physics

Dec 17, 2012

Engineers’ Neutrino Communications Named a Top 10 Physics Breakthrough

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post that first ran on the website of NC State’s College of Engineering. Research that produced the world’s first message sent using tiny neutrino particles — a project led in part by NC State engineers — has been named one of Physics World magazine’s top 10 breakthroughs for 2012. Earlier this… 

Aug 2, 2012

Olympic Physics: The Pole Vault

Editor’s Note: The summer Olympics draw viewers to sports that they otherwise ignore. We marvel as athletes ranging from divers to pole vaulters turn power and speed into athletic artistry. Speed (velocity) and power (force) are also key elements in physics. This is the fourth in a series of guest posts by Dr. Larry Silverberg,… 

Jul 31, 2012

Olympic Physics: The Discus

Editor’s Note: The summer Olympics draw viewers to sports that they otherwise ignore. We marvel as athletes ranging from divers to pole vaulters turn power and speed into athletic artistry. Speed (velocity) and power (force) are also key elements in physics. This is the third in a series of guest posts by Dr. Larry Silverberg,… 

Jul 27, 2012

Olympic Physics: Diving

Editor’s Note: The summer Olympics draw viewers to sports that they otherwise ignore. We marvel as athletes ranging from divers to pole vaulters turn power and speed into athletic artistry. Speed (velocity) and power (force) are also key elements in physics. This is the second in a series of guest posts by Dr. Larry Silverberg,… 

Jul 26, 2012

Olympic Physics: Tennis

Editor’s Note: The summer Olympics draw viewers to sports that they otherwise ignore. We marvel as athletes ranging from divers to pole vaulters turn power and speed into athletic artistry. Speed (velocity) and power (force) are also key elements in physics. This is the first in a series of guest posts by Dr. Larry Silverberg,… 

May 28, 2012

Ahead of Schedule

It's rare for an undergraduate to build a strong research record. 2012 alumnus Adam Keith did that and then some, earning a co-author's credit on a paper published in the prestigious journal Nature. 

Apr 15, 2012

New X-ray Technique Reveals Structure of Printable Electronics

An innovative X-ray technique has given North Carolina State University researchers and their collaborators new insight into how organic polymers can be used in printable electronics such as transistors and solar cells. Their discoveries may lead to cheaper, more efficient printable electronic devices. Printable electronics are created by spraying or printing inks containing conductive organic… 

Mar 22, 2012

Reynolds Named Top Teacher

The winner of the Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching knows how to make astrophysics accessible. 

Mar 9, 2012

Want to Win the NCAA Tournament? Learn Some Physics

It’s March Madness time again, and the fate of millions of NCAA Tournament fans – and bracket sheets – will live and die with gut-wrenching, soul-sapping, last-second three-point shots and rimmed-out free throws. How can a team increase its chances of winning the Big Dance? A sound knowledge of physics could be a start. For… 

Feb 23, 2012

Mechanism Behind Capacitor’s High-Speed Energy Storage Discovered

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered the means by which a polymer known as PVDF enables capacitors to store and release large amounts of energy quickly. Their findings could lead to much more powerful and efficient electric cars. Capacitors are like batteries in that they store and release energy. However, capacitors use separated… 

Feb 7, 2012

The Science Of A Good Pour

I love writing about science. I also enjoy a good beer. I’ve decided to marry these two interests and write a series of posts about the science of beer. It’s not much of a stretch, since brewing is an intensely scientific art. I requested, and received, a lot of questions about the science of beer.… 

Feb 1, 2012

Consummate Teacher

Dr. Dick Patty continues to command the attention and respect of physics students 15 years after his official retirement. 

Jan 5, 2012

Physics Professor Honored

Physics professor John Thomas has won the Jesse W. Beams Award for significant and meritorious research. 

Dec 16, 2011

Trivial Pursuits: The Abstract’s 2011 Quiz

The Abstract staff will be taking off for a couple of weeks to prepare for 2012. In an attempt to amuse and entertain ourselves you, we’ve pulled together a quick quiz on some of the research we’ve written about over the past year. See how you do! Questions: 1). Until recently, researchers thought Greece was… 

Nov 22, 2011

How Does Faster-Than-Light Quantum Communication Work?

Every so often, I ask readers to submit their sci/tech questions, so that I can go pester people until I have some answers that I can share with the rest of the class. One  recent question was: “How does faster-than-light quantum communication work?” Short answer: it doesn’t. But of course there’s more to it than…