People, ideas, and discoveries that impact North Carolina and the world

July 2008

Global Study Puts Scholar in the Thick of It

During a trip to China funded by the National Science Foundation last year to study global warming, Yiyi Wong found herself immersed in the raw material she had come to analyze – literally.

"There's a yellow haze in the atmosphere in Beijing," she says. "I was there for three months and there were only two days when I actually saw blue sky."

The haze is made up of dust, smoke, soot and other particulates. Some of it comes from natural sources, like volcanoes and forest fires, but most is the result of human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles and factories. As Wong discovered, it's everywhere. 


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Politics, Religion and Electric Guitars

Politics, Religion and Electric Guitars

Scholar and jazz musician Jason Bivins examines the use of religion to demonize political opponents.
Top Honor for Amazing Inventions

Top Honor for Amazing Inventions

An NC State researcher is awarded "the Oscar for inventors" for his life-changing and life-saving innovations.
Gift Fuels Clean Energy Work

Gift Fuels Clean Energy Work

The Duke Energy Foundation invests more than $1 million to support sustainability research and workforce development at NC State.
On the Home Page

On the Home Page

Student plugs electric school buses, staff members dance with wolves, and scientists study insect family trees. Plus more news and events.