Matt Shipman

May 18, 2010

Rise Of The (Video Game) Machines

Video games are big business. And the push for faster, flashier graphics has driven not only game developers, but the development of computer hardware to handle those graphics. It’s gotten to the point where computers have a separate “brain” that only handles graphics – and these graphics processing units (GPUs) are usually 100 times more… 

May 17, 2010

Software Tool Helps Tap Into The Power Of Graphics Processing

Today’s computers rely on powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) to create the spectacular graphics in video games. In fact, these GPUs are now more powerful than the traditional central processing units (CPUs) – or brains of the computer. As a result, computer developers are trying to tap into the power of these GPUs. Now a… 

May 13, 2010

Skulls: Now More Of Them Can Speak

The skeletal remains of bygone societies have long been able to tell anthropologists a lot about their civilizations and way of life. However, a significant segment of those populations was left largely mute: the children. Now, new research is likely to give those children a voice. Physical anthropologists can tell a lot about a person… 

May 13, 2010

New Forensics Research Will Help Identify Remains Of Children

New research from North Carolina State University is now giving forensic scientists a tool that can be used to help identify the remains of children, and may contribute to resolving missing-persons cases, among other uses. Identifying skeletal remains can be a key step in solving crimes, but traditionally it has been exceptionally difficult to identify… 

May 11, 2010

New Dimensions For Old Manuscripts

Apparently, you can teach an old poem new tricks. When an unknown 14th Century poet was writing The Siege of Jerusalem, there is no way he or she could imagine the computer age. They had no way of knowing that seven centuries later the poem would lead to the development of a digital labor of… 

May 11, 2010

Better Enforcement Of Existing Migrant Worker Protection Laws Needed

A new paper from North Carolina State University argues that federal farm subsidies contribute to the migration of both legal and illegal farm labor into the United States and that, since federal actions are an impetus for the influx of migrant labor, the federal government should do a better job of enforcing laws designed to… 

May 11, 2010

NC State Experts Offer Insight On Fallout From Greek Economy

Greece is the focus of global attention as observers try to determine the economic, financial and political fallout stemming from instability in the Greek economy. North Carolina State University researchers can help explain exactly what happened, and offer insights into what is likely to happen next. 

May 10, 2010

Study Paves Way For New Biofuels Models, Technologies

Biofuels hold promise as environmentally friendly sources of renewable energy, but which ones should industry and policy leaders focus their efforts on developing? A new study involving researchers from North Carolina State University offers detailed insights into how biofuel chemicals react when burned. Their data and new computer models pave the way for development of… 

May 4, 2010

Yes To ‘Fantastic Voyage,’ No To Steve Austin

How comfortable are you with the idea of doctors using nanotechnology in your body? If you are like most people, the answer is “It depends.” A new national survey finds that people are much more likely to support nanotechnology-based “human enhancement” if it is used to help sick or injured people get well – via… 

May 4, 2010

Survey: Hiding Risks Can Hurt Public Support For Nanotechnology

A new national survey on public attitudes toward medical applications and physical enhancements that rely on nanotechnology shows that support for the technology increases when the public is informed of the technology’s risks as well as its benefits – at least among those people who have heard of nanotechnology. The survey, which was conducted by… 

May 3, 2010

Teens: Sex Fiends Or Sexless?

A new study from NC State shows that most parents of teenagers believe that: A) their teen does not (repeat, not) want to have sex; and, B) every other teen definitely wants to have sex. The parents of teenage girls and boys alike fear that their children will be taken advantage of by other teens. But… 

May 3, 2010

“My Kid Wouldn’t Do That” – Study Shows Parents’ Difficulty With Teen Sexuality

It can be difficult for parents of teenagers to come to terms with the fact their kids may have sex, particularly given widespread concerns about the consequences of teen sexual activity. In fact, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that many parents think that their children aren’t interested in sex – but… 

Apr 30, 2010

Biofuels, Hold The Sugar

Imagine if we could make biofuels anywhere, without having to worry about biofuel crops competing with food crops. Well, the feds are now funding research that would make that possible. Modern biofuels are largely made from sugar. Basically, plants (like corn) take energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds (like sugar)… 

Apr 30, 2010

NC State Wins ARPA-E Grant To Study Extremophile Production Of Biofuels

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) has awarded a grant for more than $2.7 million to North Carolina State University to support research into the creation of biofuels using microbial organisms, called extremophiles, that live in high-temperature environments. 

Apr 28, 2010

Connecting The Nanodots

Picture a really big library. Imagine that it contains 2.5 million books, and that each of those books is 400 pages long. Now imagine that you could fit ALL of those books onto a computer chip the size of your thumbnail. Researchers just figured out how to do exactly that. The trick is to use…