Rapid moving advances in artificial intelligence have stirred controversy and debate, but they have all raised enticing prospects for supercharged technological innovation. Researchers at Virginia Tech who are exploring these frontiers can offer previews of the potential positive developments that could derive from AI.
As March Madness tips off this week, the men’s NCAA Tournament is not the only game in town drawing big interest, ratings, and betting. Jadrian Wooten, a Virginia Tech collegiate associate professor in the Department of Economics, explains how investment and interest in women’s basketball has created a “virtuous cycle” spurring growth in one another to help close the gender equity gap.
The vote this week by the U.S. House of Representatives, by an overwhelming 352-65 margin, could lead to a nationwide ban of the popular social media app TikTok.
Women make up only 35% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) - the greatest disparities occurring in engineering and computer sciences. Christina DiMarino, an engineering professor at Virginia Tech, said now is the time to flip the script and explained why it is so important that education for women and underrepresented groups about STEM fields starts early in life.
Women’s History Month recognizes the achievements of women throughout the world. Virginia Tech political science expert Farida Jalalzai reflects on world leaders who are women, and how in recent years they’ve broken down barriers and expanded understandings of the roles of women in governance.
The idea that people make decisions based on social context is not a new one in neural economic games. But now, for the first time, researchers publishing in Nature Human Behavior show the impact of the social context may spring from the dynamic interactions of dopamine and serotonin. Researchers built carbon-fiber electrodes that were implanted in patients receiving Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. The method allows researchers to measure more than one neurotransmitter at a time, revealing a dance that has never been seen before
As California and the west coast stare down yet another major winter storm, the threat of devastating flooding and mudslides is even more urgent. Drew Ellis, a climate science and meteorology expert at Virginia Tech, explains what causes these conditions.
The Republican race for a candidate to take on President Joe Biden in November’s election continues to be a two-person show, with Saturday’s South Carolina primary the latest stage. Virginia Tech political expert Caitlin Jewitt answers questions about the shape of the race through the South Carolina primary, the Super Tuesday contest on March 5, and beyond.
With national elections looming in the United States, concerns about misinformation are sharper than ever, and advances in artificial intelligence have made distinguishing genuine news sites from fake ones even more challenging. Virginia Tech experts explore three different facets of the AI-fueled spread of fake news sites and the efforts to combat them.
Navigating tax season can be a source of stress for many individuals. Virginia Tech finance expert Jesse Lineberry shares ways to stay ahead on tax season to avoid being overwhelmed as the April 15 deadline approaches. Get organized early. “With so many details to account for it's essential to retrieve all information from previous employers and bankers,” said Lineberry.
Testing wastewater to assess the spread of the COVID-19 virus became common and well-publicized during the pandemic, but it has been focused mostly on urban areas.
On Valentine’s Day, people celebrate their relationships with friends, family, or a significant other. Often, the expression of affection involves monetary expenditures. Jadrian Wooten, a Virginia Tech professor in the Department of Economics, provides valuable insight on effectively managing a budget around the holiday. “People should start by determining a realistic amount they can afford to spend on gifts, activities, or experiences for their loved ones,” said Wooten.
As Valentine's Day approaches, you may be planning to enjoy some chocolates and candies. While these sweet treats delight us, they can pose significant risks to our pets. Understanding what's enjoyable for us but might be harmful for our furry friends is important during this sweet holiday. “As pet owners, we understand how tempting it can be to share treats with your pets.
The ‘5 Love Languages’ popularized by Gary Chapman often get brought up when discussing relationships, but this Valentine’s Day one Virginia Tech psychologist suggests taking a different approach to fostering and nurturing high-quality, loving relationships. To understand Louis Hickman’s perspective, it’s important to also understand the love languages.
For pangolins in Africa, a pattern of overlapping scales is a vital armor against predatory lions, hyenas, snakes, and wild dogs. The scales – composed of the same keratin that makes up our fingernails – allow the threatened mammals to curl up into a ball, protecting their vulnerable underside.
For most people, the Super Bowl isn’t just about the game. For many, the food, commercials, and entertainment take center stage. Ahead of the big game, Virginia Tech experts can speak on a variety of topics, including Taylor Swift's impact on the NFL and gender bias, a new era of marketing, gambling, healthy snacks, and more.
Whether it’s building out a big spread for the Super Bowl or planning a Valentine’s Day meal, lots of people will be heading to the store these next few weeks to stock up on food. One item many might be considering is charcuterie.
According to recent data, bird populations in North America have declined by approximately 2.9 billion birds, a loss of more than one in four birds since 1970. Experts say this bird loss will continue to grow unless changes are made in our daily lives.
As 2024 gets underway, many people are focused on new year’s resolutions – eat healthier, quit smoking, catch up with family. But what about your online privacy and safety? Virginia Tech information privacy and cybersecurity experts and co-founders of Voices of Privacy, France Bélanger and Donna Wertalik say now is also a good time to make resolutions about protecting your and your loved ones’ information in the digital world.
Virginia Tech political experts Karen Hult and Caitlin Jewitt provided perspectives on what the results of the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses could spell for the Jan. 23 Republican primary in New Hampshire and the race overall.
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Neuromotor Research Clinic recently published findings in Behavioral Sciences demonstrating improved motor function for a wide range of diagnoses -- including cerebral palsy, stroke, traumatic brain injury, arteriovenous malformation, hemispherectomy, and more -- after receiving the intensive pediatric neurorehabilitation.
Federal officials are describing a ‘tripledemic’ of respiratory infections on the rise. Flu, COVID-19, and RSV are spiking, as expected, as we are in the mid-winter months. Lisa M. Lee, a professor of public health at Virginia Tech, answered questions about factors for concern and the importance of vaccination. Lee is an epidemiologist and bioethicist who has worked in public health and ethics for 25 years, including 14 years with CDC.
Biosensing engineer Azahar Ali, assistant professor of animal sciences and biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech, is bracing for the arrival of a fourth agricultural revolution.
A team of Virginia Tech researchers was awarded nearly $2 million from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, part of the National Institutes of Health, to explore novel approaches for treating Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Type 2 diabetes affects more than 38.4 million Americans, with an estimated 1.
Major cities on the U.S. Atlantic coast are sinking, in some cases as much as 5 millimeters per year – a decline at the ocean’s edge that well outpaces global sea level rise, confirms new research from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey. Particularly hard hit population centers such as New York City and Long Island, Baltimore, and Virginia Beach and Norfolk are seeing areas of rapid “subsidence,” or sinking land, alongside more slowly sinking or relatively stable ground, increasing the risk to roadways, runways, building foundations, rail lines, and pipelines, according to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
As 2023 comes to a close and 2024 approaches, many people will be thinking about how to reset goals and make lifestyle changes. Individuals often set challenging resolutions and tend to lose motivation as time progresses.
Virginia Tech has pedaled its way to national recognition as a gold level Bicycle Friendly University, a prestigious designation awarded by the League of American Bicyclists.
Virginia Tech researchers have discovered limitations in ChatGPT’s capacity to provide location-specific information about environmental justice issues.
The word “drought” typically conjures images of parched soil, dust-swept prairies, depleted reservoirs, and dry creek beds, all the result of weeks or seasons of persistently dry atmospheric conditions.
About 40 percent of people over age 65 suffer some form of age-related memory loss, which puts them at higher risk for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Following a recording-breaking concert tour so huge that she brought mini economic booms wherever she went, pop star Taylor Swift’s cultural ascendancy reached another peak as Time Magazine pronounced her Person of the Year. Virginia Tech voice expert Ariana Wyatt discusses Swift’s legacy and cultural impact.
Two Virginia Tech biomedical engineers have been named as fellows of Biomedical Engineering Society for their impactful achievements and contributions.
A lone ranger riding off into the sunset might say something sage and vague, such as “a man is only as good as his word.” But these gritty prophets never said anything about verifying a man’s — or anyone else’s — word in the wild frontiers of the digital or quantum era.
When temperatures drop and roads get slick, rock salt is an important safety precaution used by individuals, businesses, and local and state governments to keep walkers, cyclists, and drivers safe.
Information security experts France Bélanger and Donna Wertalik, professors in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech and co-hosts of Voices of Privacy, provide tips for parents considering holiday gifts of smart toys for their children.
The holiday season is often an overwhelming experience for many individuals. The combination of gift shopping, travel arrangements, and the expected anxiety of family and friends can create very stressful situations. Virginia Tech psychologist Rosanna Breaux shares her most effective tips for navigating seasonal stress. “Planning and prioritizing what activities are the most important is a better strategy than exhaustingly trying to do everything and ending up not enjoying it,” says Breaux, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech.
Bahareh Behkam and collaborators have received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue their fight against airborne pathogens. An associate professor of mechanical engineering, Behkam and her team will use the funding to further develop engineered living systems for indoor air monitoring. Currently, there is a lack of sensitive, specific, affordable, and easy-to-use airborne pathogen monitoring technology and an overwhelming need for innovative approaches to address this challenge.
With the approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) has established a Department of Neurosurgery.
From electricity usage to piles of presents and an overload of food, this time of year can take a toll on the environment. Virginia Tech sustainability expert Jennifer Russell says even though it isn’t always what we want to hear during the holidays, it is really the “abundance” that is a challenge for sustainability. “Cutting back on the abundance is one of the most critical things we can do to make the holiday season more sustainable,” says Russell, who shared these five tips.
Water is often the go-to resource for heat transfer, being used in large-scale cooling operations like data centers that power the internet and nuclear power plants that power cities. Discovering dynamic phenomena to make water-based heat transfer more energy and cost efficient is the ongoing work of Jonathan Boreyko, associate professor and John R.
The Virginia Tech media relations office has the following experts available for interviews on holiday related topics. To schedule an interview, please contact [email protected]. Eco-friendly ways to celebrate the holiday From electricity usage to piles of presents, and an overload of food, this time of year can take a toll on the environment.
Human, animal, and environmental are not three different kinds of health. They are One Health. One Health is the overarching concept that human, animal, and environmental health are inextricably linked and that professionals within the three realms should work together toward research findings and clinical applications that can improve the health in all three areas.