Matt Shipman

Mar 22, 2011

Study Finds That Overweight People Really Are Big-Boned

One of the blind spots in forensic science, particularly in identifying unknown remains, is the inability of experts to determine how much an individual weighed based on his or her skeleton. New research from North Carolina State University moves us closer to solving this problem by giving forensic experts valuable insight into what theshape…

Mar 21, 2011

NC State Program Fosters Entrepreneurship In Engineering Community

One lesson learned in North Carolina State University’s Engineering Entrepreneurs Program (EEP): technical knowledge is not enough, if you want to be successful. NC State researchers are laying out lessons they’ve learned running one of the nation’s first EEPs in a paper being published by IEEE’s Computer, as part of a special issue focused onentrepreneurship.

Mar 17, 2011

Study Finds More Efficient Means Of Creating, Arranging Carbon Nanofibers

Carbon nanofibers hold promise for technologies ranging from medical imaging devices to precise scientific measurement tools, but the time and expense associated with uniformly creating nanofibers of the correct size has been an obstacle – until now. A new study from North Carolina State University demonstrates an improved method for creating carbon nanofibers ofspecific…

Mar 16, 2011

将Nuclear: Putting Some Media Coverage Into Perspective

Note: This is a guest piece written by Steve Skutnik, a Ph.D. candidate in nuclear engineering at NC State. Among other things, Skutnik is a regular contributor to the nuclear engineering blog The Neutron Economy, where a version of this post originally ran. In times of crisis, mainstream media can make mistakes – particularly whenthe…

Mar 10, 2011

NC State Hosts Lecture On ‘Tea Party In American History’

What: North Carolina State University is hosting a lecture, “The Tea Party In American History.” The guest speaker is Jill Lepore, writer for The New Yorker, professor of history at Harvard University, and author of The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party’s Revolution and the Battle over American History. Who: Sponsored by NC State’sHistory…

Mar 9, 2011

How Magnets Work (It’s Complicated)

Occasionally, when looking for scientific issues to write about, I will survey my friends to see whether they have any “fundamental science” questions that I could explore. When someone recently suggested that I find out how magnets work, I thought it would be easy. I was wrong. First of all, I learned that thereare…

Mar 9, 2011

NC State Hosts Civil War Symposium

What: North Carolina State University is hosting a symposium, “The Public History Of The Civil War,” marking the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the war. The symposium will explore the many ways that historians can work together to engage general audiences at battlefields, historic sites and museums. Sessions will address a variety oftopics,…

Mar 8, 2011

Why Rooting For Losers May Save Your Life

If you’re a sports fan, you want your team to win. You especially want your team to win the big games: championships, rivalry games, etc. Be careful what you wish for. A new study shows that big games with close scores are followed by a significant increase in traffic fatalities – but only forfans…

Mar 8, 2011

Big Games, Close Scores Lead To More Auto Fatalities For Winning Fans

Closely contested major sporting events are followed by a significant increase in traffic fatalities for fans of the winning team, according to new research from North Carolina State University. It turns out there may be more on the line than many sports fans bargainedfor.

Mar 7, 2011

Political Narratives On Race, Southern Identity Influence National Elections

New research from North Carolina State University shows how attempts to define the South by Republicans and Democrats may have set the stage for President Obama’s victories in Southern states – and shaped the way Americans viewthemselves.

Mar 4, 2011

Research In Action: Helping Homeless Children

Psychologist Mary Haskett has been doing research on childhood development for over 20 years, and her experiences in that field ultimately highlighted a real and growing mental-health crisis facing homeless children around the country. Now she’s calling on her research expertise to do something about it. Haskett, a professor at NC State, is working witheight…

Mar 3, 2011

Our Online Training Preferences, or Why Clippy Bombed

一项新的研究发现,学生在网络培训courses want to be taught by electronic versions of themselves. The study, by researchers from NC State and George Washington University, were interested in how student performance was affected by changes in the electronic tutorial “helpers” utilized in online training programs. It turns out that studentsdo…

2011年3月2日,

Just Like Me: Online Training Helpers More Effective When They Resemble Students

Opposites don’t always attract. A study from North Carolina State University shows that participants are happier – and perform better – when the electronic helpers used in online training programs resemble the participantsthemselves.

2011年3月2日,

Food Safety: The Disconnect Between What’s Yucky And What’s Dangerous

Note: This is a guest piece written by Dr. Ben Chapman, an assistant professor and food safety expert at NC State. Among other things, Chapman is a regular contributor to the food safety blog Barfblog, where a version of this post originally ran. While it might be nice to know whether there has been aninsect…

Feb 28, 2011

Stretched Rubber Offers Simpler Method For Assembling Nanowires

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a cheap and easy method for assembling nanowires, controlling their alignment and density. The researchers hope the findings will foster additional research into a range of device applications using nanowires, from nanoelectronics to nanosensors, especially on unconventional substrates such as rubber, plastic andpaper.