physics

Nov 11, 2011

Rethinking the college classroom

Bob Beichner, a professor of physics, is working to replace the traditional lecture at the center of the traditional American classroom. 

Oct 24, 2011

Supernova Solved

In 185 A.D., Chinese astronomers recorded a bright “guest star” in the night sky. By the 1960s, astronomers figured out that the guest star was in fact a supernova, and identified the remains of the stellar explosion. And in 2011, a team of astrophysicists led by NC State researchers solved the mystery of what caused this… 

Oct 24, 2011

Supernova Solved

Note: The following is mostly taken from a really nice article provided by the folks at NASA, so I can’t take credit for the writing here! In 185 A.D., Chinese astronomers recorded a bright “guest star” in the night sky. By the 1960s, astronomers figured out that the guest star was in fact a supernova,… 

Sep 22, 2011

Leaving lectures behind

A pair of NC State researchers is working to replace the traditional lecture at the center of the traditional American classroom. Bob Beichner, a professor of physics, and Lodge McCammon, a curriculum and contemporary media specialist, both favor activities that encouragement applying knowledge over absorbing it. 

Sep 22, 2011

Beichner Honored as Digital Education Pioneer

Physics professor Robert Beichner has been honored with a 2011 Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education for his contributions as a digital education pioneer. 

Sep 8, 2011

Boxing Up Sub-Atomic Particles

Let’s say you’re a nuclear physicist who – in your quest to learn more about the way the universe works – wants to learn more about the structure and angular momentum, or spin, of an atomic nucleus. However, you can’t just grab a nucleus and stick it under a microscope. What do you do? If… 

Jul 20, 2011

The Dirt Whisperer

Physicist Karen Daniels is finding ways to help scientists and engineers see—and hear—the forces at play in the ground. 

Jul 11, 2011

Why Does Water Freeze Before Alcohol Does?

We recently explained that one reason wine’s freezing point is much lower than water’s is because of its alcohol content. But we didn’t explain why alcohol has a much lower freezing point than water. Let’s explain that now (hint: water molecules are “stickier.”) A substance freezes when its molecules become “stuck” in a fixed array… 

Jul 1, 2011

One Person Can Change The World: Or At Least What The World Is Made Of

In 1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, World War II was in full swing, and a young man named Hans Conrad was embarking on a career as a materials science researcher. Sixty-eight years later, he is still showing up to the lab every day, publishing top-notch papers and trying to figure out the physical and… 

Jun 27, 2011

Rowe’s Contributions Recognized

Dr. John E. "Jack" Rowe, research professor in physics, has won an annual award for a scientist with a longstanding record of solving technological problems. 

Jun 23, 2011

Remembering an Atomic Age Pioneer

Dr. Raymond Murray, a professor emeritus who was involved in nuclear milestones from the Manhattan Project to the Three Mile Island recovery, has died. 

Jun 22, 2011

The Dirt Whisperer

Say you’re a civil engineer, and you’re looking for a good place to put a bridge. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to ask the ground how stable it is before you start digging, like some sort of dirt whisperer?  Or how close an older bridge is to failing, after erosion has affected the… 

Jun 15, 2011

Professor Funds Physics Endowment

A $1 million endowment from longtime faculty member John S. Risley and his wife, Dellaine, will fund a physics professorship. 

May 31, 2011

Anarchy in the Pathway?

We’d be nothing without our proteins – they transport signals around cells , and so have a hand in regulating every single process in our bodies.  Scientists know that one way proteins accomplish this transport is to fold themselves into a specific shape that corresponds with a particular molecule.  Picture a lock that only opens… 

May 10, 2011

Dougherty Receives NSF Career Award

Dr. Daniel Dougherty, assistant professor of physics, received an Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation to fund research on flaws in organic semiconducting films.