Elaina Hancock


Author Archive

An artist’s rendering of hot material falling into a supermassive black hole, creating what is called the accretion disk, shown in orange. Reverberation mapping measures the time it takes light to travel between two areas of the accretion disk. The 'light echo' enables direct measurement of the mass of the black hole. This reverberation mapping project is the first project to weigh many black holes at once. (Image by Nahks Tr’Ehnl, Penn State University)

One Giant Leap in Mapping the Universe

A UConn professor and graduate student are part of an international team using new 'reverberation mapping' technology to probe farther into the history of the Universe.

Engineers and technicians assemble the James Webb Space Telescope on Nov. 2, 2016 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The telescope, designed to be a large space-based observatory optimized for infrared wavelengths, will be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

UConn on the Front Line to Glimpse Farthest Reaches of Universe

Two UConn physics professors will be among the world’s first scientists to explore the universe using the new James Webb Space Telescope.

California Scrub-Jay nestlings on their nest in Berkeley, California, May 20, 1921. (With the Permission of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley)

How Birds are Rescheduling their Lives Around Climate Change

'We were expecting them to only move in space, but we’ve demonstrated they also move in time,' says UConn researcher Morgan Tingley.

path in secondary forest; Lindero Sur.jpg: A trail bisects a large area of 32-yr old naturally regenerating forest on former cattle pasture near the south boundary of La Selva Biological Station in northeastern Costa RIca. This forest area has been monitored annually for 20 years, contributing to the dataset used in this study. Photo by Robin L. Chazdon

Reforestation: Knowing When to Let Nature Take its Course

Allowing Nature to restore deforested areas often restores them closer to the characteristics of the original forest than planting large numbers of trees, according to a new study involving a UConn researcher.

As forest edges multiply and deep forest shrinks, some edge-loving species like the boa constrictor are becoming invasive, while deep forest-dwellers like the Sunda pangolin are becoming at risk of extinction. (Image from an animated video, 'Biodiversity on the Edge'/ Imperial College London, ERC, and Newcastle University)

Living on the Edge Not for All Species

A new study finds that as tropical forests become increasingly fragmented, some species are at an ever-increasing risk for extinction, especially those that depend on the forest core.

Illustration of Jonathan the Husky mascot in a Game of Thrones costume, with Wilbur Cross Building in the background. (Yesenia Carrero/UConn Illustration)

Winter is Coming – Just How Bad Will it Be?

From analyzing long-range weather forecasts to reading signs in nature, UConn experts weigh in on what may be in store this winter.

Artist's rendition of the descent of the Pathfinder lander onto planet Mars. The lander will descend by parachute, and will be protected by airbags which will deflate upon impact. The three petals protecting the lander will open after it lands. In this rendition the petals are partially opened. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Explosive Research: Eliminating ‘What Ifs?’ in Space Travel

UConn researchers are adapting methods for studying forces in earthly structures such as bridges and skyscrapers, for use in spacecraft.

Sam Stine '18 (CLAS) working at the Biodiversity Research Collections facility. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)

Old Specimens, New Insights

In UConn’s Biodiversity Research Collections, scientists, like detectives, are discovering new information about species today, even from specimens collected decades ago.

Mango being picked from tree. (Getty Images)

Lab Identifies Way to Reduce Salmonella Outbreaks in Mangoes

A UConn lab recently processed 4,000 mangoes and water samples to test the efficacy of three disinfectants commonly used by the industry to reduce contamination. What they found surprised them.

Thomas Worthley, associate extension professor, points out damage caused by emerald ash borers on a tree along Horsebarn Hill Road on Aug. 29, 2017. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

Big Changes in Store for UConn’s Trees and Yours

The invasive Emerald Ash Borer, which has already killed millions of ash trees, has arrived in Storrs.