NC Science

Leaping Into Science: the Lemurs of NC

May 19, 2020

By Whitney Bell From Crikey! It’s the Irwins!, to Wild Kratts, to Planet Earth, TV shows and channels like Animal Planet featuring animals are not in short supply. Those of us who were growing up in the mid-90s might remember a PBS TV show called Zoboomafoo which starred brothers Chris and Martin Kratt (the creators […]

Electronic Cigarettes Affect Our Cardiovascular System

May 14, 2020

By Eva Vitucci The electronic-cigarette (e-cig) comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, and many different flavoring options. While vaping and e-cig use were initially brought into the market as a safer alternative to cigarettes, new studies suggest otherwise. As 27.5% of high school youth continue to vape, an increase in lung disease and […]

Tis the season for…Pollen

Apr 07, 2020

By Alan Curtis Ah, Spring- a season of renewal, growth and beautiful colors! Flowering plants and trees use pollen to reproduce. Pollen is produced by male parts of the flower and spread through the air and peaks in the spring months.  For some North Carolinians, pollen makes spring a time of intense allergies. Puffy eyes, […]

Nature’s Methods for Surviving Winter

Nov 15, 2018 https://pixabay.com/en/fall-foliage-moss-tree-autumn-1913485/

By Allyson Roberts Fall is finally upon us, bringing colder temperatures and the holiday season. Fall also brings beautiful scenery—the rainbow of colors seen as leaves begin to transform and fall from their branches. Not surprisingly, this phenomenon—and the reasoning behind why only some leaves change color—is easily described by cool, natural science! You may […]

From the Archives: Summertime Science

Jun 07, 2018 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hanging_Rock_State_Park.jpg

Thanks for following the NC DNA Day CONNECT blog this year! We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the latest scientific discoveries and news as much as we’ve enjoyed writing about them. As we take a break for the summer, we thought it was a good time to share this post highlighting the great science resources […]

From the Archives – Maple Trees vs. Winter: How Trees Survive and Thrive Again

Jan 18, 2018

With much of North Carolina under several inches of snow (included up to a foot in some parts of the Research Triangle!), we thought it was a good time to revisit how a familiar favorite survives in such harsh conditions. Originally published on November 12, 2016. By Christina Marvin What do you imagine when you hear […]

Spiders: Natural Engineers of the Animal Kingdom

Nov 02, 2017 http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Web-Yellow-Garden-Spider-Macro-Insect-Outdoors-1982368

By Allyson Roberts As the holiday season marches on, spooky Halloween decorations are being replaced. But, before they have all crawled away, let’s take a moment to consider one commonly feared Halloween staple: spiders. So, how did these “arachnids” (spiders aren’t insects!) become a symbol of horror and Halloween? The easy answer is that, for […]

Summertime Science

Jun 08, 2017 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hanging_Rock_State_Park.jpg

By Julia DiFiore As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, the countdown to summer gets shorter. While the first official day of summer isn’t until June 20, many of you have already started summer vacation. Whether your plans over the next couple of months involve a summer job, vacation, summer school, SAT […]

Lab Life

Jun 01, 2017 From Kelsey Gray

By Kelsey Gray I was 16 years old the first time I stepped into a research lab. I was in awe of the equipment, the chemical solutions, and the scientific books and notebooks that surrounded me. After taking science classes all my life, it was surreal to be in a place where real discoveries were […]

A graduate student evening: weirdness in Death Valley

May 11, 2017 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Racetrack_playa_2013-12-20.jpg

By Mike Pablo I’m a Chemistry PhD student studying the biochemistry of a type of immune cell, but sometimes it’s fun to learn about a totally different field of science. With that in mind one recent Wednesday evening, I went with a friend to the Carolina Science Café, an event connected with the NC Science […]

One potato, Two potatoes, Three potatoes, Four!

Apr 06, 2017 https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/10583398185

By Kelsey Gray As the days get longer, the air gets warmer, and the sun shines brighter, we may begin to notice fresh fruits and vegetables growing around us and appearing in local grocery stores and markets. Food crops, including grains, fruits, and vegetables, are harvested to feed the growing world population of over 7 […]

Maple Trees vs. Winter: How Trees Survive and Thrive Again

Nov 12, 2016

By Christina Marvin What do you imagine when you hear people describe spending time on rural mountainsides? Country landscapes often bring to mind scenes of seemingly endless trees stretched out over mountaintops and across plains. North Carolina in particular is home to a variety of different trees, one of which is the beautiful and resilient […]