Hemp is a cannabis plant, a variant of marijuana, that until recently was considered a drug. Growing it is state-regulated, it’s a popular nutritional supplement, and it’s becoming an important crop for NC farmers.
Technology
Mushrooms: foraging, cloning and cooking
There's science behind every step of mushrooms farming: identifying wild mushrooms during foraging season, cloning the ones you like and explaining to customers how to cook them. Get an inside look at what it takes to farm our favorite fungi.
New tools for shark research
The UNC Institute of Marine Sciences manages the nation’s longest running coastal shark survey- going on 45 years. New research into shark tissues will provide new insights into the shark’s life history, movement, diet, and where it fits in the food web.
Hacking the microbiome of plants and soil
AgBiome uses the world’s largest, most diverse, fully-sequenced collection of microbes, along with new knowledge of the plant-associated microbiome, to develop microbes as crop protection agents.
A conversation with one of the "Hidden Figures"
Christine Darden, Ph.D, of Monroe, NC, was part of a generation of women of color blazing trails through the male-dominated world at NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Producer Frank Graff spent some time with Dr. Darden and asked her how she fell in love with mathematics.
Bobcats and foxes: are they cool with coyotes?
Bobcats and fox have called the Western Carolina Mountains home for hundreds of years. Coyotes have only been around for 30 years. Researchers are using various tracking methods to studying how the animals are interacting, including sharing food resources and territory.
How we know if a storm surge is coming
The technology behind storm surge protection
September 5, 2019
Cornhole with a scientist: Robot Science
Frank Graff talks robot science over a game of cornhole with Duke University's Daniel Sorin, Ph.D.
Meet the indestructible tardigrade
Researchers want to know why tardigrades are so resilient and how that can be used to preserve biological samples.
Bat sounds reveal bat secrets
Bats are difficult to track, but by recording their calls, researchers hope to study them.