College campuses have long been the grounds for academics to explore or explain the physical world. The research is as varied as the schools where it originates. Recent work includes using tree rings to date a volcanic eruption, hooking up a robot to a moth’s brain and characterizing potentially hazardous asteroids.
 Research Roundup |
Bug eyes a boon for U. Arizona professor
A University of Arizona professor created a way to use the electrical impulses from a moth’s brain to control the movements of a robot in the same way the moth would normally control its own muscles.
Story from The Arizona Daily Wildcat
Scientists Use Tree Rings to Date 3,000-Year-Old Volcanic Eruption
Prof. Sturt Manning, classics, and Cornell’s Lab of Dendrochronology have been able to use tree-ring chronologies in combination with radiocarbon dating in order to place important events, such as the massive volcanic eruption at Santorini in the late 17th century B.C.
Story from The Cornell Daily Sun
Cornell U. professor addresses Congress regarding asteroids, comets
Five scientists testified before Congress to discuss NASA’s plan to find and characterize potentially hazardous asteroids and comets to mitigate the threat they may pose to Earth.
Story from The Cornell Daily Sun
Princeton research sheds light on birds’ migratory instincts
Princeton University ecology professor Martin Wikelski, postdoctoral researcher Richard Holland and a team of researchers have learned that adult birds can correct their navigation if it’s disrupted.
Story from The Daily Princetonian
UC Berkeley study: Pecking order dictates where elephants go for grub
University of California at Berkeley researchers showed that the foraging behavior and movement of elephants is determined by their social interactions within groups.
Story from The Daily Californian
Harvard astronomers find black holes
Two teams of Harvard astronomers have announced the discovery of two enormous extragalactic black holes in as many weeks — and conventional theory says the objects shouldn’t even exist.
Story from The Harvard Crimson
Beetles to be used by Penn State researchers for biofuels
Kelli Hoover, associate professor of entomology, is studying the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the microbes in its gut that could be used in the production of biofuels.