Science & Technology

Tropical soil disturbance could be hidden source of CO2

Published: June 24, 2019 | 12:57 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Thousand-year-old tropical soil unearthed by accelerating deforestation and agriculture land use could be unleashing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to a new study from researchers at Florida State University. In an investigation of 19 sites in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, researchers discovered that heavily deforested areas leach organic carbon that is […]

Landmark study signals shift in thinking about stem cell differentiation

Published: June 20, 2019 | 11:22 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Dave Gilbert, the J. Herbert Taylor Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology

A pioneering new study led by Florida State University biologists could fundamentally change our understanding of how embryonic stem cells differentiate into specific cell types. The research, published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports, calls into question decades of scientific consensus about the behavior of embryonic stem cells as they transition to endoderm, a […]

Doctoral student awarded fellowship for nuclear research

Published: June 17, 2019 | 10:18 am | Posted in: Science & Technology, Students & Campus Life

A doctoral student in Florida State University’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has received a major fellowship from the U.S. Department of Energy to continue her research into newer, safer forms of nuclear energy. Bonnie Klamm will receive $155,000 over three years from the DOE’s Nuclear Energy University Program to support her research as she […]

National MagLab creates world-record magnetic field with small, compact coil

Published: June 12, 2019 | 1:00 pm | Posted in: News, Science & Technology

MagLab researchers David Larbalestier, Seunyong Hahn and Iain Dixon developed a magnet that generated a 45.5 tesla magnetic field.

A novel magnet half the size of a cardboard toilet tissue roll usurped the title of “world’s strongest magnetic field” from the metal titan that had held it for two decades at the Florida State University-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. And, its makers say, we ain’t seen nothing yet: By packing an exceptionally high-field […]

MagLab scientists discover thermoelectric properties in promising class of materials

Published: June 11, 2019 | 4:51 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Exploring an area overlooked by other scientists, physicists at the Florida State University-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have discovered that a class of materials called “1-2-20s” have very promising thermoelectric properties, opening the floodgates for further research into these fascinating materials. The study was published in Science Advances. Thermoelectric devices can produce electricity if […]

Researcher documents cascading effects of parasites on underwater ecosystems

Published: June 11, 2019 | 4:40 pm | Posted in: News, Science & Technology

Research by an evolutionary biologist from Florida State University has shown parasites have important and far-reaching effects on predatory fish and the ecosystems they inhabit. These findings, published this week in the journal Ecology, provide important evidence for the little-studied role of parasites in trophic cascades, which are powerful, indirect interactions that can affect entire […]

Researchers find seaweed helps trap carbon dioxide in sediment

Published: June 3, 2019 | 12:14 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Every beachgoer can spot seaweed in the ocean or piling up on the beach, but Florida State University researchers working with colleagues in the United Kingdom have found that these slimy macroalgae play an important role in permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Their work is published in the journal Ecological Monographs by the […]

Innovative modeling strategies give researchers improved look at Florida’s climate future

Published: May 28, 2019 | 4:20 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Experts agree that rising atmospheric temperatures and shifts in the global ocean make Florida’s future climate evolution uncertain and potentially precarious. But conventional, poorly resolved climate models have made it difficult to credibly project what may actually be in store for the Sunshine State. While nobody can predict the future with perfect accuracy, meteorology researchers […]

Statistics professor named institute fellow

Published: May 28, 2019 | 9:36 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

A Florida State University professor has been named a fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. Professor of Statistics Victor Patrangenaru, who joined FSU in 2006, received the honor from the institute, which was founded in the 1930s and is dedicated to fostering the development and dissemination of theory and applications of statistics and probability. […]

Four FSU students receive prestigious NSF graduate fellowships

Published: May 22, 2019 | 10:23 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

FSU's 2019 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship winners. From left: (top) Lyndsey Chong, Ethan Cissell, (bottom) Victoria Posey and Eileen Kyoung Chun.

Four Florida State students have received a prestigious and highly competitive fellowship from the National Science Foundation to help fund their doctoral work. The fellowship program recognizes exceptional graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees. Fellows receive an annual stipend of $34,000 over three […]

FSU art and engineering students collaborate on kid-friendly project for local nonprofit

Published: May 20, 2019 | 11:51 am | Posted in: Arts & Humanities, Science & Technology

From left to right: Owen Paul, Maddie Wishart, Associate Professor Jonathan Clark and Brianna Wylie show off their mechatronic installation. (Patricia Radulovich).

Engineering and art students might have more in common than people think. This spring, Florida State University brought students from the two disciplines together for a Mechatronic Art class, where they collaborated to design interactive stations for a creative play lab at The Sharing Tree, a local nonprofit. Mechatronics is an engineering field that brings […]

New study could improve understanding of how rare species benefit human beings

Published: May 17, 2019 | 10:22 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Conservationists have long been committed to the preservation of rare plant and animal species — from California’s colossal sequoias to Atlantic bluefin tuna to China’s giant pandas — without having a rigorous system for determining these unique species’ tangible contributions to human well-being. A team of ecologists including Florida State University Assistant Professor Stephanie Pau […]