Matt Shipman

Jul 12, 2011

Food For Thought

From peaches to green beans, summer’s bounty is here. And eager home cooks are busy canning fruits and vegetables for the months ahead. But canning is one hobby that can kill you if not done properly. NC State is making sure people do it the right way. 

Jul 12, 2011

Using Data, Not Assumptions, To Make Safe Structures For Less Money

Each level of a parking garage is held up by a structure called an L-shaped spandrel beam. For years, manufacturers have been making these beams using inefficient assumptions, which meant they were using too much steel and putting it in the wrong places. Researchers have now collected actual data on these structures, allowing them to… 

Jul 11, 2011

Why Does Water Freeze Before Alcohol Does?

We recently explained that one reason wine’s freezing point is much lower than water’s is because of its alcohol content. But we didn’t explain why alcohol has a much lower freezing point than water. Let’s explain that now (hint: water molecules are “stickier.”) A substance freezes when its molecules become “stuck” in a fixed array… 

Jul 6, 2011

Why Doesn’t Wine Freeze? And Do Vacuum-Sealing Stoppers Keep Wine ‘Fresh’?

I set out to learn why wine doesn’t freeze. But while I was questioning a wine researcher, I thought I’d also find out whether those vacuum-sealing wine stoppers are worth it. Here’s what I found out. Question 1: Why Doesn’t Wine Freeze? Wine will freeze, it just has a much lower freezing point than water… 

Jul 6, 2011

Bigger Than Football: Study Shows Sports Can Help Communities Recover From Disaster

Research from North Carolina State University shows that organized sports can be a powerful tool for helping to rebuild communities in the wake of disasters. The research focused specifically on the role of professional football in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. 

Jul 6, 2011

NC State To Create Video Game Adventure To Boost Science Literacy

North Carolina State University has landed a grant to boost science literacy by developing a narrative video game that uses adventure to help middle school students develop their literacy skills – particularly their ability to read and understand scientific and technical language. 

Jul 5, 2011

Losing Sleep: New ‘GoldDream’ Malware Targets Android

NC State computer science researchers have discovered yet another variety of malware targeting Android. The new malware, called “GoldDream,” collects data on text messages and phone calls – and may also be used to install new apps on Android smartphones or to upload files stored on Android to a remote server. The NC State team, led by… 

Jul 1, 2011

One Person Can Change The World: Or At Least What The World Is Made Of

In 1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, World War II was in full swing, and a young man named Hans Conrad was embarking on a career as a materials science researcher. Sixty-eight years later, he is still showing up to the lab every day, publishing top-notch papers and trying to figure out the physical and… 

Jul 1, 2011

DroidKungFu Malware Is Evolving

The NC State computer science researchers who first identified the DroidKungFu malware that targets Android users have now uncovered new variations of the malware, which have been modified in what appears to be an attempt to make them harder to detect. “Though they are similarly repackaged and distributed in the form of ‘legitimate’ applications, these two… 

Jun 30, 2011

How Does My Dog Always Know When I’m Coming Home?

When I get home from work my dog is always at the door, waiting for me. Friends of mine report the same phenomenon. Do they spend all day at the door waiting for us? Maybe, but probably not. It’s probably the result of associative learning. Dogs and humans have been a double-bill for tens of… 

Jun 28, 2011

NC State Experts Offer Insight On Final Shuttle Launch, Space Experiments, Future Of Space Exploration

The space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch July 8. It will be the final mission for NASA’s shuttle program. The shuttle will be carrying an experiment into orbit for North Carolina State University researchers. Reporters can contact these NC State experts for more information about the experiment, the role that the shuttle program and the… 

Jun 28, 2011

Model Finds Optimal Fiber Optic Network Connections 10,000 Times More Quickly

Designing fiber optic networks  involves finding the most efficient way to connect phones and computers that are in different places – a costly and time-consuming process. Now researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a model that can find optimal connections 10,000 times more quickly, using less computing power to solve the problem. 

Jun 27, 2011

Study: Most Parents Unaware Of Teen Workplace Risks

Most parents are unaware of the risks their teenagers face in the workplace and could do more to help them understand and prepare for those hazards, according to a new study. 

Jun 21, 2011

Concrete: It’s Everywhere, You Probably Don’t Understand It, And It’s Changing

We are always surrounded by things we don’t really understand, but there are few man-made substances as common, but little understood, as concrete. We walk on it, drive on it and live in buildings built on it (or even from it). And, while most people hardly ever think about it, there are researchers who think… 

Jun 16, 2011

A Clever Solution: Sensors That Repair Themselves

I love it when someone comes up with an ingenious solution to a problem, like the self-healing sensor discussed in a paper that came out this month. I won’t go into the entire sensor, but want to explain the “self-healing” part, since that’s what I think is so clever. (The paper itself is here and…