An update of research scholarship and creativity at Penn State University http://www.rps.psu.edu The Pennsylvania State University 2006-2009 editor@rps.psu.edu (Research Publications Staff) Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST How did green bacteria get so good at catching light? http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/greenbacteria.html Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST "It’s a charade to get new investments to feed the previous investors and further enrich the person carrying out the scam," says Ed Ketz, associate professor of accounting at Penn State. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/ponzi.html Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST For Bruce Logan, sewage treatment and clean energy go hand in hand. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/logan Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST This syndrome, which made the news after actress Natasha Richardson’s recent death, is characterized by a severe brain injury that may at first go unnoticed, says David Good, chair of the neurology department at Penn State’s Milton S. Hershey College of Medicine. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/talkanddie.html Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST The promise of converting wastewater into electricity http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/wastewater.html Thu, 4 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST "The answer to this question is a qualified no," says Ottar Bjornstad, professor of biology and entomology and co-director of Penn State’s Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/pandemic.html Mon, 1 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST Cluster geometry is key to splitting water at room temperature. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/splittingwater.html Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:00 EST A library’s digital presence is open around the clock, and easy access to material has changed the nature of scholarship, notes Lisa German, assistant dean for Technical and Collections Services. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/todayslibraries.html Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:00 EST Targeting older mosquitos may be the best way to fight the global scourge. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/malaria.html Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:00 EST Primordial Plants: Staging Works by the Mother of Modern Dance http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring09/April22.html Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST "There aren't many clear yes or no answers. We should all be part of the conversation," says Nancy Tuana, Penn State professor of philosophy and director of the Rock Ethics Institute. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/reprotech.html Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST Reviving Isadora: Staging Works by the Mother of Modern Dance http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring09/April15.html Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST "Visible or not, indoor air contaminants have a tremendous effect on health, productivity, and comfort," says William Bahnfleth, director of Penn State's Indoor Environment Center and professor of architectural engineering. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/indoorair.html Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST Crime Scene Investigators: Weigh the Evidence http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring09/April8.html Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST "Dinner is a political statement," says A.E. Luloff, professor of rural sociology. "Growing things in your back yard is empowering yourself to help feed your family, and teaching them the importance of nurturing the Earth." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/homegardening.html Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST Secrets Beneath the Ice: Studying Antarctica's Glaciers http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring09/April1.html Mon, 6 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST "In certain, limited weather conditions, humans can have some impact," says professor emeritus of meteorology Charles Hosler. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/controllingweather.html Mon, 6 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST Pluto and the Dwarfs: A New Design for Our Solar System http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring09/March25.html Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST "It's very hard for marketers to find like-minded people-they are all scattered. But using social networks, market research could make it much easier," says Arvind Rangaswamy, Anchel Professor of Marketing in the Smeal College of Business. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/webmarketing.html Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST Before Sherlock Holmes: Edgar Allan Poe and Detective Fiction http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring09/March18.html Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST Literacy expert Gail Boldt says that learning the mechanics of reading is not enough. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/reading.html Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST The source of the pain is overreacting nerves, explains neurologist Stephen Ross. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/migraine.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST A living room performance--and music history lesson--by "the superb American cellist" and Penn State Laureate Kim Cook http://www.rps.psu.edu/profiles/cook.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST From Antarctic glaciers to modern dance to Edgar Allen Poe, check out our exciting spring lineup. Wednesdays at noon, starting March 18, join us for another season of stimulating conversations. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/announcement.html Mon, 2 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST Absolutely, says Rick Gilmore. "There's ample evidence that fetuses are picking up information from the outside world." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/inutero.html Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST A better understanding of coral-algal symbiosis may help predict the survival of endangered reefs around the world. http://www.rps.psu.edu/explorations/brazil/coral1.html Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST The answer is found in day-to-day living, says Alan Booth. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/marriage.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST Doctoral candidate in biology Nita Bharti opens up about work, travel, and her Penn State experience. http://www.rps.psu.edu/profiles/bharti.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST Will today's digital documents be accessible in the future? Jackie Esposito predicts that "30 to 40 percent of this information will be available" in the future. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/darkage.html Mon, 9 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST Annual science lecture series takes up universal concerns http://www.rps.psu.edu/oncampus/frontiers2009.html Mon, 9 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST "I don't know if it works" says Kelly Karpa, "but some patients are convinced that it has helped them." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/homeopathy.html Mon, 2 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST In search of a better artificial nose, Penn State engineers are going to the dogs. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/onthescent.html Mon, 2 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST Is each snowflake really unique? "It depends upon how we define snowflake," says Hans Verlinde. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/snowflake.html Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST A new imaging software program is poised to improve the success of bronchoscopic lung biopsies. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/endoscopy.html Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST Absolutely not, says Stéphane Coutu. There is nothing to fear from the so-called "Doomsday Device." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/largehadroncollider.html Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST Penn State's Office of the Senior Vice President for Research reports a record $717 million in research funding for FY 2008. http://www.research.psu.edu/about/annrep08.pdf Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST Bisphenol-A, an organic compound present in many food and beverage containers, is definitely a concern, says Jeffrey Peters. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/bpa.html Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST A new coating technology allows exact replicas of evolution's most delicate designs. http://www.rps.psu.edu/building_on_nature.html Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST Nanotechnology generally involves manipulating matter at an incredibly small level, explains Paul Weiss. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/nanotech.html Mon, 8 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST Research scientist Nathan Eagle kicks off a new lecture series with a talk on collective intelligence-gathering. http://www.rps.psu.edu/oncampus/nathaneagle/intro.html Mon, 8 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST "Not a single reputable scholar I know has the least doubt that William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon wrote the plays and poems ascribed to him." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/shakespeare.html Mon, 1 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST Solar Solutions: The Challenges and Promise of Solar Power http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall08/nov19.html Mon, 1 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST Follow Penn State biologist Todd LaJeunesse and colleagues as they dive for coral off the coast of Brazil! http://www.rps.psu.edu/explorations/brazil Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST Vanishing Bees: What is Happening to Honey Bees and Other Pollinators? http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall08/Nov12.html Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST The molecular clock, explains Blair Hedges, is a tool used to calculate the timing of evolutionary events. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/molecularclock.html Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST How much it hurts may depend upon who's asking, says Jennifer Graham. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/painthreshold.html Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST Galactic Cannibals: How Massive Galaxies Devour their Neighbors http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall08/Nov5.html Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST What's causing the massive bee die-offs that are threatening American agriculture? Penn State researchers are working tirelessly to find answers. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/bees1.html Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST Election 2008: Change, Reform, or More of the Same? http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall08/Oct29.html Mon, 3 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST Asking people to choose between modern and vintage violins, says James Lyon, is like asking their favorite ice cream flavor. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/stradivarius.html Mon, 3 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST Pink for Girls, Blue for Boys: Are Gender Differences Innate or Learned? http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall08/Oct22.html Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST The appeal, says Mary Beth Oliver, depends on both physiological and psychological responses. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/scarymovies.html Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST Heritage or Hate? The Symbolism of the Confederate Flag http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall08/Oct15.html Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST According to Mike Saunders, the answer is simple: They're not. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/moths.html Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST Penn State researchers are looking hard at cleaner technologies for coal. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/coal.html Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST Their flight path can be easily explained by the laws of aerodynamics, says Mark Maughmer. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/boomerang.html Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST A review of Positively Main Street: Bob Dylan's Minnesota, by Toby Thompson http://www.rps.psu.edu/worthreading/mainstreet.html Mon, 6 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST Says Kent Vrana, "If it had been available when my babies were born, I would have done it." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/stemcells.html Mon, 6 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST In the hot springs of Yellowstone, bioprospector Don Bryant discovers a new life form. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/hotsprings1.html Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST It's possible, but not necessarily a cause for alarm, says Stephen Poterala. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/granite.html Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST A review of The Decline of the Death Penalty and the Discovery of Innocence, by Frank R. Baumgartner, Suzanna L. De Boef, and Amber E. Boydstun http://www.rps.psu.edu/worthreading/deathpenalty.html Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST Ultimately, it's a matter of money, says Kenneth Womack. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/digitalactors.html Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST Right whales may be adapting to ocean noise pollution. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/echolocation.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST It began with minstrel shows in the early 1800s, says Jerry Zolten. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/standup.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST With Penn State's acquisition of intimate Hemingway letters, new aspects of the famed writer's personality come to light. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/hemingway1.html Mon, 8 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST It's bigger, and more extravagant, than ever, says Beth Montemurro. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/wedding.html Mon, 8 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST A review of Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming, by Michael E. Mann and Lee R. Kump http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/direpredictions.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST There's no definitive evidence that a gift of gab will turn you into a green thumb, says Rich Marini. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/talkingtoplants.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST A review of The New Bibliopolis: French Book Collectors and the Culture of Print 1880-1914, by Willa Z. Silverman http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/silverman.html Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST It's more like a moving target, says David Considine. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/peakoil.html Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST A Penn State team find a new species of bacteria in a Greenland glacier. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/chryseobacterium.html Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST As Sandeep Prabhu explains, they stop the chain of free radical formation. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/antioxidants.html Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST Kyung-An Han explores the molecular basis of drug and alcohol cravings. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/addiction.html Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST At least 2,400 years, says Robert Speel, and it's still going strong. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/satire.html Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST Nina Jablonski traces the practice all the way back to the Paleolithic era. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/tattooing.html Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST A new report looks at broadband Internet use in Pennsylvania's rural communities. http://www.rps.psu.edu/pennsylvania/broadband.html Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST Rock Ethics Institute's climate change Web site is one of Time magazine's best. http://www.rps.psu.edu/featuredsite/climateethics.html Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST Depends on the manufacturing process, says Penny Kris-Etherton. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/healthychocolate.html Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST Growing scarcity will lead to increasing conflict, says Robert B. Packer. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/waterwars.html Mon, 2 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST Pyrite deposits across Pennsylvania may be tied to an Eocene meteor. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/pyrite.html Mon, 2 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST Penn State wildlife scientists study urban-roosting crows. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/crows.html Mon, 19 May 2008 08:00:00 EST Yes, says Russell Frank. But it may take a while. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/printnewspapers.html Mon, 19 May 2008 08:00:00 EST Alzheimer's Revisited: Questioning the Medical Model http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring08/ballenger.html Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST The answer is complicated, Jeff Kuhns says, but "net neutrality is about non-discrimination." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/netneutrality.html Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST Doctor Darwin: How Evolutionary Medicine Improves Patient Care http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring08/humburg.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST A number of theories remain under investigation, says Susan Parks. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/beachedwhales.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST Nano Tools: The Future of Minimally Invasive Surgery http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring08/frecker.html Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST Research suggests so, says David Almeida. "I don't think people in mid-life have the time for a crisis." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/shootingstars.html Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST Claude dePamphilis and colleagues trace the genetic roots of the Earth's most ancient flowering plants. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/ancestralplants.html Tue, 8 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST Though seen as rare events, "they're hardly rare or even stars," says Kevin Luhman http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/shootingstars.html Tue, 8 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST The Roman Gladiator: Myths and Realities http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring08/fagan.html Tue, 8 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST Majestic Sounds: The Drama of Baroque Music http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring08/tacconi.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST Jim Finley answers with an emphatic "yes." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/logging.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST Physics Beyond Einstein: Contemplating Time's Beginning and End http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring08/ashtekar.html Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST With ingenuity and manpower, says Donald Redford. No extraterrestrials required. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/pyramids.html Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST A review of Joining Places: Slave Neighborhoods in the Old South, by Anthony Kaye http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/slavery.html Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST It's as safe as any other meat, says Ed Mills. But don't expect cloned steaks to hit the market in the near future. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/clonedmeat.html Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST Biology meets physics in a unified theory of how animals move. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/animalmotion.html Wed, 5 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST Sure, says Julia Spicher Kasdorf. "It's as real as any kind of anxiety." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/writersblock.html Wed, 5 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST Perhaps, but there are no simple alternatives, says Eric Plutzer. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/electoral.html Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST Raghu Sinha and colleagues hope to identify tell-tale proteins in saliva. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/saliva.html Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST Genes and environment are behind this legend, explains Stam Zervanos. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/groundhog.html Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST Webb Miller and colleagues track down the closest cousins of primates. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/kin.html Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST More than ever, experts are recognizing the decline of linguistic diversity as a true crisis. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/languages.html Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST Steve Knabel has a new way of tracking foodborne pathogens. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/knabel.html Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST A profile of Nobel Laureate and new Penn State professor, Barry Marshall http://www.rps.psu.edu/profiles/marshall.html Mon, 4 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST Tiny algae can cause big problems, explains Michael Arthur. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/redtide.html Mon, 4 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST ARL researchers are finding new applications for computer simulations of fluid flow. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/voyage.html Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST Rick Gilmore sheds light on this common genetic disorder. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/colorblindness.html Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST Attracting pollinators is the goal, explains plant evolutionary biologist, Claude dePamphilis. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/flowers.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST Total research expenditures at Penn State increased to $665 million in fiscal year 2007. http://www.research.psu.edu/about/annrep07.pdf Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST To microbiologists, it's a new way of looking at the world. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/metagenomics.html Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST Learn more about the exciting new initiative of The Institute for the Arts and Humanities, and the figures and movements that define the era. http://www.rps.psu.edu/oncampus/moments/feature.html Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST Tim Considine discusses the buzzword. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/carbon.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST A review of "Rhetorical Occasions: Essays on Humans and the Humanities" by Michael Berube. http://www.rps.psu.edu/worthreading/berube.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST Lack of food is not the basic problem, says David Blandford. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/hunger.html Mon, 3 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST A review of "Anthracite! An Anthology of Pennsylvania Coal Region Plays," edited by Philip Mosley. http://www.rps.psu.edu/worthreading/anthracite.html Mon, 3 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST Kevin Cockroft answers. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/stroke.html Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST Tony Huang is making motors out of molecules. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/nanomuscles.html Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST Chris Palma says such events are statistically highly probable. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/asteroids.html Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST Stephon Alexander discusses the mystery of matter. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall07/alexander.html Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST Barbara Ostrov discusses what's happening in those little legs that makes kids so uncomfortable. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/growing.html Mon, 5 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST Dan Carter discusses the technical challenges in live theatre. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall07/carter.html Mon, 5 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST They tap into our apocalyptic fears very effectively, says Peter Dendle. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/zombies.html Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Jonathan Marks discusses pychology, medicine, and ethics in the War on Terror. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall07/marks.html Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Steve Kimatian explains. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/anesthesia.html Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Peter Hudson discusses emerging diseases. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall07/hudson.html Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Alexay Kozhevnikov explains. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/songbird.html Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Clay Calvert discusses sex, violence, and the FCC. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall07/calvert.html Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Marie Hardin addresses the question. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/athletes.html Mon, 8 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Nina Jablonski discusses the culture and biology of the body's largest organ. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall07/jablonski.html Mon, 8 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Irina Mocioiu describes these tiny particles of matter. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/neutrinos.html Mon, 1 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Worth Reading: A review of "Skin: A Natural History" by Nina Jablonksi. http://www.rps.psu.edu/worthreading/skin.html Mon, 1 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST Penn State meteorologist Paul Knight is more than a little skeptical. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/almanac.html Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EST Corn for fuel? The chaff might be more important than the grain. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/bioenergy1.html Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EST Nichola Gutgold weighs in. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/president.html Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EST A review of From Pablo to Osama: Trafficking and Terrorist Networks, Government Bureaucracies, and Competitive Adaptation by Michael Kenney. http://www.rps.psu.edu/worthreading/kenney.html Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EST Technology is a double-edged tool, believes John T. Harwood. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/technology.html Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EST Sequencing the genes in an insect invader's gut may yield answers for bioenergy--and clues to the biology of invasiveness. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/beetlejuice.html Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EST Ken Weiss offers a lesson in basic biology. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/sisters.html Tue, 4 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EST Many researchers have tried taking cells apart. But Chris Keating is building one from scratch. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/synthetic.html Tue, 4 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EST Anthropologist Nina Jablonski explains. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/appendix.html Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EST Art historian Nancy Locke answers. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/artist.html Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EST AfricaArray's mission to revive African geophysics and advance understanding of the planet's thermal forces. Includes multimedia. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/africa1.html Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EST Ph.D. student Angela Marie Larson describes the task of scouting for seismometer sites in Tanzania. Includes audio. http://www.rps.psu.edu/inconversation/africa_mouse.html Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EST The answer starts with the forces that formed our solar system, says Kevin Luhman. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/rotation.html Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EST Join a panel of experts discussing the ethical, religious, and social justice implications of climate change. Includes video. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring07/climatechangevid.html Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EST The answer lies in ways of "hearing" and experiencing music well beyond the auditory system, says Michael Broyles. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/deaf.html Mon, 2 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EST Join Irene Schneider for photos and narration from a two-week simulation expedition. http://www.rps.psu.edu/explorations/mars/feature.html Mon, 2 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EST Undergraduate Sarah Weaver describes her studies and explorations in Paris. http://www.rps.psu.edu/students/weaverintro.html Mon, 2 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EST Mark Maughmer explains the magic in the dimples. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/golfball.html Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST Tao Lowe crafts materials for medicine. Includes video. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/vision.html Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST Recent Penn State graduate, Josh Ambrose, sends a final update from his Middle Eastern travels. Includes image slideshows. http://www.rps.psu.edu/students/ambroseintro.html Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST Moses Chan explains. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/hotcold.html Mon, 4 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST Recent Penn State graduate, Josh Ambrose, sends updates from Turkey and Jordan while exploring the soils of the Middle East. Includes image slideshows. http://www.rps.psu.edu/students/ambroseintro.html Mon, 4 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST Intuitively, we know that laughter is healthy. William Klinger attempts to explain how and why. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/laugh.html Mon, 21 May 2007 08:00:00 EST How do retroviruses survive in a hostile new host environment? Mary Poss's research suggests a key role for the innate immune system. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/lentivirus.html Mon, 21 May 2007 08:00:00 EST Recent Penn State graduate, Josh Ambrose, writes from Urgup, Turkey while exploring the soils of the Middle East. http://www.rps.psu.edu/students/ambroseintro.html Mon, 21 May 2007 08:00:00 EST Sports drinks have extra ingredients that are not found in water, says W. Larry Kenney, and may be a better choice after that long run. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/sportsdrinks.html Mon, 7 May 2007 08:00:00 EST There is a plant language, chemically communicated, that drives plants and insects to do what they do. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/jungle.html Mon, 7 May 2007 08:00:00 EST People love to guess at what their dreams symbolize, but nobody knows definitively what psychological function they play, says Edward Bixler. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/dreams.html Mon, 30 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Climate change, climate justice: A community conversation about the ethical, religious, and social justice implications of climate change. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring07/climate.html Mon, 30 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST When archaeologists working on the Indonesian island of Flora announced a new species of human, Bob Eckhardt and colleagues set about debunking their claim. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/hobbit1.html Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Among so-called functional foods, few are as popular as the cultured dairy products that contain probiotics. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/probiotics.html Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Penny Kris-Etherton discusses the health benefits of chocolate and wine. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring07/penny.html Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST When the direction of the sun's magnetic fields reverse, you could momentarily lose cell phone service and television reception, says Chris Palma. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/sunstorm.html Mon, 16 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Pablo Laguna discusses black holes and their echoes in the universe. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring07/laguna.html Mon, 16 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Those who swoon for the game are dwindling in numbers, says Mark Dyreson. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/baseball.html Mon, 9 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Dan Hade discusses society's impact on children's literature. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring07/hade.html Mon, 9 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Jonathan Marks argues for a broader definition of bioethics. http://www.rps.psu.edu/inconversation/marks.html Mon, 2 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST While there's nothing wrong with formula, says John Messmer, even the companies that make it concede that breastfeeding is best. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/breastfeeding.html Mon, 2 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Cary Fraser discusses the legacy of Brown vs. Board of Education. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring07/fraser.html Mon, 2 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST Yvette Richardson answers. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/thunderstorm.html Mon, 26 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST Kent Vrana discusses the stem cell toolbox--its promises and problems. Includes audio from the conversation. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring07/vrana.html Mon, 26 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST Psychologist Rick Gilmore says there is little evidence. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/smarttoys.html Mon, 19 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST Join Kent Vrana this Wednesday for a lively discussion on the promises and problems of stem cell research. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/spring07/index.html Mon, 19 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST Jon Nese answers. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/sun.html Mon, 5 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST Join Sridhar Anandakrishnan for an audio and video narration of his seismic experiment. http://www.rps.psu.edu/explorations/antarctica/feature.html Mon, 5 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST Maryann Frazier and colleagues at Penn State and across the Mid-Atlantic are scrambling to figure out the cause of the massive die-off. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/bee.html Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST The virtual center brings together Penn State faculty to solve some of the most pressing problems in infectious disease research. http://www.rps.psu.edu/featuredsite/cidd.html Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST Forrest J. Remick says "yes." http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/nuclearpower.html Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST Leann Birch is leading a strong interdisciplinary response to the epidemic. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/obesity.html Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST While we've all blamed our fading locks on stress, in reality, there is no proven link, says Jeffrey Miller. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/gray.html Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST Thomas Gardner is committed to finding and preventing diabetic eye disease. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/retinopathy.html Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST There are some neurosurgical procedures and therapeutic drugs available that may help slow the disease, says James Connor. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/alzheimers.html Mon, 5 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST Alan MacEachren is helping the intelligence community better respond to crises with visualization and analysis tools. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/invisible.html Mon, 5 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST Think like a forger, says Baruch Halpern. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/art.html Mon, 29 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST J. Greg Ferry has discovered an ancient bug that may represent the first metabolic cycle on the planet. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/metabolism.html Mon, 29 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST The choices may seem trivial, but they connect to something ancient inside us, says Thomas Pritchard. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/taste.html Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST Can titania nanotubes outshine silicon? Craig Grimes has a bright idea for solar energy. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/electron.html Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST It's a basic communication behavior, says Gary San Julian. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/coyote.html Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST A breakdown and summary of Penn State's research activity for FY2006. Expenditures topped out at $657 million. http://www.research.psu.edu/about/annrep06.pdf Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST In August 2006, the International Astronomy Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet. Last month a panel of Penn State astronomers explained why. Includes video from the IAU discussion and voting. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/pluto.html Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST Iron deficiency is the most common in the world, and Laura Murray-Kolb is part of a team that is searching for solutions. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/rice.html Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST Depends on conditions, Neil Sharkey says. And it's best to take it slow. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/barefoot.html Mon, 4 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST Combining a lifelong love of ancient maps with a biologist's eye for random mutations, Blair Hedges has invented the "print clock." http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/printclock1.html Mon, 4 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST Psychology professor Frederick Brown says there's a strong genetic component. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/morning.html Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST A team led by Paul Weiss and Anne Andrews are simplifying the system to measure free-radical brain damage. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/axons.html Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST Cheryl Dellasega discusses bullying and the word wars of school. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall06/dellasega.html Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST "We're told not to judge a book by its cover, but we do it spontaneously," says Reginald Adams. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/judgment.html Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST Experts from across the state discuss the complex cultures of Old Order Mennonite, Amish, and Brethren folk. http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/fall06/plainpeople.html Fri, 10 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST Bacteria are creative, says Chobi DebRoy. And her lab is working to identify their capabilites. http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/ecoli.html Fri, 10 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST Pam Mitchell's studies of developmental "switches" in fruit fly legs may unlock the secrets of analogous genes in humans. http://www.rps.psu.edu/indepth/toolkit.html Fri, 10 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST