Ohio State University's partnership in a new $19 million Science and Technology Center could give scientists a look at a part of the earth never before seen -- the part that is buried under several miles of polar ice.

What they find will help them understand how melting ice could affect global sea levels in the future, and perhaps even offer a better view of the surface of distant planets. The National Science Foundation is funding the creation of the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas.

Ken Jezek, professor of geological sciences and leader of Ohio State's portion of the project, said that decades of collaboration between Ohio State and the University of Kansas have laid the foundation for the work that will be done at CReSIS. One such collaboration led to a successful test of a prototype radar instrument in Greenland last summer. For the complete Ohio State news story, click here

Science fiction writer Harlan Ellison once said that the most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity. While the verdict is still out on the volume of stupidity, scientists have long known that hydrogen is indeed by far the most abundant element in the universe.

When they peer through their telescopes, they see hydrogen in the vast clouds of dust and gas between stars –- especially in the denser regions that are collapsing to form new stars and planets. But one mystery has remained: Why is much of that hydrogen in molecular form –- with two hydrogen atoms bonded together –- rather than its single atomic form? Where did all that molecular hydrogen come from?

Ohio State University researchers, including Distinguished University Professor Eric Herbst, recently decided to try to figure it out. For the complete story, click here

The research of assistant professor of chemistry Heather Allen's group was highlighted on the cover of the May 12 edition of Journal of Physical Chemistry B. Sandhya Gopalakrishnan, a postdoc in the Allen group and former graduate student of Terry Miller, is the lead author.

The article is available at click here

Susan Olesik, professor of chemistry, was recently featured in The Columbus Dispatch. The article focuses on the Columbus Technical Council naming Olesik "Technical Person of the Year" and also highlights her research and the Wonders of Our World (WOW) program.

The complete story is available at Dispatch Page (login required).