Matt Shipman

Sep 5, 2013

Study IDs Trouble Areas, Aims to Speed Up Construction Projects

Research from North Carolina State University identified factors that cause construction site managers to schedule more time than necessary for specific tasks. Understanding these factors and whether they can be reduced or eliminated could help the industry complete construction projects more quickly. 

Sep 4, 2013

Nature in Your Backyard: Very Hungry Caterpillars

[Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Holly Menninger, director of public science in NC State’s Your Wild Life program. The post originally ran on the Your Wild Life blog.] Over the weekend, our friend and veteran NC State science newsman Matt Shipman took a barefooted step out onto his back porch to enjoy a little… 

Aug 27, 2013

New Energy Model Offers Transparency to Let Others Replicate Findings

Computer models are used to inform policy decisions about energy, but existing models are generally “black boxes” that don’t show how they work, making it impossible for anyone to replicate their findings. Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new open-source model and are sharing the data they put into it, to allow… 

Aug 21, 2013

Why You Can See the Moon During Daylight Hours

I have a friend whose young son gets incredibly excited when he can see the moon during the day. After several excited shouts of “day moon!” the youngster asks his mom why he can sometimes see the moon when the sun is up, and not just at night. Good question. Objects in the sky appear… 

Aug 20, 2013

Back to School! NC State Welcomes New Freshman Class, Returning Students

North Carolina State University is howling with excitement about students returning to campus and the arrival of a new Wolfpack freshman class. NC State’s fall semester begins Wednesday, Aug. 21. 

Aug 19, 2013

History of Labor Day and How Workers Are Faring in Post-Recession Recovery

How are workers faring this Labor Day as the United States continues its slow recovery from the “Great Recession”? Labor historian and North Carolina State University professor Dr. David Zonderman can provide historical perspective on this and other questions on the labor movement in the United States. Reporters can contact Zonderman directly at 919/513-2222 or… 

Aug 14, 2013

Research Shows Precisely Which Strategies Help Players Win Team-Oriented Video Games

Computer science researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a technique to determine which strategies give players an edge at winning in multi-player (action) real-time strategy (ARTS) games, such as Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Warcraft III and Starcraft II. The technique offers extremely precise information about how a player’s actions affect a team’s… 

Aug 8, 2013

Writing the Book on How to Use ‘Big Data’

NC State students wrote the book on analyzing “big data” – sifting useful information out of the sea of business, personal and other data available online and elsewhere. Or at least they’ve written a book about mining that big data. Nagiza Samatova, a professor of computer science at NC State, and four Ph.D. students are co-editors of… 

Aug 7, 2013

Writing the Book on ‘Big Data’

Computer science professor Nagiza Samatova and her students wanted a better introductory book on a particular approach to data mining. So, they wrote one. 

Aug 6, 2013

New Technique Allows Closer Study of How Radiation Damages Materials

A team of researchers led by North Carolina State University has developed a technique that provides real-time images of how magnesium changes at the atomic scale when exposed to radiation. The technique may give researchers new insights into how radiation weakens the integrity of radiation-tolerant materials, such as those used in space exploration and in… 

Aug 5, 2013

Understanding Interface Properties of Graphene Paves Way for New Applications

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Texas have revealed more about graphene’s mechanical properties and demonstrated a technique to improve the stretchability of graphene – developments that should help engineers and designers come up with new technologies that make use of the material. 

Aug 2, 2013

Researchers Create ‘Soft Robotic’ Devices Using Water-Based Gels

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating devices out of a water-based hydrogel material that can be patterned, folded and used to manipulate objects. The technique holds promise for use in “soft robotics” and biomedical applications. 

Jul 26, 2013

Researchers Find New Way to Create ‘Gradients’ for Understanding Molecular Interactions

Scientists use tools called gradients to understand how molecules interact in biological systems. Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating biomolecular gradients that is both simpler than existing techniques and that creates additional surface characteristics that allow scientists to monitor other aspects of molecular behavior. 

Jul 25, 2013

Researchers Get Better Metrics on Laser Potential of Key Material

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed more accurate measurements of how efficiently a polymer called MEH-PPV amplifies light, which should advance efforts to develop a new generation of lasers and photonic devices. 

Jul 18, 2013

New Technique for Assessing Calorie Absorption Sheds Light on Genetic Driver of Obesity

Researchers from Harvard, NC State and five other universities have found a specific genetic on-off switch associated with obesity in both mice and humans, raising the long-term possibility of developing new treatments for obesity. As part of the study, NC State researchers had to develop a new technique for assessing calorie absorption in small laboratory animals, which…