Our bodies are full of tiny superheroes—antibodies that fight foreign invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures that ensure our systems run smoothly. One such structure is myelin, a material that forms a protective cape around the axons of our nerve cells so that they can send signals quickly and efficiently. But myelin becomes damaged in demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis, leaving neurons without their sheaths. Researchers from Caltech now believe they have found a way to help the brain replace damaged myelin. More...

For their work in information and communication technologies, and biomedicine, Carver Mead, Moore Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Applied Science, and Alexander Varshavsky, Smits Professor of Cell Biology, have been honored by the BBVA Foundation as recipients of 2011 Frontiers of Knowledge awards.  More...

It's time to go to Hawaii—at least, if you're MOSFIRE, a new near-infrared spectrometer that's now on its way to the W. M. Keck Observatory, atop Mauna Kea. But the powerful new instrument, six feet in diameter, about a dozen feet in length, and weighing in at 4,500 pounds—10,000 if you include the mount and packing crate—isn't going there to surf. MOSFIRE will be the newest weapon in the Keck's arsenal to survey the cosmos, helping astronomers learn about star formation, galaxy formation, and the early universe.  More...

Growing up in rural northwest Ireland, beyond the reach of city lights, Gregg Hallinan fell in love with the night sky. "When you didn't have bad weather, and you didn't have clouds, the skies were nothing short of spectacular," he says. "From a young age, I was obsessed with astronomy—it's all I cared for. My parents got me a telescope when I was seven or eight, and from then on, that was it." Now, Hallinan has brought his celestial obsession to Caltech as a new assistant professor of astronomy. More...

Caltech Physics PhD alum Ian Swanson will answer questions about careers in quantitative finance from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on February 9 in 300 Broad Center for the Biological Sciences. More...

At 3 p.m. on February 10 in 101 Guggenheim Lab, Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall, Hans G. Hornung, Caltech's C. L. "Kelly" Johnson Professor of Aeronautics, Emeritus, will present the Lester Lees Lecture in Aerospace, which is given in honor and memory of Lester Lees, professor of aeronautics and environmental engineering. More...

Visit Caltech on iTunes U to download free audio and video content—lectures, informational postings, cultural performances, and campus programs—right to your computer, tablet, or mobile phone.

New and Notable
Watch the videos of the finalists in the Perpall SURF Speaking Competition.

If You Haven't Seen Already
Celebrate the accomplishments of 2011 with Caltech's annual New Year's video. Check out the winter 2012 edition of E&S.

Coming Soon
Check back next month for all-new content.

Questions? Click here to learn more about iTunes U. More...

Shane Ross: The Interplanetary Transport Network