Exploration

Early-stage research happening at NC State

May 29, 2025

Laser Technique Revolutionizes Ultra-High Temperature Ceramic Manufacturing for Space, Defense Applications

The new technique uses lasers to create ceramics that can withstand ultra-high temperatures, with applications ranging from nuclear power technologies to spacecraft and jet exhaust systems.

diagram illustrates physical forces that allow users to concentrate particles in liquid using ultrasound

May 21, 2025

Physics Advance Details New Way to Control Solid Objects in Liquid

The discovery will allow researchers to engineer technologies that make use of the technique to develop applications in fields such as biomedical testing and drug development.

diagram shows how material 'squeezes' infrared light

May 19, 2025

Advances Bring Us Closer to New ‘Light-Squeezing’ Technologies

Researchers have improved upon techniques that use thin films to compress infrared light, demonstrating three advantages that make the films more useful for practical applications.

illustration shows an aerial tramcar next to a soft robot that can also ascend and descend along a track

Apr 28, 2025

High-Wire Act: Soft Robot Can Carry Cargo Up and Down Steep Aerial Wires

Researchers have created a light-powered soft robot that can carry loads through the air along established tracks, similar to cable cars or aerial trams.

a stylized graphic shows three robots conducting chemistry experiments while four humans look at computer screens. there is a globe representing earth in the background

Apr 24, 2025

Could Self-Driving Labs Lead to a New Era of Scientific Research?

How a new approach to research could expedite work on sustainable energy, emerging diseases and other global challenges.

aerial view of a football field in a stadium. all distinguishing features, such as logos, have been removed from the field and stadium

Apr 14, 2025

How Blockchain Could Change the NFL Draft

NFL draft trade deals are complex, fast-paced and rely on a clear understanding between the teams involved. Researchers say this is where blockchain smart contracts could be useful.

Campus gateway sign reading NC State University

Mar 24, 2025

Novel Material Holds Promise for Tech to Convert CO2 Into Fuel

Researchers have developed a novel combination of materials that have organic and inorganic properties, with the goal of using them in technologies that convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into a liquid fuel.

Mar 17, 2025

Researchers Demonstrate New Technique for Boosting Plant Growth with Bacteria

The work paves the way for crop applications that make use of these beneficial bacteria in conjunction with agrochemicals.

Mar 3, 2025

Eggshells Point to Diverse Dino Ecosystem in North America

Lindsay Zanno explains what fossilized eggshells can tell us about life in the Late Cretaceous period.

Feb 10, 2025

Age, Burial Environment Don’t Hinder Soft Tissue Preservation in Dinosaurs

Soft tissue preservation in fossils does not seem to depend upon the species, age or burial environment of the fossils.

a small patch rests on the back of a person's left wrist. the person is touching the patch with their right index finger

Jan 15, 2025

Researchers Make Comfortable Materials That Generate Power When Worn

The work stems from an advanced understanding of materials that increase comfort in textiles and produce electricity when rubbed against another surface.

Jan 8, 2025

Scorching Climate Drove Lampreys Apart During Cretaceous Period

One of the hottest periods in Earth’s history may have driven lampreys apart – genetically speaking.

NC State metal gateway sculpture silhouetted against the sky

Dec 12, 2024

Researchers Demonstrate New Technique for Stealing AI Models

Researchers have demonstrated the ability to steal an AI model without hacking into the device where the model was running.

left image is titled support and shows a black polymer sheet lifting four stacked petri dishes that are loaded with spheres. right image is title manipulates and shows a black polymer sheet undulating in a way that rotates the multicolored spheres in a petri dish in a counterclockwise direction

Dec 6, 2024

Magnetically Controlled Kirigami Surfaces Move Objects: No Grasping Needed

The new technology is useful for lifting and moving items that cannot be easily grasped, such as fragile objects, gels or liquids.

time-lapse image from a video shows a manta-shaped soft robot swimming over and under obstacles in a glass tank filled with water

Dec 4, 2024

Manta Rays Inspire the Fastest Swimming Soft Robot Yet

A team of researchers has drawn inspiration from manta rays and beaten its own record for the fastest swimming soft robot.