Physical Sciences & Engineering

Honduran water plant designed by Cornell students is handed over to a grateful village

For 18 Cornell students who were spending Jan. 4 to 20 in Honduras working on water plants in small villages, it was perhaps the sweetest moment of all witnessing the ceremonial handover of a completed project. (Jan. 23, 2008)

The bride wore white and, maybe, less weight -- but study shows she may have gone to extremes for that svelte look

More than 70 percent of brides-to-be want to drop more than 20 pounds before the big day, reports a new Cornell study. Of those who want to lose weight, more than one-third use such extreme measures as diet pills, fasting or skipping meals to reach their goal.

A story about a wasp, a caterpillar and a fungus ends with more dominating female wasps

Understanding survival of a species can be a lot more complicated than meets the eye because ecosystems are so interrelated. In a recent study, a Cornell researcher discovered that host caterpillars that eat fungus-infected plants harbor more female than male wasp larvae by 2-to-1.

Cornell partners with other schools to promote New York's solar energy industry

Cornell will join five other universities in providing research support to The Solar Energy Consortium. This research partnership between colleges and solar energy companies will help advance New York's solar industry. (Jan. 18, 2008)

Genetic discovery can boost the provitamin A content of Africa's maize

A new study has identified a set of genetic variants in maize that accounts for levels of vitamin A precursors among varieties. The discovery could lead to at least tripling provitamin A levels in maize in Africa, where millions go blind due to vitamin A deficiency. (Jan. 17, 2008)

Neutron stars can be more massive, while black holes are more rare, Arecibo Observatory finds

Neutron stars can be considerably more massive than previously believed, and it is more difficult to form black holes, according to new research developed by using the Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. (Jan. 17, 2008)

Cornell to share $5.5 million federal grant with Yale for study of major cereal crops

Cornell and Yale universities will share a $5.5 million, four-year grant from the National Science Foundation for research to better understand the biology of rice, maize and sorghum, among other crops. (Jan. 16, 2008)

Campus researchers discover a novel player in how plants protect themselves

Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research on Cornell's campus have identified a crucial player in the defense network that allows plants to respond to pathogens. (Jan. 16, 2008)

Cornell receives almost $2 million from New York state for stem cell research

Cornell University received two one-year institutional development grants for stem cell research from the state of New York as part of $14.5 million in similar awards granted statewide Jan. 7. (Jan. 16, 2008)