Matt Shipman

Nov 18, 2011

Why Thanksgiving Might Make You Sleepy

Well folks, it’s almost Turkey Day again. Last year I tackled some questions about tryptophan, and why Thanksgiving dinner can make you pass out on the floor in front of the football game. Super-short version: tryptophan isn’t the culprit, gluttony is. When you gorge yourself, your body diverts blood away from your brain to help… 

Nov 17, 2011

Study Details Links Between Climate, Groundwater Availability – Will Help Water Managers Prepare For Drought

Everyone knows that climate affects our water supply, but new research from North Carolina State University gives scientists and water-resource managers an unprecedented level of detail on how climate and precipitation influence groundwater and surface water levels in the Southeast. 

Nov 15, 2011

A New Solution To An Age-Old Problem: Human Waste

Conventional sewage treatment is not available in many parts of the world, and disposing of human waste can be both difficult  and hazardous in developing nations. So a team of researchers from NC State, with support from Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are pursuing a new approach to an… 

Nov 15, 2011

NC State Team To Develop Energy Efficient 3-D CPU

Researchers from North Carolina State University are developing a three-dimensional (3D) central processing unit (CPU) – the brains of the computer – with the goal of boosting energy efficiency by 15 to 25 percent. The work is being done under a $1.5 million grant from the Intel Corporation. 

Nov 10, 2011

Self-Assembling Patterns, Powered By Light

Researchers from NC State have developed a simple way to convert two-dimensional patterns into three-dimensional objects using only light. This demonstration video is pretty cool. An overview of the work is available here. The related paper, published in Soft Matter, is available here. 

Nov 10, 2011

Using Light, Researchers Convert 2-D Patterns Into 3-D Objects

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a simple way to convert two-dimensional patterns into three-dimensional (3-D) objects using only light. 

Nov 9, 2011

Food-Safety Expert Can Offer Tips For Thanksgiving

At Thanksgiving, small mistakes in the kitchen can lead to food-borne illness. Dr. Ben Chapman, food-safety specialist and assistant professor of family and consumer sciences at North Carolina State University, can offer suggestions to ensure your Thanksgiving meal is a safe one. 

Nov 9, 2011

NC State, NSF Project To Boost Computer Science Knowledge Through Gaming

North Carolina State University researchers are launching a project to develop a video game that will help improve computer science knowledge in middle school students – and contribute to a better educated workforce in the future. The game, which is being developed under a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, could be used… 

Nov 4, 2011

Want To Study New Kinds Of Wireless Systems? Build Your Own

The idea of wireless mesh networks, which expand the reach of traditional Wi-Fi, is not new. But a lot of fundamental questions still need to be addressed (think design and security). To address those questions, one team of computer science researchers has decided to build their own mesh network – and to share that system… 

Nov 1, 2011

How Will Players Respond To Game Changes? Do The Math

Can user responses to changes in one game predict the response to changes in a different game? Apparently there’s math involved. When it comes to video games, imitation can be dangerous. If one game makes changes that players love, there’s no guarantee that players of a different game would welcome the same changes. So, do… 

Nov 1, 2011

Digging Up Clues: Research On Buried Blow Flies Will Help Crime Scene Investigators

When investigating a murder, every clue helps. New research from North Carolina State University sheds light on how – and whether – blow flies survive when buried underground during their development. It’s an advance that will help forensic investigators understand how long a body may have been left above ground before being buried – or… 

Oct 31, 2011

Water Flow: A Picture’s Worth More Than A Thousand Words

 Sometimes a picture can save time and money — and that’s worth more than a thousand words.   From mitigating flood damage to managing water resources during a drought, tracking water flow is important. But tough budget times make maintaining data collection systems more difficult than ever. Researchers may have found a way to ease… 

Oct 27, 2011

NC State Expert Offers Insight On E. coli Outbreak

An outbreak of pathogenic E. coli is currently affecting at least 9 individuals in North Carolina. This pathogen can cause nausea, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting and can result in long-term health consequences. Dr. Ben Chapman, a food safety researcher at North Carolina State University, is available to provide insights on limiting the spread of the… 

Oct 27, 2011

Researchers Use New Approach To Overcome Key Hurdle For Next-Generation Superconductors

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new computational approach to improve the utility of superconductive materials for specific design applications – and have used the approach to solve a key research obstacle for the next-generation superconductor material yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO). 

Oct 25, 2011

NC State Project Focuses On Education For Foster Children

When children are placed in foster care, it often means a disruption in their education, as well as a change in living situation – which can hurt their educational performance. Now NC State researchers are using a federal grant to launch a project designed to improve educational stability for foster children nationally and boost their overall…