December 2011

Dec 8, 2011

Why We Need to Pull These Films off the Shelf: Educational Films In The United States (Part III)

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Skip Elsheimer, also known as the A/V Geek, a graduate of NC State who has an archive of over 24,000 educational films, many of which he has digitized and made available on DVD or for free viewing at the Internet Archive. He is also a contributor to “Learning… 

Dec 7, 2011

Two Dean Searches Planned

NC State will move forward with national searches for deans of the College of Natural Resources and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Provost Warwick Arden announced. 

Dec 7, 2011

Nominate a Colleague for Larkins Award

If you know an NC State employee who's helping improve human and race relations in the workplace or community, nominate your colleague for the 2012 John R. Larkins Award. 

Dec 7, 2011

Williams Named Distinguished Scientist

Dr. Laurie Williams, professor of computer science, has been honored as a 2011 Distinguished Scientist by the Association for Computing Machinery. 

Dec 7, 2011

Why Educational Films Matter: Educational Films In The United States (Part II)

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Marsha Orgeron, an associate professor of film studies at NC State and co-editor of “Learning With The Lights Off: Educational Film In The United States.” This is the second of three posts in a series on educational films. Thousands of educational films have been made, and they were… 

Dec 6, 2011

Centennial Campus to Add Student Housing

NC State has broken ground for Centennial Campus Apartments, scheduled to open in 2013. 

Dec 6, 2011

If Your Family Tree is a Straight Line …

Incest is best – or is at least very acceptable – for bedbugs looking to colonize new areas, according to new research from NC State entomologists Coby Schal, Ed Vargo and Warren Booth. The research, presented today at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene annual meeting in Philadelphia and currently undergoing peer review, shows… 

Dec 6, 2011

The Science of Santa

Don't believe in Santa? NC State’s Dr. Larry Silverberg can explain the science and engineering principles that allow Santa to pull off his magical feat year after year. 

Dec 6, 2011

Freelon to Fine Arts Commission

President Obama has appointed architect Phil Freelon, an NC State alumnus and member of the Board of Trustees, to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. 

Dec 6, 2011

The Way We Learned: Educational Films In The United States (Part I)

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Devin Orgeron, an associate professor of film studies at NC State and co-editor of “Learning With The Lights Off: Educational Film In The United States.” This is the first of three posts in a series on educational films. I regularly teach a course on documentary film here at… 

Dec 6, 2011

Researcher Explains How Santa Delivers Presents in One Night

Don’t believe in Santa Claus? Magic, you say? In fact, science and technology explain how Santa is able to deliver toys to good girls and boys around the world in one night, according to a North Carolina State University researcher. 

Dec 5, 2011

NC State Holds Forensic Science Symposium for National and State Law Enforcement

North Carolina State University will hold its fourth annual forensic science symposium –including presentations of cutting-edge crime scene investigation technology and techniques – on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the College of Textiles. 

Dec 5, 2011

Oceanic Surveys? There’s an App for that.

Imagine being able to map ocean currents, temperatures, salinity, and depths from your desk in Raleigh, N.C. (By the way, for those of you unfamiliar with North Carolina geography, Raleigh is not a coastal town.) Roy He and his team of NC State oceanographers are doing just that. They’re part of a growing trend among oceanographers… 

Dec 5, 2011

Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance (Part III)

Editor’s Note: Readers of The Abstract are generally interested in research, science and technology. People that fall into that camp are often also devotees of science fiction. So, in a throw back to the serialized storytelling of the golden age of sci-fi, we decided to serialize some science fiction by one of our favorite authors… 

Dec 2, 2011

Sense & Sensibility: New Technology To Help Engineers Monitor Bridges

Editor’s Note: This post was guest-written by Nate DeGraff of NC State’s College of Engineering. Nearly four in 10 bridges in North Carolina are labeled “deficient” by the state’s Department of Transportation (NCDOT). That doesn’t mean they’re unsafe — NCDOT has said it would close any bridge that’s too dangerous to travel over – but it…