research news

wet spots show up as dark stains on the concrete next to a swimming pool

Jul 5, 2024

Why Do Things Look Darker When They’re Wet?

From rain-soaked sidewalks to sweat-stained dress shirts, you’ve probably noticed that most things look darker when they’re wet. Why?

Left: person wearing the fluid motor attached to artificial muscles. Center: artificial muscle lifts suitcase off the ground. Right: robotic leg attached to artificial muscle flexes its ankle.

Jul 1, 2024

Portable Engine Can Power Artificial Muscles in Assistive Devices

What sets the new engine apart is its ability to generate significant force without being tethered to an external power source.

Jul 1, 2024

It’s Peach Season in North Carolina

Bite into these fresh facts about North Carolina-grown peaches.

image shows three different configurations of 3-D cubes

Jun 26, 2024

Mechanical Computer Relies On Kirigami Cubes, Not Electronics

The mechanical computer uses a complex structure of rigid, interconnected polymer cubes to store, retrieve and erase data without relying on electronic components.

multicolored code streams across a computer monitor

Jun 25, 2024

Six NFR Strategies to Improve Software Performance and Security

Non-functional requirements (NFRs) are important aspects of a software system, but are often overlooked by developers.

a time-lapse photograph shows fireflies as blurs of light in a meadow surrounded by trees at dusk.

Jun 21, 2024

Why Do Fireflies Light Up? And How Can I Bring More Fireflies to My Yard?

Fireflies start out as dragon-like predators before becoming a beautiful feature of summer evenings.

gloved hands are stretching a thin sheet of clear material over a nail; the material is stretching over the sharp nail without breaking

Jun 19, 2024

Researchers Create New Class of Materials Called ‘Glassy Gels’

Glassy gels are extremely hard, but not brittle – they can stretch up to five times their original length.

Two men standing beside a large bench-shaped robot.

Jun 13, 2024

N.C. PSI Advances AI for Agriculture

The N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative is leading efforts to put artificial intelligence to work for increased yields, efficiency and sustainability.

time-lapse photograph shows blurred images of car lights moving in two different directions

Jun 13, 2024

New Technique Improves AI Ability to Map 3D Space With 2D Cameras

Because the technique works effectively with limited computational resources, it holds promise for improving the navigation of autonomous vehicles.

a man runs across a green lawn wearing a robotic exoskeleton that attaches to his waist, hips and knees

Jun 12, 2024

AI-Powered Simulation Training Improves Human Performance in Robotic Exoskeletons

The robotic exoskeletons help users save energy while walking, running and climbing stairs.

time lapsed photo shows a soft robot tendril lowering, wrapping around a tube, and lifting it into the air

Jun 11, 2024

3D-Printed Mini-Actuators Can Move Small Soft Robots, Lock Them Into New Shapes

The miniature soft hydraulic actuators can control the deformation and motion of soft robots that are less than a millimeter thick.

diagram shows infrared light passing through an oxide membrane

Jun 10, 2024

Researchers Demonstrate New Way to ‘Squeeze’ Infrared Light

The thin-film membranes confine infrared light far better than bulk crystals, which are the established technology for infrared light confinement.

Jun 7, 2024

Bartonella DNA Found in Blood of Patients With Psychosis

A new study found that patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder are three times more likely to have Bartonella DNA in their blood than adults without these disorders.

the hands of two different people hover over a laptop, as if one person is explaining something to another person

Jun 6, 2024

How to Build a Team of ‘Appropriately Skeptical’ Financial Statement Auditors

Rewarding skepticism is associated with an increased likelihood of identifying potential fraud during the auditing process.

photo of an industrial landscape with large smokestacks billowing white clouds

Jun 5, 2024

Climate Change Will Make Air Pollution Worse. Here’s How.

The study finds climate change is likely to make upward spikes of ozone at ground level worse by 2050.