Nov 9, 2021 Coastal Review

NC program needs help cataloging birds this winter

Nearly 100 bird species migrate to North Carolina this time of year and the North Carolina Bird Atlas needs help recording these sightings. Birders, hunters and conservation enthusiasts are encouraged record their bird observations for the rest of the year for the North Carolina Bird Atlas, a project to mobilize thousands of volunteer birdwatchers across… 

Nov 9, 2021 What They Think

Curious About the Latest Research in Mask Efficacy?

Bryan Ormond, a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, and his team received a grant from the CDC to take mask research to the next level. He explains it all in this video and also explains that you may be safer wearing different mask types in different conditions. 

Nov 9, 2021 The Sacramento Bee

Beetles have more sex when it’s hot — and it’s killing pine trees in CA, study finds

And “even a slight increase in generations can increase tree mortality considerably,” lead study author Zachary Robbins, a Ph.D. candidate in the department of forestry and environmental resources at North Carolina State University, said in a news release. 

Nov 8, 2021 The McDowell News

Column: Will there be a permanent labor shortage?

One of the surprises of the current economy is the labor shortage. Even though the unemployment rate is higher than it was prior to the pandemic, fewer people are looking for work. As a result, many businesses — from restaurants to trucking to construction and technology — have openings that are going unfilled. In North… 

Nov 8, 2021 Tech Xplore

Composite metal foam on its way to influencing market

When NC State mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Afsaneh Rabiei began developing composite metal foam, she looked to transform the transportation and military industries. Twenty years later, her product has the potential to save lives, and she wants to see it integrated in as many industries as possible. 

Nov 8, 2021 Gizmodo

Why Can’t We Predict When a Volcano Will Stop Erupting?

Incredible advances are being made in volcanology all the time, so a future in which the entirety of an eruption’s evolution, from start to finish, can be known from the first murmurs is easy to envisage. But we must be patient. “Volcanology is a young science,” said Arianna Soldati, a volcanologist at North Carolina State… 

Nov 5, 2021 Sourcing Journal

Could Digitally Printed Denim Be The Next Sustainable Innovation?

The quest for a denim fabric with the lowest environmental impact continues. This time, researchers from North Carolina State University are experimenting with digitally printed cotton that mimics the look of denim. Researchers recently published their findings in the Journal of Imaging, Science and Technology explaining their process for saving time, energy and money in denim… 

Nov 5, 2021 Futurity

Adults Aren’t Great At Discerning Kid Emotions

“This tool allows us to identify whether we have any emotion-related biases,” says Amy Halberstadt, first author of a paper of the work and a professor of psychology at North Carolina State University. “For example, we’ve shown in multiple studies that people are more likely to incorrectly perceive Black children as angry. But we can… 

Nov 5, 2021 WRAL

NC labor commissioner: Federal vaccine mandate could cost businesses

Mike Walden, an economist with North Carolina State University, called the vaccine mandate “probably the best compromise” to limit the spread of the virus so the nation can return to normal business activity. “It is crucial to have an option of being tested because there are people out there who, for a variety of reasons,… 

Nov 5, 2021 BBC Science Focus

Put down the disinfectant: Should we be encouraging helpful bacteria into our homes?

Before this came the Wild Life of Our Homes project that was run by North Carolina State University, which showed that we each share our homes with 9,000 species of microbes. Other research has identified the microbes that live in everything from university dining halls to shopping centres. 

Nov 4, 2021 Kiss 95.1

NC State Startup Creates A Way To Convert Your Gas Vehicle To Electric

Do you want to do your part to help the environment and get rid of that gas guzzler? We get it. But Tesla’s are pricey and just not practical for average Americans. But what if instead of going into debt to purchase a Tesla you could convert your current gas vehicle to electric? A startup… 

Nov 4, 2021 WRAL Tech Wire

New tool from NCSU researchers assesses how well people read kids’ emotions

Psychology researchers at North Carolina State University have developed and validated a new tool for assessing how accurate people are at recognizing emotion in elementary school-aged children. The technique will facilitate research on understanding emotions of children – and highlights the fact that adults are often wrong when assessing the emotions of children. 

Nov 4, 2021 WNCN

Researchers focus in on impact of ‘forever chemicals’ in Pittsboro

“We wanted to go upriver and include Pittsboro in our understanding of PFAS exposure throughout the basin, as well as trying to focus on what the potential health effects could be,” said Jane Hoppin, an environmental epidemiologist at North Carolina State University. “We don’t know what’s happening maybe in Greensboro, maybe in Burlington. The Cape… 

Nov 4, 2021 Inside Higher Ed

Making Transfer Work for Rural Students and Communities

After getting students on market-aligned pathways, colleges need to ensure they return home. Strategies to encourage return migration include work-based experiences, job placements and financial incentives. For example, in the rural area southeast of Raleigh, N.C., Johnston Community College, Johnston County Public Schools and North Carolina State University have built several connections to the region… 

Nov 3, 2021 WRAL Tech Wire

$17M liver cancer research grant goes to NCSU researchers

“This grant further establishes NC State as the national research leader on how environmental contaminants affect our health,” said Christine McGahan, dean of the College of Sciences. “This work will be instrumental in illuminating some of the causes of a disease that touches far too many people.”