Jul 11, 2023 WHTM

How and why do lightning bugs glow?

North Carolina State University says that these insects are not flies or bugs; they are actually soft-winged beetles. These beetles actually produce light, called bioluminescence. According to North Carolina State University, this is relatively rare in living organisms. 

Jul 11, 2023 Spectrum News

N.C. State professor uses storytelling experience through virtual reality

The use of virtual reality (VR) is growing, and that’s not expected to slow down soon. It’s been used in many areas for instructional training, gaming and entertainment. Now, one North Carolina State University department head is using it to once again push the educational boundaries technologically. The interactive VR experience is called Barnstormers: Determined… 

Jul 11, 2023 Earth.com

Nature’s defenses: How the Sitka spruce fends off weevil invasion

In the lush green forests of North America’s west coast, a towering tree is silently waging a biological war against a notorious pest. A fascinating study from North Carolina State University reveals how the Sitka spruce tree defends itself against the voracious spruce weevil. The findings will provide insights for breeding more resistant species of… 

Jul 10, 2023 Island Free Press

Colorado State forecasters now calling for an above-average hurricane season

In April, N.C. State University researchers forecast 11 to 15 named storms, six to eight hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes. 

Jul 10, 2023 The Daily Herald

Volunteers are ‘hands on’ with habitat enhancement at Lake Gaston

Volunteers from the LGA once again got “hands on” to enhance habitat on Lake Gaston, a 20,300-acre reservoir on the Roanoke River located on the Virginia-North Carolina border. Since 2013, volunteers have been working with the NC State University Department of Crop Science, NC Wildlife Resource Commission, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to enhance… 

Jul 10, 2023 NPR

Politicians want cop crackdowns on drug dealers. Experts say tough tactics cost lives

“With opioids we saw overdoses double in the area immediately surrounding a seizure, within maybe a five-minute walk of that seizure over the next several weeks,” said Jennifer Carroll, a medical anthropologist at North Carolina State University and co-author of the article. 

Jul 7, 2023 Spectrum News

N.C. State professor uses storytelling experience through virtual reality

The use of virtual reality is growing, and that’s not expected to slow down soon. It’s been used in many areas for instructional training, gaming and entertainment. Now, one North Carolina State University department head is using it to once again push the educational boundaries technologically. 

Jul 7, 2023 The People's Pharmacy

How Delicious Flavors Shape Human Behavior

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, our topic is evolution and the role of delicious flavors. We talk with Dr. Rob Dunn, ecologist and evolutionary biologist, about how the search for food with delicious flavors as well as high nutrient content might have shaped our behavior as we evolved. Dunn is the William… 

Jul 7, 2023 3D Printing

Researchers Unveil New Means of Printing Conductors at Room-Temperature

“Ultimately, this sort of four-dimensional printing – the traditional three dimensions, plus time , is one more tool that can be used to create structures with the desired dimensions,” said Michael Dickey, co-corresponding author of a paper and Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University. 

Jul 7, 2023 New Atlas

Revolutionary gel allows metal items to be 3D printed at room temperature

Created by a team of scientists at North Carolina State University, the material starts out as a solution consisting of copper microparticles suspended in water. Microparticles of another metal, known as eutectic gallium indium alloy (EGaIn) are then added, as is hydrochloric acid. 

Jul 7, 2023 U.S. News & World Report

Slowed Walking Could Be Sign of Dementia in Dogs

“Walking speed in people is strongly associated with cognitive decline,” said study author Dr. Natasha Olby, chair in gerontology at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “We hypothesized that the same might be true in dogs.” 

Jul 6, 2023 New York Times

Is Organic Cotton Really Better? A Shopper’s Guide

“It’s a myth that organic cotton results in softer, higher-quality fabrics,” said Kavita Mathur, PhD, an associate professor at the department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management at North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles. 

Jul 6, 2023 WUNC

NC State researchers: Dinosaur discovery key to understanding past and future

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered a new dinosaur species in Utah. Named Iani smithi, the plant-eating dinosaur was a relative of duck-billed dinosaurs and lived during a period of rapid climate change. 

Jul 6, 2023 GreenBiz

As states shift to clean energy, here’s how corporations can support that agenda

A recent national report from the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University found 20 states have set clean or renewable energy standards or goals to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. 

Jul 6, 2023 Hickory Daily Record

How to get rid of gnats and fruit flies around your home

“True gnats in your house are typically going to be darked-winged fungus gnats that want wet potting soil. They’re more closely related to mosquitoes,” said Matt Bertone, director of the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic at North Carolina State University. “Fruit flies are more closely related to houseflies.”