News Archive
Friday, February 8 2019
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Data mining brings new clarity to plant breeding, according to new Iowa State University study
Data mining methods that draw on computer science and statistics can bring new clarity for plant scientists trying to design better crop varieties, according to newly published research from an ISU agronomist. The study outlines several data management approaches that can help plant breeders predict the traits of potential hybrids faster and cheaper than growing and testing the plants.
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Iowa State students come together to study the Beatles
Jennifer Leptien translated her lifelong passion for the Beatles into a learning opportunity for Iowa State University students. Each spring, students enroll in Leptien and Jason Chrystal’s one-credit honors seminar for a deep-dive into Beatlemania. Over spring break, they’ll travel to Liverpool and London to see where the Fab Four got their start.
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Crowdsourcing effort aims to unearth new discoveries in “lost” collection at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory
Citizen scientists can contribute to an effort to enter thousands of preserved organism samples from the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory into an easily searchable database. An ISU scientist overseeing the project said there’s no telling what kind of discoveries may await among the various specimens of plants, insects and animals.
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Black History Month events planned at Iowa State
Celebrate Black History Month at Iowa State University with a variety of events recognizing and honoring the achievements and contributions of African Americans. Events range from film screenings to workshops to the annual Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE).
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Giving high school students the tools to question classic literature
Generations of students have read Shakespeare and Hemingway for high school literature class and Jeanne Dyches, assistant professor in Iowa State University’s School of Education, would like students to question that tradition. Assigning these texts without questioning issues of race or gender may exclude students who do not see themselves in the text, and make them feel their voices are not valued, she said.
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ISU wildlife ecologist looks at the future of chronic wasting disease in Iowa deer
An ISU wildlife ecologist looks at the future of chronic wasting disease in Iowa deer after the recent confirmation of a case in Dubuque County. Chronic wasting disease, a neurological disorder that arises from misfolded proteins that affect the brains of deer, has been confirmed in four Iowa counties. There’s no evidence humans can contract the disease, but hunters are urged to have harvested deer tested if they suspect the disease is present, and no one should eat venison from infected deer.
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Iowa State engineers use big data tools to assist Iowa DOT, improve highway safety
Researchers with Iowa State's Institute for Transportation are using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to manage, sort and analyze the traffic data collected by the Iowa Department of Transportation. The idea is for researchers to use the latest computing tools to mine the huge data sets for useful information that could lead to safer roads.
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Patented technology cloaks location on mobile devices to protect privacy
An Iowa State researcher has developed a cloaking technology that makes it possible to use location-based apps and services on mobile devices while keeping your privacy under control.
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Iowa State fashion merchandising student wins life-changing award
It will be difficult for Jennifer Junker to ever top her 22nd birthday. On that day earlier this month, the Iowa State University senior in apparel, merchandising and design won the prestigious $35,000 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund case study competition with her plan to expand a fashion company to a global market.
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Ready to Run® Iowa registration now open
Kelly Winfrey expects the record number of women elected in 2018 to have a ripple effect on future elections. Because women are often hesitant to run, she encourages anyone considering political office to register for Ready to Run® Iowa.
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2019 livestock forecast: ISU economist expects continued growth and big supplies for pork, beef and poultry
An Iowa State University livestock economist outlines his expectations for the year ahead for both producers and consumers. Projected record production likely will lead to big supplies, and questions regarding trade policy could create uncertainty.
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Early exposure to banking influences life-long financial health
Growing up in a community with or without banks has a long-term effect on how you build and manage credit, according to a new Iowa State University study. The research shows individuals who grow up in what are essentially “financial deserts” are slow to apply for credit and as adults have lower credit scores and more delinquent accounts.
Postcard from Campus: Snow is Glistening
Even blanketed in snow, Iowa State's campus still looks warm and inviting.
In the news
Brian Burt: A focused future
Brian Burt, an assistant professor in Iowa State's School of Education, has been selected as one of 15 emerging scholars nationwide who represent the future of the academy. He appears on the cover of the current issue of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
'We are going backward': How the justice system ignores science in the pursuit of convictions
Across the country, forensic techniques found tenuous by independent researchers representing a variety of specialties are still being used as evidence to convict people. And that, critics say, can lead to wrongful convictions. "If we don't have technologies that are objective, repeatable and reliable, then we have no idea how many times we're making the wrong decision," said Iowa State's Alicia Carriquiry, director of the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE), a government-funded project to measure the limits of forensic methods. "We don't even have a way to estimate how many times we're making the wrong decisions."
Keeping Iowa roads safe with AI
Iowa State engineers are using artificial intelligence tools to help the Iowa Department of Transportation manage traffic -- and help school districts get students to school, even when the snow is flying.
How to get your resolutions back on track
It's estimated that 80 percent of New Year's resolutions fail by the second week of February. If you're already slipping, Iowa State researchers Alison Phillips and Laura Ellingson break down the science to help you get back on track by forming good habits.
Increase in e-commerce clogging urban streets
It's now possible in many large cities to order something online and have it delivered to your door the same day. Iowa State's Johanna Amaya Leal explains how this demand for fast delivery is adding to urban congestion, and how cities might address the problem.
The man arrested didn't match the police sketch. Here are some possible reasons why.
The man arrested in the killing of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes looks nothing like the initial composite sketch of the suspect based on eyewitness reports. But witness accounts are inherently fallible.
"When we see a face, we don't remember a face based on its individual features," says Iowa State University's Gary Wells, a distinguished professor of psychology and expert in eyewitness testimony. "We don't know the nose. We don't know the lips or the mouth or the chin or the eyes...we know the face as a whole."