Dec 5, 2024 Popular Science

This Manta ray robot is the world’s fastest soft-bodied swimmer

Anew aquatic robot inspired by Manta rays has broken the world record for the fastest swimming soft robot. The robot, designed by a team of engineers from North Carolina State University and the University of Virginia, was able to reach speeds of 6.8 body lengths per second. That comes out to a swim speed of… 

Dec 5, 2024 Interesting Engineering

Fastest swimming soft robot inspired by manta rays reaches 6.8 body lengths/second

A team at North Carolina State University (NC State) has improved its previous design of an aquatic soft robot, increasing its speed from 3.74 to 6.8 body lengths per second. The new design is more energy-efficient and capable of swimming throughout the water column, whereas the previous model was limited to surface swimming. “Studying the fluid… 

Dec 4, 2024 The News & Observer

Here’s where to donate warm clothing and coats this winter in the Raleigh area

New and gently used coats, hats and other winter clothes for North Carolina State University students and staff in need are being collected through the Wolfpack Winter Coat and Clothing Drive. 

Dec 4, 2024 The Atlantic

Bedbugs Could Be More Horrifying Than You Think

“The ecology of the bedbug makes it an unlikely transmitter of disease,” Coby Schal, an entomologist at North Carolina State University, told me. “But is it capable of doing that? Probably so.” 

Dec 4, 2024 The Washington Post

Are food recalls on the rise? Despite public concern, not really.

McDonald’s is “the highest-profile fast-food restaurant in the world,” said Benjamin Chapman, a food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University. “I can share 10 other outbreaks in independent restaurants or other small regional chains that haven’t made national news. But McDonald’s is always going to make national news.” 

Dec 3, 2024 Futurity

What was working class life like in ancient Rome?

While powerful figures tend to take up the most space in our history books, the vast majority of people in the ancient world were regular working class folks, and most people’s lives revolved around the daily grind. Jordan Rogers, an assistant professor of history at North Carolina State University, and Del Maticic, a fellow in… 

Dec 3, 2024 USA Today

Tariffs and you: What products will cost more, when prices will rise, and what to buy now

“It would be a very long list,” said Robert Handfield, professor of supply chain management at North Carolina State University. “Apparel and footwear is almost all produced in China and Mexico. Computers and electronics are also produced in China and Mexico,” he said. “Almost all the toys that people buy for Christmas are produced in… 

Dec 3, 2024 New Atlas

‘Self-assembling’ nano-electronics: Faster, cheaper, more reliable

In a peer-reviewed study due to be released in the journal Materials Horizons, a North Carolina State University team outlined and demonstrated the new method using an alloy of indium, bismuth and tin, known as Field’s metal. “Without the mold, these structures can form somewhat chaotic patterns,” says Martin Thuo, corresponding author and professor of materials… 

Dec 3, 2024 AZO Materials

A New Era of Self-Assembling Electronics

In a study published in Materials Horizons, researchers at North Carolina State University developed a new method for self-assembling electronic devices. The proof-of-concept work produced diodes and transistors, demonstrating the potential for self-assembly of more complex electronic devices without relying on traditional computer chip manufacturing processes. 

Dec 2, 2024 Medium

Why Will I Fail Your Technical Interview?

I’m not the only one who thinks so: several years ago, North Carolina State University and Microsoft came to the same conclusion: “Technology interviews measure stress, not software development skills”. 

Dec 2, 2024 Hackster

A Sweater That Doubles as a Wi-Fi Booster? Researchers’ Knitting Promises Smart Future Clothing

Researchers at Columbia University, North Carolina State University, and the City University of New York are looking to turn scarves and throws into functional antennas — showing off a low-cost flat-knitting platform capable of delivering soft antennas, perhaps one day leading to, in the lead researcher’s words, “a sweater that can double as a Wi-Fi… 

Dec 2, 2024 Earth.com

Urban biodiversity is not a luxury – it is attainable for everyone

Madhusudan Katti, an associate professor at North Carolina State University (NC State), noted that biodiversity in cities is not a luxury – it is something we can work to nurture. “Rather than just rely on the correlation of wealth and biodiversity, we wanted to understand the many ways that biodiversity intersects with different social pressures and… 

Dec 2, 2024 USA Today

Tariffs and you: What products will cost more, when prices will rise, and what to buy now

“It would be a very long list,” said Robert Handfield, professor of supply chain management at North Carolina State University. “Apparel and footwear is almost all produced in China and Mexico. Computers and electronics are also produced in China and Mexico,” he said. “Almost all the toys that people buy for Christmas are produced in… 

Nov 27, 2024 Chicago Sun-Times

Do not wash your turkey — and other Thanksgiving cooking tips to keep your food safe

Together with podcast co-host Benjamin Chapman, a food scientist at North Carolina State University, Schaffner outlined common ways to keep holiday meals both festive and safe. 

Nov 27, 2024 National Public Radio

Trump threats of steep tariffs on key trading partners could hurt everyday Americans

NPR’s Rob Schmitz asks North Carolina State University’s Rob Handfield how President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China could affect consumer costs in the U.S.