Why is Venus hotter than Mercury, when Mercury is closer to the Sun?
USC Dornsife astronomer Vahe Peroomian explains how a runaway greenhouse effect has made the surface temperature of Venus hot enough to melt lead.
How to be grateful to someone – even when you really don’t want to
Struggling to feel grateful? Try thinking differently about what caused the person’s actions, says USC Dornsife philosophy professor Mark Schroeder.
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July 31 – Aug. 1: Retro AI Symposium
You are invited to this two-day symposium to critically consider how the field of artificial intelligence, long focused on the next big breakthrough that would solve its defining problems, often misses the critical histories and genealogies of AI’s past in its quest for the latest innovation. Sponsored by the Institute on Ethics and Trust in Computing, the Humanities and Critical Code Studies Lab, and the Electronic Literature Organization. Get information about this event >>
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Experts in the News
USC Dornsife scholars bring their expertise to today’s most pressing issues.
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In his gripping new book, The Secret War Against Hate: American Resistance to Antisemitism and White Supremacy, USC Dornsife historian Steve Ross uncovers the incredible, forgotten history of civilian spies who risked their lives to infiltrate domestic Nazi and white supremacist groups — and bring them down.
The Secret American Spies Who Stopped a Post-WWII Civil War
USC Dornsife Magazine:
America at 250
To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we invite you to explore what it was really like to be a colonist in 1776; discover how climate change is reshaping America’s natural systems and what our scholars are doing to lessen its impact; and meet seven extraordinary alumni committed to defending the nation — including a sorority sister who became a CIA spy and a war hero who once shook Hitler’s hand. Learn why America’s economy is so powerful and how our pioneering scholars question assumptions to advance traditions central to both science and democracy. We hope these insightful stories inspire pride in our great nation but also help you see beyond the parades, the flags and the fireworks to a more nuanced understanding
Featured Stories
American daily life in 1776 was far different than you might imagine
Survival as a colonist meant enduring hard labor and rigid hierarchies in a rural world shaped by inequality and lack of privacy.
From Sea to Shining Sea: Climate change is rewriting America’s landscapes
From California floods and wildfires to thawing Arctic permafrost and dying coral reefs, USC Dornsife researchers track a nation under environmental pressure.
American scientific innovation still thrives on bold questions
As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, USC Dornsife scholars continue to advance a tradition central to both science and democracy: questioning assumptions, testing ideas and pushing beyond accepted limits.
The debate behind American economic growth
The United States boasts the largest economy in the world. What makes America’s economy so powerful and will the country retain its first-place ranking?
Fight On! How military service shaped these extraordinary Trojan lives
Meet seven extraordinary alumni committed to defending the nation.
Reimagining American identity at 250
As the nation approaches its semiquincentennial, USC Dornsife scholar Laura Dominguez ’12, ’23 is bringing diverse perspectives into conversations about history and belonging.
Human rights education on the front lines
USC Dornsife political scientist Steve Swerdlow takes students beyond textbooks and into communities grappling with repression, activism and democratic change.
Commanding History: How museum leadership can shape a nation’s memory
A scholar of cultural memory, Michelle Commander ’10 is helping preserve the truth of African American history and culture for the nation through inspired museum leadership and public scholarship.
From USC Dornsife Social Media
Congratulations to Yu Deng, recipient of a 2026 Fields Medal, one of mathematics’ highest honors!
Deng, now a professor at the University of Chicago, received the medal for work he carried out while on the USC Dornsife faculty, advancing some of the deepest questions in partial differential equations and mathematical physics. His research helped explain how the seemingly random motion of microscopic particles gives rise to the orderly behavior of gases and fluids.
@USCDornsife on Instagram
@USCDornsife
From global chart-toppers to developing therapeutic disease treatments, Aloe Blacc ’01 truly does it all. 🎶🔬
Discover how his background in psychology and linguistics fuels his music, science and philanthropy.
@USCDornsife
A snapshot of @usceasc’s Maymester in Tokyo 🇯🇵 — behind the lens of our student team member who traveled with this year’s cohort. ✈️
@USCDornsife
Your parents were right about watching too much TV. 📺
A new USC Dornsife study reveals that passive sitting (like watching TV) is linked to brain volume loss, while active sitting (like working at a desk) is linked to better cognitive health. Men were particularly vulnerable to these changes.
The takeaway: It’s not just about standing up more. It’s about changing what you do when you sit down.
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