Moon research that is out of this world

I never thought that as a journalist I would be able to hold a 4 billion year old rock in the palm of my hands. This meteorite is one of many in Dr. Amy Fagan’s collection. Fagan is an associate professor of geology at WCU and the chair of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group for […]

Dead whales and Vikings

Vicki Szabo simply couldn’t resist when she was asked to harvest the bones of a beached, 13-foot long, pilot whale that had been dead for two months. Szabo, WCU history professor, studies Norse Vikings in the sub-Arctic from the year 800 to 1300. Vikings would make tools and weapons out of whale bones. Her mission […]

Innovations to help with self care

For many people, blow drying your hair is a small task overlooked by many. But for a person with disabilities blow drying your hair can be a necessary but almost impossible task. In January Allison Royer, a mechanical engineering student, submitted a project idea for an oscillating hair dryer holder as part of an assignment. […]

Dr. Gomez: Research on cosmic ray particles in the stratosphere

For many of us, we see astronomy as a complex topic to discuss and research. However, it can lead to incredible discoveries that are unfathomable. That is mainly what interests Dr. Enrique Gomez. Gomez is an associate professor that teaches general physics and astronomy at Western Carolina University. Born in Mexico City, Gomez received a […]

Can cloud seeding help with future droughts?

With the environmental crisis worsening, more places will be impacted by harsh weather conditions. AP reported that if the planet heats up an additional 3.4 ℉ (2 ℃), future generations will experience “five times the floods, storms, drought and heatwaves, according to a group of scientists at the IPCC.” Aside from the world’s governments coming […]

The story behind Kudzu: Invading property to practical decorations

The story of kudzu is one of many trials and tribulations experienced by early farmers. Now, many years later, their descendants have learned of a way to turn kudzu into unique decorations made for any home. Kudzu has been in the United States since the late 19th century. It first was seen in a display […]