July 2019

Jul 8, 2019

A Scientist Who Found Her Faith In Physics: Meet Katie Mack, AKA AstroKatie

WUNC
NC State physicist Katie Mack, well-known on Twitter as @AstroKatie, discussed black holes, dark matter and whether aliens exist on The State of Things.

Jul 8, 2019

Ground Beetle Genitals Have the Genetic Ability to Get Strange. They Don’t

ScienceNews
One early idea linking genital shape with the formation of species proposed that developing a unique his-and-hers fit worked as a lock and key that separated members of one species from another. One of Sota’s early papers, in 1998, proposed that the genital quirks of the ground beetles worked as just this kind of separator of species. The lock-and-key concept sounded great, says NC State's Brian Langerhans. But disputes over evidence of the process led “to many believing it played little role in reality.” Recently though, he says, the idea is rousing interest again.

Jul 3, 2019

Being Certain About Uncertainty

Toxicologist Gerald LeBlanc argues that uncertainty is the engine that drives scientific advancement.

Jul 2, 2019

Oyster Restoration Work Nears Completion

Coastal Review Online
“We recently completed a comprehensive survey of reefs in Pamlico Sound, including reefs that are harvested, natural, intertidal and subtidal. And what we found, is that while subtidal sanctuary oyster reefs in Pamlico Sound only occupy about 6% of the total footprint of oysters, they account for an estimated 40% of the oyster population in Pamlico Sound,” said Dave Eggleston, director of NC State's Center for Marine Science and Technology.

Jul 1, 2019

Fossilized Dino Bones Are Home to Diverse Microbial Communities

The Scientist
Some of the most widely publicized reports of ancient proteins have been based on samples that are tens of millions of years old. The lab of NC State paleontologist Mary Schweitzer, for example, has published multiple papers describing the presence of soft tissue and proteins in pieces of bone from Tyrannosaurus rex and other dinosaurs.

Jul 1, 2019

As Moon Landing Anniversary Arrives, Astronaut Christina Koch Makes History of Her Own

The News & Observer
“Most kids probably dream of becoming an astronaut. I was just the one that never grew out of it,” said Koch in an interview Monday with The News & Observer from the space station. Koch, a graduate of N.C. State University, left for space March 14 and has been in orbit for just over 100 days as a flight engineer for NASA’s expedition 59 and 60.