Research Highlights From NYU Tandon

The gut is home to an intricate network of neurons that helps regulate digestion, metabolism and other bodily functions. Yet scientists have few ways to study this “second brain” without invasive surgery. Now, researchers at NYU have developed a swallowable device that could give them a much more precise view. device that could give them a much more precise view.

Watching a movie seems effortless. We follow dialogue, read facial expressions, notice music and scenery, and somehow combine all those signals into a coherent story. But new research suggests that the brain is constantly deciding which sensory information deserves our attention.

When a patient arrives at an emergency room with stroke symptoms, doctors must quickly determine whether a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bleeding. Today, that distinction typically requires a CT scanner, a large and stationary machine that may be unavailable in ambulances, rural clinics and many hospitals around the world. Researchers are working toward a more portable alternative: microwave imaging, a radiation-free technique that could eventually fit into a device roughly the size of a bicycle helmet.

Your body often reacts to the world before you consciously register what you are feeling. Your heart may speed up, or your palms may become slightly sweatier when you hear an emotional song or experience a sudden vibration. Now, researchers at NYU Tandon and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai are exploring whether these subtle physiological changes can provide an objective window into mental arousal.

A smartphone may reveal more about its owner’s daily life than its user realizes. Now, researchers are exploring whether the digital traces left behind by phones and other devices could also provide clues about human health.

Data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity, and a significant share of that power goes not to computing, but to cooling the servers inside. As artificial intelligence drives rapid growth in data-center demand, researchers are looking for ways to cut that cooling burden. A new NYU Tandon study proposes an unusual solution: use waste heat from nearby factories to create cooling that can be stored and transported.

Wildfire risk is often discussed as a consequence of a warming climate. But there is another factor that could reshape where fires ignite and spread: the forests themselves. A new study from NYU Tandon suggests that vegetation could shift dramatically as temperatures and rainfall patterns change, creating future wildfire hotspots that conventional models may miss.

When the Marshall Fire swept through suburban Colorado in late 2021, thousands of people had only hours to decide where to go. New research suggests those decisions were shaped by more than proximity to the flames. Evacuees also tended to seek out places where they had social connections or communities that felt familiar.

When a devastating blizzard struck Buffalo, New York, in December 2022, officials imposed a travel ban to keep residents off dangerous roads. But as the storm and its aftermath stretched on, people began venturing out before the ban was lifted. New research from NYU Tandon and Rochester Institute of Technology suggests that such breakdowns may be predictable.

In New York City’s Rockaways, flood barriers, beach nourishment and shoreline reinforcement could protect residents from increasingly severe storms. But a basic question has often been difficult to answer: How much are those protections actually worth, and who benefits from them?

A research project from NYU Tandon’s Center for Urban Science + Progress, developed with NEC Corporation, is attempting to put a dollar value on those benefits.

Researchers at NYU Tandon have developed GeoFlood Studio, an interactive 3D platform designed to make flood risk more tangible. Instead of relying on traditional maps and statistics, the tool allows users to see how high water could rise around specific locations, how quickly it might move and what those conditions could mean for people.

New York City’s traffic cameras record thousands of hours of footage every day. But watching all that video for dangerous driving, collisions and near-misses would require more time and personnel than most transportation agencies can spare. Researchers at NYU Tandon have developed an artificial intelligence system called SeeUnsafe that could automate much of that work.

New York City is counting on electric trucks to reduce emissions and improve air quality. But a new study suggests the transition could come with an unexpected cost: heavier vehicles may put additional strain on the city’s aging roads and bridges.

New York City has spent years expanding its bicycle network, but a basic question has remained: Do bike lanes actually persuade more people to ride? A new study from NYU Tandon suggests the answer depends on what kind of lane a city builds.

New York City is home to almost every type of medical specialist. Yet a new study suggests that having access to more kinds of doctors does not necessarily mean residents have easier access to specialized care.

A new study of AI chatbots suggests people aren’t just turning to artificial intelligence for conversation or emotional support. Instead, many are using these systems to act out romantic fantasies and co-create fictional worlds.

Drawing on a dataset of more than 5.7 million chatbots and thousands of Reddit discussions, researchers found that two dominant use cases define the Character.AI chatbot platform: intimate roleplay and narrative exploration.

For decades, games have been treated as milestones on the road toward artificial intelligence. AI systems have beaten humans at chess, Go and other complex challenges. But a new paper argues that these victories may exaggerate how intelligent today’s systems really are.

For professional writers, generative AI presents an increasingly familiar dilemma: embrace the technology and risk becoming dependent on it, or resist it and potentially lose out on its productivity gains. New research from NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering and Stern School of Business suggests the most effective response may be to do both.

When a customer calls to complain about a billing error or a delayed package, the person answering is doing more than solving a problem. They are also managing their emotions, absorbing frustration and projecting calm, often dozens of times a day. Now, researchers a have found that the software call centers already use could help identify when that emotional labor is becoming stressful.

In artificial intelligence, speed is usually treated as an unqualified good. The faster a chatbot responds, the better the experience should be. But new research suggests that when AI answers too quickly, users may actually judge it more harshly.

Buildings account for a major share of New York’s greenhouse gas emissions, but managing their future energy use is difficult when detailed consumption data is often missing. Researchers are developing machine-learning tools to fill that gap, tackling the problem across two time scales: forecasting electricity demand a day ahead and projecting how climate change could reshape building energy use over years.

Teaching robots to handle objects with humanlike dexterity remains notoriously difficult. Tasks such as rotating an object in one hand or coordinating two arms around a bulky object require constant adjustments in grip, contact and motion.

New research suggests robots may be able to learn these skills without relying on human demonstrations. Instead

Wildlife trafficking has increasingly moved from physical markets to online marketplaces, where endangered animals and animal products can appear alongside ordinary consumer goods. That shift makes enforcement harder, but it also leaves behind a rich digital trail. A multidisciplinary team is developing tools to analyze that trail at scale.

Rivers may look like continuous lines on a map, but their paths are constantly changing. Bends migrate across floodplains, loops grow more pronounced and, occasionally, a river abruptly cuts through a narrow strip of land, abandoning an old loop and creating a shorter path. New research suggests these cutoff events do more than reshape landscapes. They may make the future course of a river inherently chaotic.