In the news

Ryan Venturelli, assistant professor of Earth, space and planets, explained that through radiocarbon dating of matter in Mercer’s lake researchers have determined the material is 6,300 years old, plus or minus 1,000.

The wearable device created by Jack Walters M.S. '24 helps translate social cues, like smiling or a head nod, into a distinct vibration for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Aleye, an accessibility-focused device created by Jack Walters M.S. '24, was named a TIME 2026 Invention of the Year. Work on the device began as the focus of Walters' Capstone Design project while he was a senior at Mines.

Mark Orrs, teaching associate professor in engineering, design, and society, said being part of the data centers working group is an opportunity to help set rules that haven't existed for data center developments.

Paul Martin, professor of applied mathematics and statistics, modeled how fire tornadoes, sometimes called fire whirls, behave. The spinning flames can swallow a whole lifeboat in seconds.

Ian Lange, Viola Vestal Coulter Chair of Mineral Economics, spoke at a Moffat County meeting focused on data centers, encouraging the use of established economic models to evaluate claims about investment and employment.

Corby Anderson, professor of minerals and subsurface energy and director of the Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy, said Chinese rare-earth companies, which are almost all state-owned, do not rely on economic viability in all cases.

Chris Dreyer, professor of practice in space resources, said to avoid damage to equipment and adverse health impacts from cosmic rays, lunar habitat modules should be built underground.

Ian Lange, Viola Vestal Coulter Chair of Mineral Economics, said a planned Canadian MET coal mine will likely see its coal sold to customers in Asia.

Tom Williams, professor of computer science and creator of a robot comedy show at Denver's RISE Comedy, said to his knowledge his show on October 2, 2026 marked the first time a robot did improv live in Colorado.

Ian Lange, Viola Vestal Coulter Chair of Mineral Economics, noted that thirty years ago the U.S. was a leader in rare earth mining but that this is no longer the case.

Paul Santi, professor of earth, space and planets, said sinkholes are things that people aren't really thinking about until they happen.