If identity is linked to places on the landscape, names for those places become part of shared culture. An OSU research project has helped to document the culture of King Island, Alaska.
Category » Winter 2007
February 1, 2007
The Ice Sages
For millennia the people of King Island have depended on the walrus hunt. But as Arctic ice recedes in response to a changing climate, hunters have to go further to reach their quarry. OSU anthropologist Deanna Paniataaq Kingston leads a team documenting the culture, language and natural history of her ancestral homeland.
February 1, 2007
Are We There Yet?
The Twisting Road To Adulthood
By Richard A. Settersten, Jr., professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, member of the MacArthur Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood and Public Policy. “A 30-year-old single mother from Iowa laughed when asked whether she considered herself an adult: ‘I don’t know if I’m an adult yet. I still don’t feel quite grown up. [...]
February 1, 2007
Communication Breakdown
Cell signaling key to healthy arteries
Hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure may result from a breakdown in cell communications, researchers in OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute have discovered. The finding could pave the way for new dietary measures and pharmaceuticals to reduce cardiovascular diseases. “It’s also a key to understanding the biological effects of inflammation, which increasingly seems to [...]
February 1, 2007
Pressure’s On
High-strength building products
It was a great idea, just ahead of its time. More than 50 years ago, engineers came up with a way to increase the strength and stiffness of wood. By applying steam, heat and pressure, they increased strength by about 250 percent. Problem was, strong wood was in plentiful supply. So, except for some minor [...]
February 1, 2007
Genes of Autumn
“Its leaves have been asking it from time to time, in a whisper, ‘When shall we redden?’” Henry David Thoreau Autumnal Tints, 1862 The magical transformation of autumn leaves inspires poets and awes observers. But the genetic triggers that produce those stunning colors have long baffled scientists. Until now. OSU researchers, studying aspens with scientists [...]
February 1, 2007
Aptitude For Aging
“As individuals age, they become increasingly like themselves.” Bernice Neugarten, 1964 (founder of the field of personality and aging) In 2006, the first wave of baby boomers turned 60. Even for the bold cultural warriors of the 1960s — the rockers, idealists, protesters and iconoclasts who transformed the nation — the transition to retirement is [...]
February 1, 2007
Canola Fuels Debate, Research
In the past couple of decades, canola has catapulted from obscurity to celebrity. The oilseed made its commercial debut in margarines and cooking oils, edging out more saturated-fat-laden competitors. Now it’s gaining stature as the ideal oil for yet another consumer product: biodiesel. But canola’s rising profile has not come without controversy. A type of [...]
February 1, 2007
Underwater Volcano Eruption
No need to duck! Watch an underwater volcano erupt in this video shot by OSU researchers.
February 1, 2007
Across the Divide
Parting the Waters.
In the summer of 1997, Aaron Wolf and a Berber guide trekked up narrow mountain paths to a village high in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Despite the steep terrain, they walked lightly. A donkey carried their gear. As they moved toward snowcapped peaks, they crossed one dry, rocky ridge after another. It took four [...]
February 1, 2007
Medical Pioneer
At one time, Erin Rieke might have been hesitant to take risks, glad to let someone else step up. Hard to tell now. The 22-year-old senior in bioengineering from Tualatin, Oregon, has been doing extraordinary things for an undergraduate: culturing breast cancer cells, exposing them to controlled doses of radiation, learning how to make nanoparticles [...]
February 1, 2007
Small Miracles
Harnessing nanotechnology
Nanotechnology has arrived. No longer do we just have to imagine the benefits. Advertisers tout them in cosmetics, clothing, batteries, dental adhesives, paint and golf clubs. In 2004, nanotech consultant Lux Research, Inc., estimated the worldwide sale of products containing nanomaterials at $158 billion. And new products are on the horizon: medicines, sensors, filters and [...]
February 1, 2007
Reinventing High Schools
High school today is startlingly like it was in the days of “Grease.” Kids may be wearing low-rise jeans and nose rings instead of poodle skirts and letterman sweaters, but their path to a diploma looks and feels much like their parents’ — or their grandparents’. For many students, the old ways aren’t working. Low [...]
February 1, 2007
Know Thy Customer
Companies as diverse as electronics manufacturer Hewlett-Packard and peat producer Sun Gro Horticulture are looking to the College of Business for research-based services to enhance their customers’ satisfaction. When HP wanted to improve user comfort with its digital projectors, and Sun Gro wished to expand its customer base for an innovative horse-bedding material, both turned [...]
