Jul 26, 2024 American Psychological Association

Managing political stress

The collective nature of politics also sets it apart from most other life stressors, said Shevaun D. Neupert, PhD, a professor of psychology at North Carolina State University who studies how elections impact day-to-day emotions. “This is a widely felt phenomenon, a shared experience that affects all people living in this country in one way… 

Jul 26, 2024 Phys.org

Climate is most important factor in where mammals choose to live, study finds

While human activity has had a massive effect on the natural world, a new study from North Carolina State University finds that climate is still the most influential factor in determining where mammals can thrive. The work sheds light on how climate change will affect wildlife populations. Roland Kays, lead author of a paper on… 

Jul 26, 2024 National Geographic

Why do so many virtual assistants have female voices?

Why is it so compelling to code a computerized voice as male or female? Chris Mayhorn, head of North Carolina State University’s psychology department, says social norms—and a longstanding tendency to anthropomorphize machines—are to blame. “When people hear a voice, they end up almost automatically using social norms,” he explains, including the gender binary. Mayhorn… 

Jul 26, 2024 The New York Times

It’s Chigger Season. Here’s What to Know About the Pests.

It’s Chigger Season. Here’s What to Know About the Pests. But this period is likely to expand as temperatures rise across the country, said Loganathan Ponnusamy, a principal research scholar in the department of entomology and plant pathology at North Carolina State University. He said that scientists in North Carolina were finding chiggers earlier compared… 

Jul 25, 2024 The News & Observer

‘Art pieces you can hug’: NC State grad turns hobby into an adorable, thriving business

Foster, owner of Raleigh-based AlpacaSews, is a North Carolina native who made a pandemic hobby into a thriving local business. After earning a degree in meteorology from NC State University, Foster found that the small stuffed animals she’d begun sewing in common areas on campus were something that other people were interested in. “I made like… 

Jul 25, 2024 WNCN

NC State chancellor steps down after 14 years with the university

After 14 years, North Carolina State University’s 14th Chancellor has announced he will step down. Dr. Randy Woodson announced on Thursday to the Board of Trustees that he would be parting ways with the university and officially retiring on June 30, 2025. Woodson stepped into the role of Chancellor in 2010 after serving as provost… 

Jul 25, 2024 WRAL

‘You can’t do it on your own’: NC State meteorology grad brings plush business to GalaxyCon

Emily Foster didn’t have the conventional path to becoming a small business owner. What started as a side hobby while working towards her meteorology degree at North Carolina State University has now become a business she takes to countless conventions. 

Jul 25, 2024 EarthSky

New dog-sized burrowing dinosaur discovered in Utah

Some 99 million years ago, a dog-sized dinosaur retreated to its burrow in a large floodplain between an inland ocean and volcanoes in what is now Utah. Many ages later, in 2013, researchers from North Carolina State University and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences began uncovering these bones along with more fossils of the… 

Jul 25, 2024 Futurity

‘Digital twin’ can make wireless networks better

“Two big challenges here are determining which data need to be cached and how much data the edge server should store at any given point in time,” says Yuchen Liu, corresponding author of a paper on the work and an assistant professor of computer science at North Carolina State University. 

Jul 24, 2024 Food & Wine Magazine

What to Do When You Find Gunk in Your Food

What are your rights for a refund or compensation? This gets a little tricky. “Most retailers will offer a refund,” says food safety expert Ellen Shumaker, Ph.D., director of outreach for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University. “A food that has made you sick or harmed you in some way could make… 

Jul 24, 2024 Food & Wine Magazine

Aches on a Plane! Avoid Food Poisoning While Flying With These Smart Food Safety Tricks

Mold is also an indication of spoilage, according to food safety expert Ellen Shumaker, Ph.D., director of outreach for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University. “Spoilage does not cause foodborne illness, but can cause upset stomach and nausea due to these off flavors and smells,” she says. With chicken, there’s also the… 

Jul 24, 2024 WSRS

What to Do When You Find Gunk in Your Food

What are your rights for a refund or compensation? This gets a little tricky. “Most retailers will offer a refund,” says food safety expert Ellen Shumaker, Ph.D., director of outreach for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University. “A food that has made you sick or harmed you in some way could make… 

Jul 24, 2024 Morning Ag Clips

Can Bees Recognize Faces?

Recently David Tarpy, professor of applied ecology at NC State and all-around beekeeping expert, sat down with the Audio Abstract to talk bees. One of the questions that came up when talking about how bees see the world was whether they recognize faces. Read the answer below, and if you want to hear more about honeybees,… 

Jul 24, 2024 The Herald Journal

Ticks suck

According to information obtained from LymeDisease.org, a North Carolina State University researcher, Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, discovered that Bartonella (a common Lyme co-infection) can be passed to unborn babies, which can lead to chronic infections and possibly birth defects. 

Jul 24, 2024 The Washington Post

Refrigerating produce in jars looks great, but it can breed bacteria

In the short term, water submersion keeps celery and carrots crisp by preventing dry air from sucking moisture from their cells. It also prevents dried-out, white patches on cut or peeled carrots. Ben Chapman, director of a food safety research program at North Carolina State University, said a couple days or a week could be…