research news

neon lights show the outline of the human body overlayed with an outline of the brain

Jan 16, 2024

Modified Soft Material Promises Better Bioelectronics

The advance is an order-of-magnitude improvement in the ability of soft bioelectronic materials to function efficiently in biological environments.

Jan 12, 2024

First, Do No Harm: Guidance for Community-Engaged Research After Disasters

After disasters, the people impacted are often called upon to participate in scientific research, but survivors have needs that must be met with respect and consideration.

Jan 10, 2024

Nafion byproduct 2 Found in Blood of Well Users Near Fayetteville, N.C.

PFAS detected in well water in Bladen and Cumberland counties.

black-and-white video still shows a ringlike object in a square space that has one gap for an entrance. A bright white line shows the path that the object has taken in tracing the contours of the space.

Jan 8, 2024

New Soft Robots Roll Like Tires, Spin Like Tops and Orbit Like Moons

The device, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing technologies that can be used to navigate unknown environments.

illustration shows two pieces of metal foam being welded together using an induction welder. Several inches away from the site of the weld (which is white hot), the metal foam is cool enough to touch with a bare hand.

Dec 14, 2023

Researchers Find Way to Weld Metal Foam Without Melting Its Bubbles

Traditional welding impairs the qualities that make metal foams desirable. Now researchers have found a solution.

Dec 13, 2023

Study Overturns Conventional Wisdom About Wild Turkey Nesting Survival

The findings shed new light on how climate change may affect wild turkey populations.

photo shows a notebook, calculator and pen lying on a white surface

Dec 13, 2023

How Companies Worked Around a Law Aimed at Keeping U.S. Tax Dollars from Going Overseas

Legislation aimed at preventing large companies from avoiding U.S. taxes by shuttling money to foreign subsidiaries hasn’t worked as well as anticipated. Now we know why.

photo taken from above shows a Black woman in exercise clothes looking at a health monitor on her wrist

Dec 7, 2023

How a Failure to Understand Race Leads to Flawed Health Tech

A fundamental misunderstanding means the way many health devices are developed and tested can exacerbate racial health inequities.

Dec 5, 2023

How Open Science Can Both Advance and Hinder Equity in Research

Not all aspects of open science currently deliver on the promise of equity.

illustration shows the shape of a brain, but made up of circuits.

Dec 4, 2023

AI Networks Are More Vulnerable to Malicious Attacks Than Previously Thought

A study finds AI tools are more vulnerable than previously thought to targeted attacks that effectively force AI systems to make bad decisions.

photo shows the front seat and dashboard of a car, with no driver at the wheel. Lights passing in the windows suggest the car is moving at a high speed.

Dec 1, 2023

To Help Autonomous Vehicles Make Moral Decisions, Researchers Ditch the ‘Trolley Problem’

The goal of the new research is to help autonomous vehicles make “good” decisions.

Nov 30, 2023

Rare Ant Species Rediscovered in North Carolina Trees

The discovery is the first time scientists have photographed or collected any males from the elusive species.

photo shows a table with two laptops. two people are going over paperwork between the laptops.

Nov 28, 2023

New Audit Rules Had Little Effect on Companies

A recent study finds new financial auditing regulations did have an effect – but it was a small one.

Nov 27, 2023

Understanding Charged Particles Helps Physicists Simulate Element Creation in Stars

Figuring out how nucleons interact at low energy can lead to understanding how elements form within stars.

illustration shows a robot conducting chemistry experiments in front of a high-tech machine

Nov 13, 2023

Autonomous Lab Discovers Best-in-Class Quantum Dot in Hours; It Would Have Taken Humans Years

A new autonomous system can identify how to synthesize “best-in-class” materials for specific applications in hours, rather than years.