Since 2011, fans around the world have celebrated May 4 as “Star Wars” Day because of the easy pun on the greeting from the movies: “May the Fourth be with you.”
At NC State, our greetings are a little different (think “Go Pack!” or flashing the wolf ears to a passerby in red), but our students and faculty are just as passionate about their university as “Star Wars” fans are about that galaxy far, far away.
While characters like Luke Skywalker and Rey use the Force to get things done, we use our Think and Do spirit to create economic, societal and intellectual prosperity. Our cutting-edge research has real-world implications; we’re a national leader in moving bold ideas from the lab to the marketplace — and No. 1 in the nation among universities without a medical school.
As you celebrate Star Wars Day, check out some of the sci-fi research taking place at NC State — including a few ideas that are straight out of the movies:
- NC State researchers propose BB-8-style rover to explore Mars.
- Ready for re-entry? NC State research develops a metal foam that withstands heat and radiation.
- NC State’s campuses could soon be connected by self-driving vehicles.
- NC State’s Textile Protection and Comfort Center tests state-of-the-art clothing and body armor.
- Students at the Institute for Advanced Analytics used “Star Wars” for a text-mining data project.
- Fans of “Star Wars” use the fictional desert planet of Tatooine as tool for explaining science.
For the latest on our interdisciplinary innovation and world-changing research, visit NC State News.
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