UNC-TV Science Week In Review: September 12, 2013
More For Less
Articles
What's My Story: Biological and Agricultural Engineer
Albert Rubin is a retired biological and agricultural engineer working to restore the soil—the living skin of planet Earth. As a boy, Dr. Rubin discovered that dried sludge made the orange trees in his neighborhood bloom and bear fruit. That science experiment led to a lifetime career in soil science. Although Dr. Rubin retired from the department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at NCSU in 2004, that doesn’t mean he’s not working.
Soil Science: Down and Gritty in the Dirt
Think all that organic waste you toss in the trash decomposes in the landfill? Think again. Composting it is better for the planet, as bacteria and fungi break down the nutrients, energy, and matter making it available to create new life through nutrient rich soil. Watch how residents, businesses and non-profits utilize the soil cycle to make money, food, and community.
German Beer Law
Though it seems as if a new microbrew opens in North Carolina almost every week (there are 79 licensed microbreweries in the state now), and craft beer brewing is all the rage (look at the seasonal beers the major brands are brewing), most of us know very little about beer.
So, grab a seat and cold one. Here’s to a little beer learning.
What's My Story: Aeronautical Engineer
Dr. Ashok Gopalarathnam is an associate professor of mechanical & aerospace engineering at NCSU. As a boy he read adventure novels about a detective in Special Air Police. Today he uses wind tunnels and computer simulations to understand the physics of vortices and stalls of airplanes, helicopters, and hand-held drones.
When did you discover you wanted to be an aeronautical engineer?
Riding the Wind
From cyclists to race cars, the motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it. Those forces have both strength and direction and they can be observed and measured to predict future motion. Watch how an aeronautics engineer works with Newton's three Laws of Motion to test the best posture and helmet for a cyclist in a wind tunnel.
Fruit Infusion to Combat Stress?
My latest story for North Carolina Science Now takes a look at NC State scientists at the research park in Kannapolis who have perfected a way to harvest the “good stuff" from fruit and add it to other foods, gaining the attention of the military and NASA.
Week in Review: The Growing Filament
UNC-TV Science Week In Review: August 29, 2013
The Glowing Filament
Components of Storm Surge
What is Storm Surge?
A combination of wind driven water and pressure driven water piles up water ahead of the eye of the storm.
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