everyday chemicals more environmentally friendly.

The post Machine learning links material composition and performance in catalysts appeared first on Engineering Research News.

University of Michigan partners on multi-institution planning effort for state’s water future

Work for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy will develop a policy roadmap to safe, low cost water services.

The post University of Michigan partners on multi-institution planning effort for state’s water future appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Wastewater to drinking water: EPA grants $1.2M to U-M for virus removal study

In preparation for climate adaptation in water-stressed areas, researchers will assess how well existing treatment systems prepare water for reuse.

The post Wastewater to drinking water: EPA grants $1.2M to U-M for virus removal study appeared first on Engineering Research News.

$7.5M MURI to make dynamic AI smarter and safer

Researchers from four U.S. institutions aim to pull the best from control theory and machine learning to build safer mobile, intelligent systems.

The post $7.5M MURI to make dynamic AI smarter and safer appeared first on Engineering Research News.

$5.2M for digital twins of nuclear reactors could bring down nuclear energy costs

Virtual copies of nuclear reactors could enable smarter maintenance for current reactors and more automation for advanced reactors.

The post $5.2M for digital twins of nuclear reactors could bring down nuclear energy costs appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Advancing AI for Video: Startup launches powerful video processing platform

Voxel51 uses AI processing to identify and track objects and activities through video clips.

The post Advancing AI for Video: Startup launches powerful video processing platform appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Land use matters as communities cut carbon emissions

Communities will have varied tolerances for the acreage occupied by renewables. A new study quantifies the land needed for different options.

The post Land use matters as communities cut carbon emissions appeared first on Engineering Research News.

$5.1M to advance nuclear energy awarded to U-M

The Department of Energy will support research into better heat exchangers as well as improved predictions for neutron physics and radiation damage.

The post $5.1M to advance nuclear energy awarded to U-M appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Nuclear “shadow corrosion” reproduced in the lab, paving way to longer fuel life

Now that it’s understood, researchers are on their way to preventing this type of degradation in nuclear power plants.

The post Nuclear “shadow corrosion” reproduced in the lab, paving way to longer fuel life appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Key takeaways from the COP26 Summit

Three Michigan Engineering experts offer insights following the summit in Glasgow.

The post Key takeaways from the COP26 Summit appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Strong magnetic fields change how friction works in plasma

Rather than just slowing down a charged particle moving through a plasma, friction can also push from the side in a strong magnetic field.

The post Strong magnetic fields change how friction works in plasma appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Biden’s climate pledge: Engineers offer insights

Experts on electric vehicles, carbon capture and sequestration, and nuclear energy weigh in.

The post Biden’s climate pledge: Engineers offer insights appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Treating PFAS water contamination with cold plasma

University of Michigan researchers are developing better plasma technology that can destroy PFAS compounds

The post Treating PFAS water contamination with cold plasma appeared first on Engineering Research News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 7-11

Highlights include Newsweek and The Conversation.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 7-11 appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Tracking ocean microplastics from space

Satellites give new insights on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, plus sources and flows of ocean microplastic.

The post Tracking ocean microplastics from space appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Carbon capture, utilization and storage roadmap reveals technologies that are ready to go

Concrete and construction aggregates could be carbon negative and dollar positive while sustainable aviation fuel and methanol could also turn a profit.

The post Carbon capture, utilization and storage roadmap reveals technologies that are ready to go appeared first on Engineering Research News.

New approach reduces EV battery testing time by 75%

System developed at the University of Michigan saves time and money in the race to create better batteries for the electric vehicle revolution

The post New approach reduces EV battery testing time by 75% appeared first on Engineering Research News.

$3.4M to turn up the heat at solar-thermal plants

Improved heat-trapping materials for solar thermal energy could help the U.S. meet its goal of cutting solar energy costs in half by 2030.

The post $3.4M to turn up the heat at solar-thermal plants appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Resistance is not futile: Predicting how changes in production, materials impact EV battery life

As battery makers race to keep up with demand, a quick and inexpensive step can save money and time in development.

The post Resistance is not futile: Predicting how changes in production, materials impact EV battery life appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Energy from waste: $6.8 million for cow-inspired biodigesters

University of Michigan leads a collaboration of academic, municipal and private institutions to advance a renewable methane ecosystem.

The post Energy from waste: $6.8 million for cow-inspired biodigesters appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Video: 100% renewable diesel cars can reduce carbon emissions while waiting for electric vehicles

Researchers estimate that there was an 80% carbon footprint reduction when using renewable hydrocarbon biofuels instead of traditional petroleum-sourced fuels

The post Video: 100% renewable diesel cars can reduce carbon emissions while waiting for electric vehicles appeared first on Engineering Research News.

$2M to replace fossil fuels with solar power in fertilizer production

The new approach could enable farmers to produce ammonia on-site, and also reduce CO2 emissions from fertilizer production.

The post $2M to replace fossil fuels with solar power in fertilizer production appeared first on Engineering Research News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts August 9-13

Highlights include the Los Angeles Times.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts August 9-13 appeared first on Engineering Research News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 21-25

Highlights include Vox and the New York Times.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 21-25 appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Next-gen electric vehicle batteries: These are the questions we still need to answer

University of Michigan researchers lay out hurdles for tech that could double EV range.

The post Next-gen electric vehicle batteries: These are the questions we still need to answer appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Prepping for the revolution

University of Michigan engineers are working to make our electrified future more equitable and avoid the mistakes of the past.

The post Prepping for the revolution appeared first on Engineering Research News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts May 17-21

Highlights include NPR, Popular Science and The Conversation.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts May 17-21 appeared first on Engineering Research News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts May 10-14

Highlights include The Conversation, MLive and the Washington Post.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts May 10-14 appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Scrap to sustainable sheet metal: A $2M effort to overhaul automotive recycling

The global move to advanced materials and electric powertrains requires a re-evaluation of how we recycle vehicles.

The post Scrap to sustainable sheet metal: A $2M effort to overhaul automotive recycling appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Flaring allows more methane into the atmosphere than we thought

The upside is that simple fixes will have a big impact

The post Flaring allows more methane into the atmosphere than we thought appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Longer, more intense allergy seasons could result from climate change

Rising temperatures, increased CO2 will drive trees, grasses, weeds to produce more pollen.

The post Longer, more intense allergy seasons could result from climate change appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Opinion: After a summer of weather horrors, adapting to climate change is an imperative

In a perspective piece for Washington Post, Richard Rood says response to climate change requires an adaption mindset in addition to mitigation efforts.

The post Opinion: After a summer of weather horrors, adapting to climate change is an imperative appeared first on Engineering Research News.

The ocean is full of tiny plastic particles – we found a way to track them with satellites

In The Conversation, Chris Ruf explains how CYGNSS can find the source ocean microplastics and aid in future clean up.

The post The ocean is full of tiny plastic particles – we found a way to track them with satellites appeared first on Engineering Research News.

‘Doomsday Glacier’ may be more stable than initially feared

Study sheds light on the future of the massive Thwaites Glacier.

The post ‘Doomsday Glacier’ may be more stable than initially feared appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Hurricane-tracking CYGNSS satellite system gets NASA renewal as it expands its reach

Ocean wind tracker is finding new uses for inland studies.

The post Hurricane-tracking CYGNSS satellite system gets NASA renewal as it expands its reach appeared first on Engineering Research News.

North American cold-climate forests are already absorbing less carbon, study shows

By zeroing in on different high-latitude regions around the globe, researchers reveal what global averages mask.

The post North American cold-climate forests are already absorbing less carbon, study shows appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Spotlight: Data is life

Take a multimedia trip to the Amazon and meet the researchers who are working to understand how the future of the rainforest could affect us all.

The post Spotlight: Data is life appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Q&A with Henry Liu, Mcity’s new director

University of Michigan’s mobility research center has been realigned under Michigan Engineering.

The post Q&A with Henry Liu, Mcity’s new director appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law: Engineers weigh in

Two experts say the new law could correct historical infrastructure disparities.

The post Bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law: Engineers weigh in appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Intersection of environmental justice and engineering the focus of new $2.5M endowed professorship

The gift represents a cross-discipline approach to sustainability and equity.

The post Intersection of environmental justice and engineering the focus of new $2.5M endowed professorship appeared first on Engineering Research News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 1 – 4

Highlight include The Detroit News.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 1 – 4 appeared first on Engineering Research News.

The future of Line 5: Engineering under Lake Michigan

How would Enbridge shut down the controversial pipeline and construct a replacement tunnel?

The post The future of Line 5: Engineering under Lake Michigan appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions

In The Conversation, experts break down what’s needed to make CO2 in concrete work on a wide scale to curb global emissions.

The post Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Wastewater treatment at one-third the size and cost

Systems featuring a ‘membrane-aerated biofilm reactor’ can also remove more nitrogen from treatment plant discharges.

The post Wastewater treatment at one-third the size and cost appeared first on Engineering Research News.

‘Peecycling’ payoff: Urine diversion shows multiple environmental benefits when used at city scale

New study is the first in-depth analysis of the environmental performance and benefits of large-scale urine recycling relative to conventional wastewater treatment and fertilizer production.

The post ‘Peecycling’ payoff: Urine diversion shows multiple environmental benefits when used at city scale appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Sensor technology aims to help US cities extend the life of aging pipelines

Transformative pilot project in Detroit could help cities across U.S. deal with overdue pipeline upgrades.

The post Sensor technology aims to help US cities extend the life of aging pipelines appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Removing and reusing phosphorus from agricultural runoff

Glen Daigger and his research team are developing a biological system that can capture the phosphorus in the water without use of chemicals.

The post Removing and reusing phosphorus from agricultural runoff appeared first on Engineering Research News.

1,000-cycle lithium-sulfur battery could quintuple electric vehicle ranges

The nanofibers recycled from Kevlar vests are harnessed in a biomimetic design to help solve a battery’s longevity problem.

The post 1,000-cycle lithium-sulfur battery could quintuple electric vehicle ranges appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Mirror-like photovoltaics get more electricity out of heat

By reflecting nearly all the light they can’t turn into electricity, they help pave the way for storing renewable energy as heat.

COVID-19 is laying waste to many US recycling programs

‘The trends we see in the making and consuming of single-use goods, particularly plastic, could have lasting negative effects on the circular economy.’

The post COVID-19 is laying waste to many US recycling programs appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Autonomous vehicles can be fooled to ‘see’ nonexistent obstacles

Vehicles that perceive obstacles that aren’t really there could cause traffic accidents.

The post Autonomous vehicles can be fooled to ‘see’ nonexistent obstacles appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Computer vision: Finding the best teaching frame in a video for fake video fightback

The frame in which a human marks out the boundaries of an object makes a huge difference in how well AI software can identify that object through the rest of the video.

The post Computer vision: Finding the best teaching frame in a video for fake video fightback appeared first on Engineering Research News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts August 23-27

Highlights include Wired and Popular Science.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts August 23-27 appeared first on Engineering Research News.

U-M, community partners tackle energy insecurity in three Detroit neighborhoods

Johanna Mathieu is one of four principal investigators on a project to improve home energy efficiency and to lower monthly utility bills.

Battery-free sensor startup takes aim at industrial efficiency

Part of the team that brought us the world’s smallest computer in 2015 brings the future of computing technology into the present.

The post Battery-free sensor startup takes aim at industrial efficiency appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Russel Lecture: Fighting climate change with organic electronics

The researcher-entrepreneur who helped bring OLED displays to the masses envisions a future of efficient lighting and next-gen solar power.

How air conditioners could advance a renewable power grid

In an approach that won’t disrupt consumers, researchers will tackle two of the biggest issues in the energy industry.

Spray-on coating could make solar panels snow-resistant

Cold-weather-friendly formula foils snow/ice accumulation in Alaska test.

The post Spray-on coating could make solar panels snow-resistant appeared first on Engineering Research News.

$1.8M to develop room temperature, controllable quantum nanomaterials

The project could pave the way for compact quantum computing and communications as well as efficient UV lamps for sterilization and air purification.

Solar cells with 30-year lifetimes for power-generating windows

High-efficiency but fragile molecules for converting light to electricity thrive with a little protection.

The post Solar cells with 30-year lifetimes for power-generating windows appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Artificial photosynthesis devices that improve themselves with use

“Our discovery is a real game-changer. I’ve never seen such stability.”

$6.25 million to develop new semiconductors for artificial photosynthesis

An interdisciplinary team from four universities are developing a new class of semiconductors for novel artificial photosynthesis and the production of clean chemicals and fuels using sunlight, as part of a DoD MURI

The post $6.25 million to develop new semiconductors for artificial photosynthesis appeared first on Engineering Research News.

Coordination and collaboration are critical to U.S. leadership in plasma science: a Q&A with the Plasma 2020 Decadal Study co-chair

Plasma science has the potential to speed advances in medicine, energy, electronics and more—including helping us deal with pandemics.

Urban solar energy: Solar panels for windows hit record 8% efficiency

Transparent solar panels on windows could take a bite out of a building’s electricity needs.

Batteryless next-generation cellular devices could empower a more sustainable future

PhD student Trevor Odelberg is looking to enable long range, highly reliable, and low-power cellular IoT devices that one day can run entirely on harvested energy, reducing battery waste and empowering devices to last for decades.

Three members of ECE will represent U-M at the 2021 Rising Stars in EECS Workshop

PhD students Sijia Geng, Bahareh Hadidian, and Nasimeh Heydaribeni will participate in the intensive workshop that brings together outstanding women and gender minorities interested in pursuing academic careers in EECS.

Big data, small footprint

How changing the rules of computing could lighten Big Data’s impact on the internet.

The post Big data, small footprint appeared first on Engineering Research News.

COVE: a tool for advancing progress in computer vision

Centralizing available data in the intelligent systems community through a COmputer Vision Exchange for Data, Annotations and Tools, called COVE.

Computer scientists employ AI to help address COVID-19 challenges

Five multidisciplinary research teams are working on projects to assist with the coronavirus outbreak and to help find solutions to pressing problems.

Listening to bipolar disorder: smartphone app detects mood swings via voice analysis

Roadmap for teachers: U-M free online learning platform paves the way

K-5 teachers and students throughout Michigan are building thriving learning communities online by using free deeply-digital, standards-aligned curricula and platform developed by the U-M Center for Digital Curricula.

Open-source software helps youth with disabilities develop scheduling independence

The system can add more flexibility to task management apps to help learning users make informed decisions about their time.

Researchers to use brain scans to understand gender bias in software development

The team will use fMRI to identify some of the underlying processes that occur when a code reviewer weighs in on a piece of software and its author.

Shadows in the Dark Web

Secrets lurk in the dark web, the 95 percent of the internet that most of us can’t see. One U-M professor is bringing some of those secrets to light, making the digital and the real world a little safer.

Google, U-M to build digital tools for Flint water crisis

CSE students and faculty will collaborate as a part of a larger team to help respond to the crisis.

Walter Lasecki and collaborators win Best Paper at W4A

The paper explores how automated speech recognition and crowd-sourced human correction and generation of transcripts can be traded off to improve accuracy and latency.

Michael J. Cafarella selected for Sloan Research Fellowship

He has built software systems for information extraction, database integration, and feature engineering and applied these to problems in the social sciences.

Barzan Mozafari receives NSF CAREER Award to improve predictability of database systems

Prof. Mozafari is passionate about building large-scale data-intensive systems that are more scalable, more robust, and more predictable.

Censys enables fast searching of actionable internet data

The software enables users to ask questions about the hosts and networks that compose the Internet and get an immediate reply.

Michigan Researchers Win Best Paper Award at VLDB 2015

The paper proposes an interactive natural language interface for relational databases, which enables novice users to construct complex queries.

Third Annual Data Mining Workshop Brings Together 100+ Researchers

100+ researchers from across the University of Michigan and from industry gathered on North Campus for the third U-M Workshop on Data Mining.

Discover Other Themes

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Cybersecurity

  • E-commerce / Supply Chain Automation

  • Health and Bio-compatibility

  • Renewables, Environment, and Sustainability

  • Smart Cities / Smart Infrastructure

  • Space Exploration, Commercialization, and Defense