Exploration

a man peers down through his glasses as if struggling to read something

Apr 14, 2026

Too Dark? Too Bright? Scientists Need Your Help to Make Reading Easier

Scientists are recruiting people around the world to take part in a participatory science project to help answer research questions about physical challenges that can affect our ability to read in different settings, such as glare and font size.

a teardrop-shaped structure is suspended from a clear plastic surface over a series of what look like test tubes

Apr 2, 2026

New Sensors Lower the Cost of Studying Genetic Disorders

Researchers have demonstrated a new class of low-cost, scalable sensors that can be used to monitor electrical activity in human cerebral organoids.

illustration shows the gradual unfolding of a metamaterial, with discrete rows of holes in the metamaterial opening in neat rows as the metamaterial is stretched vertically.

Mar 20, 2026

Researchers Demonstrate How Magnets Influence Behavior of Metamaterials

Cutting patterns into elastic materials allows you to unfold those materials into new shapes, and researchers have now demonstrated the ability to control the sequence in which that unfolding happens by magnetizing the materials.

Mar 11, 2026

Female Resistance, Not Just Choice, Drives Mosquitofish Diversity

Female mosquitofish drive population isolation both by preferring native males and aggressively resisting outsiders.

a large crowd of people stands together, all facing in the same direction as if listening to a speech

Mar 5, 2026

When Populist Rhetoric is High, Entrepreneurs Are More Likely to Dodge Taxes

A new study finds that the greater the amount of populist rhetoric in a nation, the less likely entrepreneurs are to register their businesses – dodging both taxes and government regulations.

Picture of brain composed of half organic material, half computer circuitry on white background.

Mar 4, 2026

The ‘Itch-to-Brain’ Circuit, Neural Change and Depression

Does chronic itch re-wire the brain to be more susceptible to depression?

image shows two, side-by-side models of the stomach, intestines and other parts of the digestive system

Feb 24, 2026

How Studying Yeast in the Gut Could Lead to New, Better Drugs

A new study sheds light on the behavior of yeast cells in the gut, paving the way for new lines of yeast that more efficiently produce therapeutic drugs.

a woman in silhouette against the sun raises one hand in defiance

Feb 18, 2026

Want Entrepreneurs to Work Harder? Tell Them They’ll Fail

A new study finds entrepreneurs become more committed to their business ventures when they are told they will fail, increasing their efforts to make those businesses successful.

a pooping elephant walks past a watering hole where a zebra is drinking

Jan 26, 2026

Study Sheds New Light on What Drives Evolution of Gut Microbiomes

A study of African herbivores offers insight into how environmental conditions can influence the evolution of gut microbes that play a critical role in animal health and well-being.

Crystal on dark background to illustrate how applying a thermal gradient to the crystal creates orbital angular momentum.

Jan 21, 2026

Chiral Phonons Create Orbital Current via Their Own Magnetism

Chiral phonons can create orbital current without magnetic elements, and the effect can be achieved in common crystal materials.

a white robot resembling a moth creates ripples in purple water as it flaps its wings

Jan 20, 2026

NC State Contest Seeks Research Images from Students, Faculty, Staff

NC State calls on students, postdocs, faculty and staff to take part in the university’s annual research image contest.

there are three images. first is a weaving of grey and blue strands; second is heat-map image, red in the center, surrounded by blue; third is an image of grey weaving with an overly of blue zigzag lines

Jan 14, 2026

Self-Healing Composite Can Make Airplane, Automobile and Spacecraft Components Last for Centuries

Researchers have created a self-healing composite that is tougher than materials currently used in aircraft wings, turbine blades and other applications – and can repair itself more than 1,000 times.

close photograph of a chimpanzee eating a piece of fruit

Dec 1, 2025

Why Researchers Are Studying Lipid Levels in Chimpanzee Blood

The research holds value for zoos, wildlife conservation and – maybe – human health.

Nov 6, 2025

Study: Composite Metal Foam Could Lead to Safer Hazmat Transportation

Composite metal foam can withstand tremendous force – enough to punch a hole in a railroad tank car – at much lower weight than solid steel.

A pack of Nanotyrannus brazenly attacks a juvenile T. rex. Illustration by Anthony Hutchings.

Oct 30, 2025

Nanotyrannus Confirmed: Dueling Dinosaurs Fossil Rewrites the Story of T. rex

A complete Nanotyrannus skeleton has just ended one of paleontology’s longest-running debates.