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A research team has uncovered what it believes is 鈥渢he world鈥檚 most electrically conductive organic molecule,鈥� a discovery that opens new possibilities for building smaller, more powerful, and more energy-efficient computers.

It could also allow computer chip manufacturers to eliminate their reliance on silicon and metal as conductors.

鈥淢olecules are nature鈥檚 tiniest, mightiest, and most configurable building blocks and can be engineered to build ultra-compact, ultra-efficient technology for everything from computers to quantum devices,鈥� said Ignacio Franco, who was part of the research team that was led by scientists at the University of Miami.

Their research was detailed in a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The molecule, which is composed of chemical elements found in nature, including carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen, can carry electrical current over record-breaking distances without losing efficiency.

Using molecular materials in electronic chips offers several advantages. They consume less power.
They can be more easily customized than silicon. They are more environmentally friendly. And, perhaps most importantly to manufacturers, they are potentially cheaper to produce.

鈥淭his molecular design overcomes many of the big issues that for decades have prevented the use of molecules in electronics,鈥� Franco said.

To learn more about this ground-breaking research, read about it at the University of Rochester News Center, and contact Franco at ignacio.franco@rochester.edu.

The world is watching the Vatican as cardinals from across the globe gather for the papal conclave.

The monumental event, which involves cardinals closing themselves off in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope, is steeped in history, mystery, and speculation. The new pontiff will be expected to make difficult decisions about the future direction of the Catholic church, which has almost 1.4 billion followers worldwide, and address the Vatican's strained finances and its sexual abuse scandals.

If you're a reporter looking for an expert who can provide valuable insight, perspective and opinion on any angle of the events unfolding in Vatican City, consider reaching out to Jack Downey, the John Henry Newman Professor of Roman Catholic Studies at the University of Rochester.聽

Downey and his scholarship have been featured in media outlets such as The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and Time Magazine. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Early colonialism in the Americas tends to conjure images of Jamestown and Plymouth Colony. But long before settlers there acclimated to the New World鈥檚 growing conditions and overcame starvation conditions, an English settlement established in Bermuda in 1612 was wealthy and prosperous.

University of Rochester historian and archaeologist Michael Jarvis has been uncovering the hidden history of Smith鈥檚 Island in Bermuda and its pivotal role in reshaping the understanding of colonial America.

Nicknamed 鈥淐hainsaw Mike鈥� by his students, he has spent 14 years excavating Smith鈥檚 Island and one of the first English settlements in the New World.

Jarvis argues that Bermuda鈥檚 role in supplying Jamestown with food and influencing early colonists make it a cornerstone of America鈥檚 origin story rather than the historical footnote to which it has largely been relegated.

His research on Smith鈥檚 Island was recently the cover story of Smithsonian magazine and was featured on the聽History Unplugged podcast.

Jarvis is an expert on colonial America, the international and intercolonial networks of trade at the time, and settlement patterns in eastern North America, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the communities surrounding European gold- and slave-trade forts in West Africa.

He can be reached at 585-275-4558 and michael.jarvis@rochester.edu.