Florida State University Research

America’s seemingly polarized elected officials might be the best representation of their constituents, according to a new study out of Florida State University. Researchers found politicians’ stances on issues such as immigration and abortion matter more to voters than their overarching ideologies. Doug Ahler, an assistant professor of political science, and his colleague David Brockman …

Earth’s peatland soils store a lot of carbon — about as much as currently flows freely through the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. As global temperatures rise, scientists worry that the planet’s grip on these carbon reservoirs could weaken, unleashing a “carbon bomb” that could further destabilize Earth’s climate systems. But a new study led by …

A Florida State University scientist may have discovered a partial antidote to a problem facing many astronauts — vision changes that occur as a result of space flight. Michael Delp, dean of the FSU College of Human Sciences, and his colleagues studied mice on the International Space Station. They found that blood vessels important for …

A new study from Florida State University researchers indicates that common satellite imaging technologies have vastly underestimated the number of fires in Florida. Their report, published in collaboration with researchers from the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, challenges well-established beliefs about the nature and frequency of fire in the Sunshine State. While there …

Conflict in marriage can trigger testosterone surges in men, but not women, and these divergent hormonal reactions may highlight why marital arguments can escalate and cause chronic relationship problems. That’s according to first-of-its-kind research from Florida State University’s Anastasia Makhanova, a doctoral student in FSU’s Department of Psychology. The study, published in the journal Hormones …

A Florida State University chemistry professor has described an unusual phenomenon in which the energy of an electron is spontaneously increased in the course of a chemical reaction. The process is reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie. FSU Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Igor Alabugin and his team call this chemical phenomenon “electron upconversion.” In …

On the eve of every hurricane season, climatologists around the world offer their studied prognostications: Will we see high activity? Low activity? How will ocean temperature affect storm development? What are the chances of a powerful storm making landfall? Scientists have leveraged improved climate models to simulate tropical cyclone behavior with an ever-increasing degree of …

Turtles served as more than tasty treats for many Native American tribes throughout North America. In fact, turtle shells were used as rattles and other musical instruments, said FSU Associate Professor of Anthropology Tanya Peres. “Music is an important part of many cultures in ways we may not realize,” Peres said. “Musical instruments have a …

Over the past several decades, the Arctic has begun to show signs of significant ecological upheaval. The rate of warming in the Arctic is nearly twice the global average, and those changes are triggering a cascade of destabilizing environmental effects. Ice is melting, permafrost is thawing, and experts say fires in Arctic forests are as …

A Florida State University professor and director of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s geochemistry program has been elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, an organization representing some 60,000 professionals in the Earth and space sciences. FSU Professor Vincent Salters was among only 62 — about 0.1 percent — of AGU members to …

A material already known for its unique behavior is found to carry current in a way never before observed Scientists at the Florida State University-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have discovered a behavior in materials called cuprates that suggests they carry current in a way entirely different from conventional metals such as copper. The …

Every summer, thousands of amateur scallopers flock to the warm coastal waters of Florida’s Crystal River region, anchor their boats and reap the delicious bounty of the state’s largest recreational bay scallop fishery. For these seasonal anglers, the toothsome morsels are well worth the two- or three-meter dive. But new research from scientists at Florida …

The vaulted canopies that tower above Earth’s rich tropical forests could be especially vulnerable to climate change-related temperature increases, according to a new report from Florida State University researchers. In a study published in the journal Ecosphere, scientists found temperatures in the forest canopies of Panama’s Barro Colorado Island exceeded maximum air temperatures by as …

Colorful, hardened algae that dot the ocean floor from Alaska to Mexico often set the tone for which plant and invertebrate species inhabit a given ecological community. But as rising temperatures change the chemistry of ocean waters, a Florida State University researcher said these almost rock-like organisms called coralline algae are changing too. That could …

Florida State University’s Center for Anchored Phylogenomics is using a cutting-edge research technique to answer a question that scientists have labored over lucklessly for generations: How do we produce enough genetic data to construct an accurate evolutionary tree quickly and cost effectively? Thanks to the development of a specialized gene sampling technique by center co-directors …

A team of Florida State University researchers is using artificial intelligence to identify which among hundreds of thousands of hypothetical crystal structures can result in the prediction of new chemical compounds. It’s a move that could radically change how chemists identify, test and study potential new compounds for any variety of materials, medicines or other …