American Scientist

Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society moved from Connecticut to North Carolina in 1990 to be in the heart of the Research Triangle. We’re celebrating our 25-year anniversary of calling North Carolina home! Since then, we’ve experienced the state’s vibrant scientific research and diverse landscapes, from the mountains to the sea.

See below for a selected list of articles related to our home state that we’ve published throughout the years:

1. The Rarest Butterfly in North America
   The Saint Francis satyr butterfly is found only in a few hectares of North Carolina. Ecologist and conservation biologist Nick Haddad at North Carolina State University studies ways to conserve these endangered insects. 
   
   Listen to an interview with community ecologist Erik Aschehoug and American Scientist Associate Editor, Katie L. Burke, about his work with these butterflies:


2. First in Flight?
   North Carolina takes pride in being known as “First in Flight” because the Wright brothers took off on their experimental powered aircraft in Kitty Hawk, located on the Outer Banks. But history shows that others may lay claim to the title.
   
   


3. Restoring North Carolina’s Oysters and Coastal Habitats
   Searching for rare finds along a North Carolina beach, you’ll most likely find oyster shell after oyster shell and, because of their commonness, toss it aside disappointed it wasn’t a whole sand dollar. But researchers are trying to restore and conserve oysters, specifically in the Pamlico Sound; these shellfish help filter particles out of water, which improves water quality and in turn improves the health of local fish populations.
   


4. Animal-Production Farms and Impacts on the Environment
   In the summer of 1995, ruptures in waste-holding lagoons in Onslow, Duplin, and Brunswick counties sent more than 35 million gallons of swine and poultry waste into nearby rivers and estuaries—and such events weren’t uncommon. In 2000, American Scientist published a feature about the devastating environmental impacts such operations posed to wildlife and water quality.
   
   


5. Using Laser Technology to Study Paintings at the North Carolina Museum of Art
   First used to visualize below of the surface of human skin, laser technology can similarly be used to see the layers that make up historic artwork, according to researchers at Duke University and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Called nonlinear pump-probe microscopy, these lasers give art curators the opportunity to understand paintings in a noninvasive way.
   


6. “Headed down south to the land of the pines…”
   One thing you won’t miss in North Carolina is the vast amount of pine trees, from long-leaf pine to loblolly; hence why the former is our state tree. Read a book review on Longleaf, Far as the Eye Can See: A New Vision of North America’s Richest Forest by Bill Finch, Beth Maynor Young, Rhett Johnson and John C. Hall, who go “under the bark” of these trees to reveal the hidden ecosystems below.
   
   


7. Citizen-Science Project on Camel Crickets Spread From Raleigh to all of North America
   Researchers at North Carolina State University wanted to know the spread and frequency of native and nonnative camel crickets in human homes. With the project receiving tremendous input from local North Carolinians, it soon became a continental-scale citizen science campaign.
   


8. Examining North Carolina’s Redistricting History With Computer Science
   A Computing Science column investigates if computer programs could be better at drawing good legislative districts in a manner that is fair and decreases the political strife over redistricting. Using North Carolina as an example, such algorithms may never be embodied in law for redistricting, but they could suggest ideas that would be useful in a more conventional approach.
   
   


9. Prolific Scene of Hobby Beekeepers
   From corn to apples, North Carolina is known for its agriculture. With the help of honeybees, such crops and farms can flourish. Dwindling honeybee numbers are concerning to the public. A geneticist and well-known hobby beekeeper, whose hives are in Garner, NC, discusses the past and current research focused on helping honeybees recover.
   


10. The Historic Engineering Feat of Dorton Arena
    Located in Raleigh, this architectural wonder was the first stadium-like structure designed to enclose a large, covered, column-free space. It is the predecessor of such covered stadiums and the superdomes that are popular in sports-stadium design today. What makes this structure so unique is its roof is supported by tension instead of traditionally relying on compression, in which loads are carried by bearing down on what supports them.
    
    


11. An Ecologist and Artist Visits the Research Triangle with an Interactive Exhibit
    In the summer of 2014, a scientist-artist exhibited his Love Motels for Insects structures to give humans a closer and more familiar look at their insect neighbors.
    


12. Battle for Control Over the Barrier Islands’ Natural Environment
    The Outer Banks are a dynamically changing landscape from shifting sands, creating new inlets and sounds, and surviving severe storms by moving towards and away from the mainland. Even under such naturally occurring conditions, humans still try to control these barrier islands. Such disruptions can negatively affect the islands’ ability to naturally shift, harm ecosystems, and cost millions of dollars in maintenance. In a case study approach, this article explores the implications of large-scale manipulation of North Carolina’s barrier islands.
    
    


13. Research-Turned-Business Ventures
    A Duke University researcher studying the cognitive abilities of dogs and primates turned his research into a citizen-science project known as Dognition. Now, it’s a business based out of Durham, NC, that explores if Fido is a doggie genius.
    


14. From Hurricanes to Nor’easters, North Carolina is Impacted by Crazy Weather
    From October through April, Nor’easters can batter the East Coast, yet their destructive potential tends to be difficult to predict.
    
    



Thank you, North Carolina, for your vibrant scientific and engineering scenes. Here’s to 25 more years!