Matt Shipman

Nov 5, 2013

Smarter Searching

A new technique developed at NC State helps search engines return personalized results. 

Nov 4, 2013

Many Android Vulnerabilities Can Be Traced to Manufacturer Modifications

Computer security researchers have found that Android smartphone manufacturers are inadvertently incorporating new vulnerabilities into their products when they customize the phones before sale, according to a recent study. On average, the researchers found that 60 percent of the vulnerabilities found in the smartphone models they evaluated were due to such “vendor customizations.” A paper… 

Oct 30, 2013

Weight Loss Not Always Beneficial for Romantic Relationships

Losing weight is generally beneficial for human health, but when one partner in a romantic relationship loses weight, it doesn’t always have a positive effect on the relationship. According to new research from North Carolina State University and the University of Texas at Austin, there can be a “dark side” to weight loss, if both… 

Oct 28, 2013

Public Wants Labels for Food Nanotech – and They’re Willing to Pay for It

New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Minnesota finds that people in the United States want labels on food products that use nanotechnology – whether the nanotechnology is in the food or is used in food packaging. The research also shows that many people are willing to pay more for the… 

Oct 23, 2013

Study Finds Natural Compound Can Be Used for 3-D Printing of Medical Implants

Researchers from North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Laser Zentrum Hannover have discovered that a naturally-occurring compound can be incorporated into three-dimensional (3-D) printing processes to create medical implants out of non-toxic polymers. The compound is riboflavin, which is better known as vitamin B2. 

Oct 16, 2013

Software Uses Cyborg Swarm to Map Unknown Environs

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed software that allows them to map unknown environments – such as collapsed buildings – based on the movement of a swarm of insect cyborgs, or “biobots.” 

Sep 30, 2013

Researchers Work to Squeeze More Data From Bandwidth in Mobile Devices

A team of researchers is working on technology that would allow mobile devices to send and receive more data using the same limited amount of bandwidth. The work is supported by a $1.08 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Competition for the airwaves is fierce. Commercial and military communication services must broadcast and… 

Sep 27, 2013

Study Shows Innovative Program Helps Limit Domestic Violence

October is domestic violence awareness month, and the statistics are horrifying. Nearly three in 10 women have been stalked or assaulted by their partner, and states reported investigating abuse cases involving 5.9 million children in 2010. It hurts children to be exposed to domestic violence, and child maltreatment and partner abuse too often happen in… 

Sep 25, 2013

The 21st Century Professor: Evaluating the Future of Instruction in Higher Education

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Jeff Braden, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of psychology at NC State. Braden is leading a study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to determine whether computer-based instruction is as effective as conventional classroom instruction in higher education. What makes… 

Sep 23, 2013

Researchers Seek to Control Prosthetic Legs With Neural Signals

Most people don’t think about the difference between walking across the room and walking up a flight of stairs. Their brains (and their legs) automatically adjust to the new conditions. But for people using prosthetic legs, there is no automatic link between their bodies and the prosthetics that they need to negotiate the new surroundings.… 

Sep 19, 2013

LEGO Robot Builders Form Emotional Bond to Their Creations

Psychology researchers have found that people who build robots form an emotional bond to their creations – though the bond is different from the sort of attachments people form with other people or pets. The researchers surveyed 16 undergraduates who built robots out of LEGOs as part of a robotics education course. All of the… 

Sep 18, 2013

Scaling Up Personalized Query Results for Next Generation of Search Engines

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a way for search engines to provide users with more accurate, personalized search results. The challenge in the past has been how to scale this approach up so that it doesn’t consume massive computer resources. Now the researchers have devised a technique for implementing personalized searches that is… 

Sep 17, 2013

Smaller than Small: Why We Measure the Space between Atoms

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Jacob Jones, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at NC State. We study the movement of incredibly small things. How small is small? Think smaller than “nano.” Think smaller than atoms themselves. We measure the infinitesimally small shifts in the positions of atoms to electrical forces.… 

Sep 17, 2013

NC State Lands $7.3M ‘Citizen Science’ Grant to Boost Research in Schools

North Carolina State University is taking the lead on a five-year, $7.3 million “citizen science” initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The goal of the program is to give science teachers and students the opportunity to engage in meaningful scientific research while improving the educational success of both teachers and students. 

Sep 16, 2013

NC State Event Focuses on Science, Technology and Democracy

What: Sheila Jasanoff, founder of the Kennedy School of Government’s program on Science, Technology and Society at Harvard University, will be speaking on “The Invisible Constitution: Science, Technology and Democracy in Europe and the United States.”