Science & Technology

Learning the difference between a superconductor and a supernova: FSU physics faculty welcome community to classroom

Published: September 21, 2018 | 10:48 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Florida State University physics professors are welcoming the community into the classroom this fall to learn about magnets, waves and exploding stars through the annual Saturday Morning Physics program. “Saturday Morning Physics gives students and community members the chance to interact with scientists who research cutting-edge disciplines of physics,” said Associate Professor of Physics Kevin […]

FSU researcher finds Earth-like gravity may solve astronaut vision ailment

Published: September 13, 2018 | 2:59 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

The International Space Station is seen from Space Shuttle Discovery in June 2008. (Credit: NASA)

A Florida State University scientist may have discovered a partial antidote to a problem facing many astronauts — vision changes that occur as a result of space flight. Michael Delp, dean of the FSU College of Human Sciences, and his colleagues studied mice on the International Space Station. They found that blood vessels important for […]

FSU researchers: Most fires in Florida go undetected

Published: September 13, 2018 | 2:48 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Christopher Holmes, assistant professor in the department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, and Holly Nowell, postdoctoral researcher in EOAS.

A new study from Florida State University researchers indicates that common satellite imaging technologies have vastly underestimated the number of fires in Florida. Their report, published in collaboration with researchers from the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, challenges well-established beliefs about the nature and frequency of fire in the Sunshine State. While there […]

FSU research highlights the love-hate relationship between testosterone and marriage

Published: September 11, 2018 | 1:25 pm | Posted in: News, Science & Technology

FSU doctoral student Stacey Makhanova worked on the study for several years. "It’s fascinating to look at the connection between mind and body. Today, with all of the advances in neuroscience, we know there are a lot of interconnections." (FSU Photography Services)

Conflict in marriage can trigger testosterone surges in men, but not women, and these divergent hormonal reactions may highlight why marital arguments can escalate and cause chronic relationship problems. That’s according to first-of-its-kind research from Florida State University’s Anastasia Makhanova, a doctoral student in FSU’s Department of Psychology. The study, published in the journal Hormones […]

FSU professor harnesses single electrons to accelerate chemical reactions

Published: September 11, 2018 | 12:54 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Igor V. Alabugin, professor of chemistry

A Florida State University chemistry professor has described an unusual phenomenon in which the energy of an electron is spontaneously increased in the course of a chemical reaction. The process is reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie. FSU Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Igor Alabugin and his team call this chemical phenomenon “electron upconversion.” In […]

FSU researcher rooting out the errors in storm simulation models

Published: September 11, 2018 | 12:44 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

On the eve of every hurricane season, climatologists around the world offer their studied prognostications: Will we see high activity? Low activity? How will ocean temperature affect storm development? What are the chances of a powerful storm making landfall? Scientists have leveraged improved climate models to simulate tropical cyclone behavior with an ever-increasing degree of […]

Keeping the beat: Turtle shells served as symbolic musical instruments for indigenous cultures

Published: September 5, 2018 | 11:44 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Associate Professor of Anthropology Tanya Peres

Turtles served as more than tasty treats for many Native American tribes throughout North America. In fact, turtle shells were used as rattles and other musical instruments, said FSU Associate Professor of Anthropology Tanya Peres. “Music is an important part of many cultures in ways we may not realize,” Peres said. “Musical instruments have a […]

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering welcomes first-year engineering students

Published: August 30, 2018 | 3:48 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

More than 420 new FAMU-FSU College of Engineering students started classes this week.

First-year engineering students filled the halls of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering this week, ready for their first introduction to engineering in the classroom. Students have the opportunity to take a first-year Engineering course during their first or second semester in college, where they learn about different engineering majors, get acclimated to the joint college, […]

In warming Arctic, major rivers show surprising changes in carbon chemistry

Published: August 28, 2018 | 2:31 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

In two major Arctic rivers, a changing climate and shifting human activities are provoking a surprising response. (Credit: Norman Kuring, NASA)

Over the past several decades, the Arctic has begun to show signs of significant ecological upheaval. The rate of warming in the Arctic is nearly twice the global average, and those changes are triggering a cascade of destabilizing environmental effects. Ice is melting, permafrost is thawing, and experts say fires in Arctic forests are as […]

MagLab geochemist named fellow of prestigious American Geophysical Union

Published: August 13, 2018 | 11:46 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

A Florida State University professor and director of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s geochemistry program has been elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, an organization representing some 60,000 professionals in the Earth and space sciences. FSU Professor Vincent Salters was among only 62 — about 0.1 percent — of AGU members to […]

‘Strange metals’ just got stranger

Published: August 2, 2018 | 4:38 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

A material already known for its unique behavior is found to carry current in a way never before observed Scientists at the Florida State University-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have discovered a behavior in materials called cuprates that suggests they carry current in a way entirely different from conventional metals such as copper. The […]

Recreational fisheries pose threat to skittish sea turtles

Published: July 31, 2018 | 9:53 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Study lead author Natalie Wildermann with a Kemps ridley sea turtle.

Every summer, thousands of amateur scallopers flock to the warm coastal waters of Florida’s Crystal River region, anchor their boats and reap the delicious bounty of the state’s largest recreational bay scallop fishery. For these seasonal anglers, the toothsome morsels are well worth the two- or three-meter dive. But new research from scientists at Florida […]